Life Lessons from a Parasite: What Tapeworms, Flukes, Lice, and Roundworms Can Teach Us About Humanity’s Most Difficult Problems

by John Janovy Jr.

The answers to life's biggest questions can be found by looking at the little things . . .

Though you may not be able to see them with the naked eye, parasites—miniscule life forms that live inside other organisms—inhabit our everyday lives. From headlice to bird droppings, litterboxes to unfiltered water, you have brushed up against the most common way of life on our planet.

In this unique book, John Janovy Jr., one of the world's preeminent experts on parasites, reveals what can humans learn from the most reviled yet misunderstood animals on lice, tapeworms, flukes, and maggots that can eat a lizard from the inside, and how these lessons help us negotiate our own complicated world. Whether we're learning to adapt to adverse conditions, accept our own limitations, or process new information in an ever-changing landscape—we can be sure a parasite did it first.

At once peculiar and profound, Life Lessons from a Parasite makes a case for using knowledge of the natural world, with all its wonderful mysteries and quirks, to tackle our worst problems.

Genres: Nonfiction, Science, Biology, Audiobook, Animals, Nature

336 pages, Paperback

Published August 20, 2024

About the author

Emeritus Professor of Biological Sciences at the University of Nebraska.

Reviews

[Max · Rating 4 out of 5]

Be advised: this book can be quite graphical and gory with the descriptions on animal dissections. You would probably expect this from a book written by a parasitologist, but still worth the mention.

Life Lessons from a Parasite was quite different from what I expected. To be honest I hadn't really expected the links to parasitology and today's problems like racism, hate, the pandemic etc. I also didn't find them always very convincing.

But the parasite stories are cool. I've done a master's project on an oyster parasite, so I am used to these kinds of stories, but they can be quite intense. And I agree that people who are interested in parasites are a special breed of people.

Entertaining, but sometimes long-winded and graphic. I wouldn't recommend this for casual readers looking for some popular science, but more for budding parasitologists.

Thank you so much to the author, publisher and NetGalley for an ARC to read & review. These are my honest opinions.

[ainsley · Rating 1 out of 5]

I did not enjoy much.
I do not feel I learned anything of parasites or life lessons.
The life lessons are almost entirely political lessons. I would not mind this as I mostly agreed with his politics, but he just does a horrible job of elaborating ie: "mosquitos are like lgbt+ discrimination, complicated; tapeworms are just like tiktok, infectious." Mind numbing. In a way it felt almost condescending, like he was writing this book for people who had never had critical thought before. Which maybe he was, but I can't imagine that particular audience would be drawn to this title.
The one lesson he hammered in with insufferable clarity was that scientists are so much smarter and more valuable and more nuanced than your every man. Like again, I don't even disagree much it just felt like this book was so self-aggrandizing. Like it was less about cool parasites and more about how cool parasitologists are.

[[Jamie] · Rating 1 out of 5]

Hoo boy where do I start?

This was badly written, needed editing, reorganizing, and more thought put into the sequencing.

It was terribly unsuccessful in mixing social commentary with learning from parasites. I wanted to learn about different types of parasites, and Janovy Jr barely even talks about them in depth. He has the infuriating habit of bringing something up, and never going into the nitty gritty.

It's like this book is the very opposite of "show don't tell"

DNF
I demand 3 hours of my life back.

[LeeAnne Sanders · Rating 1 out of 5]

Didn’t finish. I wanted to read a cool book about parasites but the author insists on making an extended metaphor about the COVID pandemic that, while possibly valid, is executed with the grace of knocking someone over the head with a two by four whole preaching in their face. Couldn’t take it. Would be better with just parasites and less soapbox.

[Brooke · Rating 4 out of 5]

Part memoir, and part popular science, Life Lessons from a Parasite was a unique and enjoyable read. I found both the scientific facts, and personal details in this book fascinating, and would absolutely recommend it to a friend. Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the ARC, I had a great time reading it.

[Laura Kershaw · Rating 2 out of 5]

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC of this book!

I really don’t like to write sour reviews so I’ll keep this short and sweet. There were a few interesting parasites mentioned in the book, but the connection to how ideas and information spread and “life lessons” was tenuous at best. It just needed to go deeper into that portion of the title. In the end I was left with something that didn’t feel like a full thought, more of an amalgamation of ideas that didn’t have a central purpose. Too much repetition of the methodology of animal dissection as well. At times, it also felt a little bit arrogant in terms of achievement listing/name dropping, which I’m not a huge fan of, even in academically focused works.

I never DNF books, but if I didn’t have to review this one, I would have put it down before the end.

Would only recommend reading if you’re very specifically fascinated with the authors previous research highlights since I didn’t get much else out of it. 2/5

[Signy · Rating 2 out of 5]

wanted more about parasites tbh. not the book for me!

[Michelle Graf · Rating 3 out of 5]

Thanks to NetGalley and Sourcebooks for the ARC.

As much as I get why the author wants to draw attention to the parallels between living parasites and infectious ideas, I feel like some chapters were stronger than others. The later half of the book made more sense to me, especially the iron wheel chapter, but by then, the same point got a little too repetitive. I also wanted to hear more about the science of parasitic relationships. It seemed many of the anecdotes about the natural world were cut off in order to fit in his point on communication today.

[Dan · Rating 4 out of 5]

My thanks to NetGalley and the publisher Sourcebooks for an advance copy of this memoir about a life in science, a look at something that every living creature seems to deal with, or has occupying them, and how this tells us about the way the world is run, and why many think and do what they do.

The word parasite has a lot of different meanings today. Some might think one is referring to the Oscar winning movie that shows two families sharing the same space, with viewers unsure of who the parasite in the relationship is. Politicians use parasite to explain why they are cutting monies, services, libraries and more to people who don't really contribute to the society the politician wish to serve, as these people are too busy trying to survive. Taking from the politicians others in the making-money-off-of-hate-grifters like to use parasite to describe the other, the different, those who will still the good life away from you, and send money to keep fighting for a world that never really existed. As Dr. John Janovy Jr writes, all living things have parasites, from the top of the head to deep in the guts. Understanding the role of parasites, and what they contribute to the life cycle of everyone could make for better understanding for us all. Life Lessons from a Parasite:What Tapeworms, Flukes, Lice, and Roundworms Can Teach Us About Humanity's Most Difficult Problems is part memoir, part cultural study and a lot of science about these misunderstood creatures, and what parasites can tell us about ourselves.

The book begins with a little bit about parasites that we all might be familiar with, hair lice. Janovy describes that most living organisms, at least most that have been studied all have parasites living on them, some important, some benign, some harmful to others. Janovy discusses his youth and the interest he took in the outdoors and hunting instilled from his father and grandparent that lead to a career in biology that lasted over sixty years, and quite a few books. The book looks at parasites, from one's inside of fish in the author's home state of Oklahoma, to robins, toads, and of course humans. Janovy also looks at the life of people involved in the study of parasites, those who made great discoveries, or those who spent their lives trying to solve mysteries that remain enigmas to this day.

Janovy also looks at how understanding parasites can explain much about what is happening in the world today. From actions humans take to the study of viruses, and coming up with solutions for many problems. The book is very interesting and well written, though some themes seem to be repeated a bit. The writing is an mix of the personal, a lot of these studies were worked on by Janovy, along with a lot about his time teaching, learning or studying. The technical writing is kept to a minimum, which makes it easy for people of all sorts of scientific literacy to read and learn. A little warning, their is a lot of animal eviscerations, as this is a study on parasites, so queasy stomachs should be warned.

A book I would recommend to people interested in working in the sciences. There is a lot of discussion about studies, watching, learning, being disappointed by a hypothesis not working out, which would be helpful to those interested in science. Also for a look at parasites around us, this book will explain quite a lot.

[Annie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Originally posted on my blog Nonstop Reader.

Life Lessons from a Parasite is an interesting monograph with observations on parasitology and some comparisons to human society written by Dr. John Janovy, Jr. Due out 20th Aug 2024 from Sourcebooks, it's 336 pages and will be available in paperback, audio, and ebook formats. It's worth noting that the ebook format has a handy interactive table of contents as well as interactive links and references throughout.

Parasitic existence, that is to say, living on/at the cost of, another organism is the most common method of life on planet Earth. Lice, tapeworms, flukes, and other parasites have existed virtually unchanged in the large scheme of things for millions of years. Some of them are annoying to us (lice), some are life-threatening (malaria), and some are truly horrifying (Guinea-worms).

The author, a respected parasitologist and parasite ecologist, sets the book up with a pretty good, mostly accessible, scientifically accurate crash course into parasite ecology and the biological niches they occupy. The book is well annotated throughout, and he does a good job of introducing the concepts and terminology with solid context to make it accessible to most readers. For non-bioscience-nerds, some effort will be required. He's good at making the necessary science understandable, but some effort will be required on the part of the reader.

He uses case studies to illustrate concepts... and then draws larger inferences and parallels to human society. This is where the book goes a bit off the rails, honestly. His science is unquestionably sound. He knows how maggots, flukes, and tapeworms work and can explain them, without the shadow of a doubt. Where he jumps into drawing comparisons between desensitization to dissecting mice or using them for research to wholesale mass deportation and genocide, is less successful (though, certainly, it's a concept which feels logical and intuitive - it's still scientifically sloppy).

The book is annotated throughout, and the bibliography and chapter notes are probably worth the price of the book and will provide readers with many hours of further reading.

Four stars. This is a guy with vast life experience, who unquestionably knows what he's talking about. He's clearly a gifted lecturer (he's retired now, apparently, so not actively teaching). The concepts involved in the material aren't all simple or easily understood... some are complex (college level biology). It would be a good choice for public library acquisition, home use, or possibly for gift giving to a science interested friend.

Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes.

[K.S. Blom · Rating 2 out of 5]

Parasites might not be the most glamorous subject, but John Janoy Jr. PhD manages to turn the topic into a fascinating exploration of life, biology, and even human psychology in Life Lessons from a Parasite. What struck me most was how the author cleverly draws parallels between biological parasites and the ideas or behaviors that can "infect" human minds and societies.
One of the book's most intriguing aspects is the comparison of people’s ideas to parasites. The author suggests that just as parasites need hosts to survive, ideas need minds to thrive and spread. Some ideas, like parasites, can be beneficial, while others can be harmful, subtly altering our thoughts and actions in ways we might not even realize.
The concept that there are unrelated species and carriers of parasites to the final destination was particularly eye-opening. This idea extends beyond biology and into the realm of human relationships and social interactions. It made me wonder about the connections we form and the ideas we spread, sometimes unknowingly acting as carriers of "parasitic" thoughts or trends that could have unforeseen consequences.
Interestingly, this book hit close to home for me. Recently, I was called a "parasite" online, and it stung. But after reading Life Lessons from a Parasite, I found myself reconsidering the label. If parasites are simply surviving by finding a host, maybe being called a parasite isn’t entirely negative. After all, in the right context, even a parasite has its role and purpose in the grand web of life.
In a broader sense, Life Lessons from a Parasite challenges us to reflect on the ideas we harbor and the roles we play in the ecosystems of thought and behavior. Are we hosts to positive, constructive ideas, or are we unwittingly spreading harmful ones? And when we do encounter these "parasitic" ideas, how do we deal with them?
Overall, Life Lessons from a Parasite is a compelling read that offers a unique lens through which to view both the natural world and the complexities of human society. It’s a reminder that even the smallest, most seemingly insignificant organisms—and ideas—can have a profound impact.

[Alicia Rogers · Rating 5 out of 5]

This unexpectedly fascinating read blends biology, philosophy, and a bit of humor to explore what parasites can teach us about life. As someone intrigued by science and storytelling, I found the book's unique approach both educational and entertaining.
 
The author delves into the complex world of parasites, creatures often thought of with disgust, and reframes them as extraordinary organisms that have developed impressive survival skills. From the cunning tactics parasites use to manipulate hosts to the extreme environments they thrive in, Janovy reveals how these tiny creatures can offer surprising insights into resilience, adaptation, and problem-solving.
 
One of the book's strengths is its accessibility. You don’t need a degree in biology to appreciate the lessons. Janovy writes engagingly, with a touch of wit that makes even the most cringe-worthy examples surprisingly relatable. It’s thought-provoking to see how the survival strategies of parasites can apply to human challenges, whether in business, relationships, or personal growth.
 
Whether you're a biology enthusiast or someone looking for a fresh perspective on life's challenges, this book delivers a unique blend of education and inspiration. Highly recommended for curious minds!

[Amy]

Sourcebooks sent me a copy of this book to review, but I'll admit I find the topic off-putting so I'm basing this review on a flip-through versus a full read, looking at it from a librarian's perpective.

Janovy is a retired professor of biological sciences at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, where he served with distinction and edited a couple parasite-related journals and won several teaching and mentoring awards. Therefore, it's safe to assume he knows his topic very well. This is further supported by the breadth of sources in the end-notes. While he cited some of his previous work, Janovy's citations are more than 3/4 works of others. The chapters are divided into topics, including both types of parasites and the various lessons learned from them.

In previewing the writing, Janovy has written this for the casual reader-one doesn't need to be a scientist to understand it. It's clear and scientific jargon is a a minimal. He also draws connections to things we've heard on the news and other understandable parallels. And if jargon is used, he explains it.

While not for me, those who like to read about the natural world might find this a compelling read.

[Michele · Rating 2 out of 5]

This is likely not for the likes of me, but more for a budding parasitologist, interested in what that profession and those who are drawn to it are like. Or maybe it just needed a better editor.

I don’t know what to make of this book. I got through Chapter 3 and it was still a lot of rambling nonsense with some cohesive story lines throughout. It’s a lot of ranting about social media and fake news, but also the beauty of mosquitos and other parasites. With a better editor, this likely could have been worth finishing. The idea is a good one - lessons we can learn from parasites.

I wasn’t sure if maybe I just needed to keep reading, but I looked at some reviews and saw a comment from one reviewer who wanted 3 hours of their life back, and I resonated with his comment too much. Plus, I want to be better about not finishing books. So, here’s another DNF for 2025. I’m accumulating quite a few.

[Steve · Rating 4 out of 5]

There were parts of the book I really liked. The discussion of parasites was interesting and I thought that the chapters on an anti-desensitization plan and on profiting from parasites were excellent. I also liked the discussion on how science works and on oversimplification. On the other hand, I felt that the wording was not economical and used too many metaphors. I also felt that there was too much sermonizing, even though I largely agreed with what Dr. Janovy Jr. had to say. I was also not convinced that parasites teach the lessons claimed in the book. As this was a running theme through the book, it left me with a somewhat negative impression. Nonetheless the book was a worthwhile read. Thank you to Netgalley and Sourcebooks for the advance reader copy.

[Katie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Life Lessons From a Parasite describes what us, as humans can learn from parasites. It delves into the working (and social) lives of experts in parasites, taking you through field work, dissections and findings. Janovy then links the findings to the real world, and the lessons we can take from these, with notable links to Covid-19 and hate being wrongly spewed at minority groups such as people of colour, immigrants and the LGBTQ+ community. It is an informative book, though repetitive in places and some of the links seem tenuous at best. It was an interesting read, but not one I would be quick to read again.

[Erin Joyce · Rating 2 out of 5]

A lot of potential not seen through in this work; the subtitle is misleading at best. Though there are some fascinating stories and seeds of ideas, they are not coherently developed or organized in the book, or even within the chapters. (An exception is the chapter entitled "The Iron Wheel". The rule of the book means that it would have been a far more effective placed closer to the beginning of the book instead of the end.)
Reading this book was like talking to an interesting elder who forgets what they've already told you and falls asleep partner through some stories never to pick up the thread again.

[Kat · Rating 3 out of 5]

Well, honestly, Iḿ not sure what to think about this book. This isn`t what I expected, I was hoping for more popular science, and more insight into biology/parasitology. Instead, I got a lot of personal thoughts regarding topics such as racism, the pandemic, etc mixed with memoir. Yes, it is somehow implied by the title, but yet it felt like there is way too much on a personal note and not enough science. Also, the way the author transfers some biological occurrences into our modern society isn´t convincing at all.

[Cheyenne · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you, NetGalley and SOURCEBOOKS (non-fiction) | Sourcebooks for this ARC. As an Infection Prevention nurse, this was a fascinating, and at times, maybe a little gross at times, study of how tapeworms, lice, roundworms, maggots, and other parasites can show us about our world. This is a book about science, but also about politics, humanity, and life. It was interesting, kept me engaged throughout, and taught me new information. This book may not be for everyone, but it was fun and those who like reading about how you can learn about the world around you and apply it every day like events, you will enjoy this.

[Lisa Davidson · Rating 4 out of 5]

So I don't think I necessarily understood the author's different theories and conclusions, but I loved the discussion of parasites. This book was so gross and gory and disgusting, and it's so horrifying to think about how many parasites living creatures have. And I'm saying that like it's a bad thing, but it's good because it's part of nature and humans and other creatures, including parasites, are part of the same ecosystem. It's just really cool to read about how many parasites there are and how we live together. Thanks to NetGalley for letting me read this.

[Ash · Rating 1 out of 5]

DNF "Hey let's pretend to talk about parasites but actually take all the worldviews we don't agree with and call em dumb"

No, thank you.

The audio narration isn't great. I don't prefer his voice. It's breathy and flat.

The writing is mediocre. It reads less like learning things about parasites and more like just stating that parasites act parasitical and gee-whillickers aren't conservatives basically parasites.

Thanks to NetGalley and Highbridge Audio for an audiobook to read and review voluntarily.

[Kim McGee · Rating 3 out of 5]

Lice, tapeworms and maggots can teach us much about adaptation, infection and how to survive within a changing environment. The author draws some interesting conclusions after a lifetime spent studying these tiny parasites but I don't envy where the researchers go to study them. The subject matter and fairly scientific jargon may rule out those readers without a keen interest in disease transmission or microbiology. My thanks to the publisher for the advance copy.

[Zoya Mohammad · Rating 2 out of 5]

The author is clearly well-educated in his work and has lived a fascinating journey in learning about the different parasites. I honestly didn’t even mind the political and world-event related anecdotes. What did make this a hard read was how disjointed it was. The flow of the book is not there and gets a bit exhausting unfortunately. I had to set this book aside multiple times and come back to it to get through it.

[Catherine Gilbert · Rating 3 out of 5]

The book was okay. I found it a bit all over the place and repetitive. It felt like there was no straight line. Maybe I misunderstood the summary of the book, but I was expecting too learn more about different parasites but the 'lessons' part was quite prominent. This book might be more interesting for people working in the field and who are in general interested by the work of this author.

[Scott Bolick · Rating 3 out of 5]

Overall I enjoyed this book and learned a lot, but I also seem to share a lot of political views with the author. I think it would have been harder to ignore what felt like many superfluous jabs at political leaders otherwise. That is not to say that the politics overall takes away from the book since it is a core component of the messaging about how scientific experience impacts our thought processes. I think many people could benefit from reading the book, but the writing style likely means that the people who could benefit most would be turned off from reading it.

[Lexi Muhlbauer · Rating 3 out of 5]

Well written explanations of parasitology & related research. The author attempted to make connections to real world applications but didn't fully explain or support his connections. I thought several of them would've plausible or at leas interesting to hear. Instead, I was left ganging several times as he would write a few paragraphs & then just move on.

[Pallavi · Rating 1 out of 5]

Hard DNF at 20%
The writing is extremely off putting, with repetition & bizarre metaphors about contemporary socio-cultural issues. To me, that's a weird linkage in itself, made worse by the tedious writing despite my science background.

[Divyesh Sheth · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a book that explains how parasitologists work and do the painstaking work of how things transmit in nature. The author draws parallels to how memes and information spread and “infects” humans. There are lessons to be learned as to how we can study and contain/counter radical ideas.

[Ivey Edwards · Rating 2 out of 5]

couldn’t finish- really wanted to like it. guy acted like not being racist was revolutionary and basic human decency was groundbreaking. Very clear that it was written by a stuffy tenured professor and not an author or anyone in touch with the real world.

[Kristine · Rating 1 out of 5]

Misleading title, this is liberal rhetoric