Dark Banquet: Blood and the Curious Lives of Blood-Feeding Creatures

by Bill Schutt

“A witty, scientifically accurate, and often intensely creepy exploration of sanguivorous creatures.”—San Francisco Chronicle“Bill Schutt turns whatever fear and disgust you may feel towards nature’s vampires into a healthy respect for evolution’s power to fill every conceivable niche.”—Carl Zimmer, author of Parasite Rex and E. coli and the New Science of LifeFor centuries, blood feeders have inhabited our nightmares and horror stories, as well as the shadowy realms of scientific knowledge. In Dark Banquet, zoologist Bill Schutt takes us on a fascinating voyage into the world of some of nature’s strangest creatures—the sanguivores. Using a sharp eye and mordant wit, Schutt makes a remarkably persuasive case that blood feeders, from bats to bedbugs, are as deserving of our curiosity as warmer and fuzzier species are—and that many of them are even worthy of conservation.Examining the substance that sustains nature’s vampires, Schutt reveals just how little we actually knew about blood until well into the twentieth century. We revisit George Washington on his deathbed to learn how ideas about blood and the supposedly therapeutic value of bloodletting, first devised by the ancient Egyptians and Greeks, survived into relatively modern times. Dark Banquet details our dangerous and sometimes deadly encounters with ticks, chiggers, and mites (the ­latter implicated in Colony Collapse Disorder—currently devastating honey bees worldwide). Then there are the truly weird—vampire finches. And if you thought piranha were scary, some people believe that the candiru (or willy fish) is the best reason to avoid swimming in the Amazon.Enlightening and alarming, Dark Banquet peers into a part of the natural world to which we are, through our blood, inextricably linked.

Genres: Nonfiction, Science, Nature, Animals, Biology, Natural History, History

329 pages, Kindle Edition

First published October 14, 2008

About the author

Bill Schutt's latest nonfiction book "Bite: An Incisive History of Teeth, from Hagfish to Humans" received a rave review in The New York Times Books https://www.nytimes.com/2024/08/13/bo..., a starred review in Kirkus Reviews https://www.kirkusreviews.com/book-re... and raves from Publisher's Weekly (https://www.publishersweekly.com/9781...) and elsewhere. "Bite" debuted on August 13, 2024 and can be purchased or ordered anywhere books are sold.

Bill is currently working on "Desi the Vampire Bat" his first children's book, as well as a popular science book on the natural history of feet.

Bill Schutt is a long-time research associate at the American Museum of Natural History and Emeritus Professor of Biology at LIU-Post. Born in New York City and raised on Long Island, he received his B.A. in Biology at C.W. Post, his MA at SUNY Geneseo, and a Ph.D. in Zoology from Cornell University. He has published over two dozen peer-reviewed articles on topics ranging from terrestrial locomotion in vampire bats to the precarious, arboreal copulatory behavior of a marsupial mouse. Schutt has written for the New York Times and Natural History magazine and his research has also been featured in those publications, Newsday, the Economist, Discover, and others. He is a member of the North American Society for Bat Research.

"Pump: A Natural History of the Heart", published in 2021 was a critical success, with great reviews from Publisher's Weekly, The Wall Street Journal, Library Journal, Booklist, Kirk's Reviews and more.

Published in 2017, Cannibalism: A Perfectly Natural History garnered rave reviews from The New York Times, Boston Globe, Publishers Weekly (Starred Review), The New Yorker, Scientific American and many more. Cannibalism was also a 2017 Goodreads Choice Award Finalist (Science and Technology) and a Chicago Public Library "Best of the Best books of 2017".

Bill Schutt's first book, Dark Banquet: Blood and the Curious Lives of Blood-Feeding Creatures, was selected as a Best Book of 2008 by Library Journal and Amazon, and was chosen for the Barnes & Noble Discover Great New Writers program.

Schutt's co-authored WWII thriller Hell's Gate (R.J. MacCready novel #1) was published to widespread critical acclaim in 2016 (with starred reviews in Publishers Weekly and Library Journal), as was The Himalayan Codex, a year later. The Darwin Strain, the final book in the R.J. MacCready trilogy debuted in Aug. 2019.

Schutt’s TED-Ed video "Cannibalism in the Animal Kingdom" came as the 9th most viewed TED-Ed video of 2018 (and currently has over 3.3 million views). His followup, "A Brief History of Cannibalism", had 1.2 million views in the first two months and came in as the 5th most viewed TED-Ed video of 2019. Schutt's 3rd TED-Ed video, on blood transfusions, had a quarter million views in the first 10 days.

Schutt lives in New York with his wife.

For Interviews & Media, contact  Katrina Tiktinsky - Publicity Assistant, Hachette Book Group, Katrina.Tiktinsky@hbgusa.com

For Speaking Engagements, contact Ashley Himes at Hachette Speakers Bureau, ashley.himes@hbgusa.com

Agent for nonfiction: Gillian MacKenzie - Gillian MacKenzie Agency - gmackenzie@gmalit.com

Agent for Fiction and Young Readers: Elizabeth Rudnick - Gillian MacKenzie Agency - erudnick@gmalit.com

Reviews

[Melki · Rating 5 out of 5]

Yes, folks, here it is - all that you will ever want to know about vampire bats, leeches, barber/surgeons and other bloodsuckers (oddly enough, the chapter on corporate lawyers seems to be missing from this edition.) This is a seriously entertaining and informative book for the unsqueamish reader interested in learning more about the world and its unusual creatures.

While I absolutely love bats, I found the leech chapter to be the most fascinating part of this title. True, some anecdotes made me squirm...like this little tale of some Napoleonic soldiers crossing from Egypt to Syria in 1799:

Apparently, some of the men drank water from a lake infested with tiny larval leeches. Unbeknownst to their hosts, the creatures quickly attached themselves and began to feed. Days later the men began to take ill and medical personnel were horrified to find their patients' noses, mouths and throats carpeted by blood-engorged leeches.

Ugh!

Then there is THIS little known use for leeches:

...the sixteenth century historian Pierre de Brantome recounted how leeches were inserted into the vaginas of women on their wedding nights so that they could "seem like the virgins and maidens they used to be..."

Ewww!

Schutt also tells us more than we want to know about mites and ticks, and effectively busts the myth about the evil Amazonian candiru's ability to climb your urine stream and enter your urethra. Whew! One less thing to worry about...

Despite all the horrors contained in the pages of this book, the chapter on bedbugs held the single most terrifying passage of all...for book lover's, anyway:

"Furniture, bedding, magazines - you've got to be ruthless about throwing stuff out," Andy told me. "Everything that has a crease, or crevice has to be chucked out, steam-cleaned, or vacuumed."

"Everything?" I asked.

Andy nodded. "People with huge libraries or old LP collections are pretty much screwed."

Aaaaaaaa!!!

[Ellen Gail · Rating 3 out of 5]

Did I like it as much as Cannibalism: A Perfectly Natural History? No, not really. Was it bad? Again, no, not really.



While maybe not as engaging as his other work, Dark Banquet never fails to be interesting. And depending on what freaks you out (for me, it's sea worms. I seriously can't even look at them), you may need a strong stomach. I mean vampire bats? Leeches? Bed bugs?



Plus it's a book about bloodsuckers - there's going to be blood. Which doesn't personally bother me, but it's definitely not a book for anyone with haemophobia.

So while it couldn't keep my attention 100% of the time, it's an interesting topic, and one you probably haven't read before. If you like nonfiction, interesting animals, and vampirism, Dark Banquet is worth a second look.

[BAM doesn’t answer to her real name · Rating 3 out of 5]

I've just been traumatized by the bed bug chapter. I think I need to walk away for a moment

[Steven · Rating 4 out of 5]

My favorite quote from this book, which also sums it up nicely: "Feeding on blood is a tough way to make a living."

Schutt, an expert on vampire bats, has written an easily-read treatise on some of the more interesting "obligate sanguivores" (love this term!) that inhabit our world. The main species he dwells on are the three species of vampire bat, leeches, and bed bugs, although there is some mention of a unique blood-feeding finch from the Galapagos and the exaggeratedly dangerous Amazonian catfish, the candiru (one species of which has the rather hilarious scientific name, Vendellia wieneri.)

His writing style is very accessible and he has a talent for explaining seemingly complex biological processes in a way that's readily understood. Rather than a set of photographs, this book has beautiful line drawings that appear next to the appropriate text, something that is rare in books these days. I was especially drawn to one showing the jumping ability of a vampire bat startled by a cat. Explanatory footnotes appear at the bottom of pages, another features I love to see in a book. And, in just one of the touches of humor to be found in this book, the chapter titles and page numbers are written in red -- blood red. The divisions within chapters are even decorated with tiny little red bats, leeches or bed bugs, depending on the chapter.

Schutt puts into context the role of sanguivores in biology and evolution, and how precarious their position is. All in all, a highly interesting book.

[Leigh-ann · Rating 4 out of 5]

Aimed at the armchair biologist, this book was actually pretty entertaining. It was the most amusing biology book I've ever read - the author threw in quite a few dryly humourous observations that I enjoyed. I originally picked it up because I like reading about bats, but the section of the book which will stick in my memory most vividly was the chapter on bed bugs. It was quite horrific, and I don't know if I ever want to move to a new residence or even put my luggage on an airplane again for fear of bringing these creepy-crawlies home with me. I've had quite a few encounters with bloodsuckers like ticks and chiggers, and I'm in no hurry to add bed bugs to the list.

I don't know if the book is something the "average" person would enjoy, but it's definitely an accessible read if you have an interest in animals/insects. The author gives special attention to how these various creatures evolved to dine on blood, and he also provides extensive information on the historical relationship between blood-feeders and human medicine. Here's a great piece of trivia for you to share at your next dinner party: in the 16th century, women who were supposed to be virgins on their wedding nights (but weren't, whoops), would insert a leech into their vagina prior to consummation. The leech would be squashed during the act, and voila, blood and no hasty explaining to do. Apparently abstinence eduction wasn't much of a success five hundred years ago, either.

[GoldGato · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ticks, and bed bugs, and mites, oh my! The human body is like a delicatessen for blood-sucking creatures. Some of us are more likely to be feasted upon thanks to blood type and scent, but we are all sitting ducks for things that move in the night. Mozzies have made our lives hell for millennia, bringing us malaria and yellow fever (to mention just a couple diseases) while ticks are the scourge of Lyme disease. And the rapid spread of shared overnight lodging has, in turn, rapidly spread bed bugs, those little darlings of the night. If you read this book, just make sure you don’t do so while eating.

The book starts with Vampire Bats, who have a unique way to feed on birds, for example. The bats have anticoagulants in their saliva which keeps their prey’s blood from clotting. This results in the birds getting weaker and weaker as the bats return nightly for their feeding, until the birds eventually drop dead. Yes, this is where the vampire legend originated. It’s like having your own blood bank on hand. Vampire Bats can also spread rabies, which is the most feared of all diseases for its horrible death throes. You would think one would know a bat was feeding upon oneself, whether humankind or wildlife, but the bats are masters of ensuring the prey continues sleeping. For instance, the bat can use a slight pinprick into a toe to get its blood and the sleeping human would never know. Oh my!

Next up are Leeches, those nasty bloodsuckers who attach themselves to any prey that sloshes through swamps and other watery areas. Although humans long used these creatures to treat illnesses, once the Leeches get going, they can drain blood fairly rapidly.

Mostly the leeches just wait. Time means nothing to them, but with the sounding of a silent, internal alarm, they are instantly driven by a single, mindless directive. To a human it can roughly be interpreted as FOOD.

Yet, modern medicine still use Leeches when dealing with re-attached tissue. By placing the creatures near the site of the tissue, artificial circulation can improve the success rate of the new formation. The same process is used by veterinarians on animals, for instance alleviating swollen limbs on horses. But take care when swimming in freshwater areas, because the little bloodsuckers can be where you don’t expect them. Oh my!

The book continues with Bed Bugs and their rapid spread throughout civilization. It’s not as though the little critters haven’t always been around but as humans accumulated more and more in central cities, the bed bugs have had an easier time of moving from property to property. They are part of the Arthropoda group, which includes spiders, crabs, scorpions, and shrimp. They particularly love cluttered abodes, for that allows them to hide between meals. But do not think that Bed Bugs are associated with filth and dirt and seedy locations. It was the transformation of living quarters with centralized heating that really allowed Bed Bugs to reach their manifest destiny. While they cannot live long in heat, they can reproduce far more rapidly. Additionally, humans seem to be constantly purchasing mattresses, not aware that so-called “new” mattresses are simply reconditioned. That’s right. If the Bed Bugs are already living in the “old” mattress, then they will still be there in the “new” mattress. The business organizations responsible for making sure this doesn’t happen don’t always take the time to “clean” the mattress. Oh my!

Let’s move on to Ticks and Chiggers and Mites, who are all just pure nastiness. I remember always being a bit fearful of the great wide-open spaces because a teacher once presented an entire class presentation on Ticks, and I decided right then and there that hiking through brush was not going to be my life’s ambition. During World War II, the Allied forces lost so many soldiers to the diseases spread by the Tick & Chigger Group that they had to post warnings about the danger.



Lyme Disease and Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever are two diseases that have spread throughout the United States as Ticks have expanded their breeding grounds. The implications of those debilitating illnesses are covered in this book along with Mite bites, which lead to scabies. Oh my!

This book is well researched and outlined well, to the point that I could have used even more chapters on mosquitoes and the rise of West Nile Virus and other Tick-driven implications. There’s even a chapter on the Candiru Fish, which supposedly jumps into human genitalia when the human whizzes into a body of water. Even as I write this review, I feel the urge to scratch myself, feeling as though I am surrounded by things I do not want to meet in my lifetime. So, read the book to better prepare yourself for that which you cannot always see, or feel, with the awareness that climate change and the destruction of forests allow more and more of these things to make their way into our supposedly safe lives. Oh my!

Book Season = Summer (bites here and there)

[Nicole · Rating 5 out of 5]

Who would've thought that a book about leeches, ticks, and blood transfusions could be so damn funny? I laughed out loud so many times while reading this, and my poor husband was the recipient of quite a few texts with pictures of the choicest paragraphs. I really loved this author's blend of fact and humor, and will definitely keep an eye out for more books by him.

As for the subject matter - the title kind of says it all. If you're really squeamish about bugs or blood, you may want to skip this one, because the author does a great job of conveying the scientific/biological facts while making it easily accessible for casual readers. Meaning, you'll probably feel like bugs are crawling on you more than once while reading this. Brrrrr. But the subject matter is fascinating, and I definitely learned a lot. Exactly what I want in a nonfiction!

[RachelAnne · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fascinating, humoruous and bizarre: this book has everything I look for in non-fiction. My husband learned far more than he ever wanted to know about vampire bats, leeches, bed bugs and blood while I was reading this book--it's the sort of volume that compels the reader to exclaim aloud "WOW! Listen to this!"

[Ryan Mishap · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is awesome! Well-written, descriptive, funny, digressive, and filled with enthusiasm, this amalgation of blood facts and fables, natural history and myths, scientific details and humorous asides,and funny little drawings was fun to read.
Of course I liked the first part about vampire bats the most--oh, like the little bat who spider-walks up to hens, mimics chicks, and then gets invited under the hen where they have a nosh--, but the entire book held my attention beginning to end.
His style may not appeal to everyone, hopping around from personal stories and science work to historical information to just exactly how a tick begins to get under your skin (so to speak). But I liked it. For instance, when the book moves on to leeches, we start with the death of George Washington (they drained eighty ounces of blood for from him when he fell ill), move on to a history of blood, bloodletting and medical misunderstanding, and eventually we arrive at a scene from The African Queen starring Bogart and Hepburn.
Copious footnotes are just as likely to contain a pop culture reference or a joke about creationists as scientific information.
Accessible, fun, and probably creepy for some of you, I highly recommend this book.

[Iris · Rating 5 out of 5]

Illuminating! Inspiring! Oh, Bill Schutt, your snappy prose, love of learning, and lifetime of research whetted my appetite and fueled my cocktail party chatter.

I'm particularly grateful for the stylized sketches of vampire bats, for the history of a Parisian sociopath with cow's blood coursing through his veins (Antoine Mauroy in 1667), and for the moving coda about the preciousness of blood-eating creatures.

Schutt's innovative ideas and science-history tangents incite the reader to brainstorm about evolution, diversity of species, and the causes and effects of extinctions. "Dark Banquet" is among the most intelligent and inviting books that I've yet read; it enchants and entertains in order to engage even an amateur in complex discussions about life on earth.

[Chloe Natasha · Rating 4 out of 5]

After buying this book years ago when riding the high of just finishing Bill Schutt’s wonderful book on non-sensationalised cannibalism, I finally got around to reading it — and I loved it!

While the book slowed down for me in both the blood section and the mite section, I simply adored the passion Schutt has for vampire bats. The love and fascination he has for these misunderstood creatures truly shines in his writing, and it’s hard not to end up sharing in his love for them.

I also really enjoyed the section on leeches, and I wish it was longer — so much so I fear this may be a new hyper fixation of mine. Time to get searching for as many books on these wondrous creatures!

Overall, a very informative and entertaining read. Schutt makes these topics very accessible, without dumbing any of it down. The dad humour is endearing too, of course!

[Eric · Rating 4 out of 5]

Incredibly informative, incredibly fluent. This book was a joy to read, and I learned quite a bit along the way. Very cool.

[Maggi LeDuc · Rating 5 out of 5]

Really enjoyed this book and I learned a lot. I picked it to learn more about bats, but walked away with the most facts about bugs!

[Jamie Jones Hullinger · Rating 3 out of 5]

The appeal lies in the subject matter. If you are naturally curious then Bill Schutt is exactly who you are looking for. I give this 3.5 and encourage you to move on to Cannibalism: A Perfectly Natural History

[Lizzy Pollard · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm giving him a 5 for the puns alone. Not even halfway through yet and I'm loving it.

[Rook · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was WONDERFULLY informative with a Lot of humor!!!!! I Greatly enjoyed this and learned quite a bit from it!!! Would definitely recommend giving it a read at least Once, as it has so much good information on nature's real vampires!!!

[Stephen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Oh, finally, a vampire book worth reading! When was the last time a worthy vampire book was published? I certainly can't remember, but here is one, finally! The best part about Dark Banquet is that it's far creepier than any other vampire book you can find, because the blood feeders in this book are real!

Bill Schutt is a bat biologist and seems to have a particular fondness for the vampiric variety. His enthusiasm is apparent from the beginning, when he retells his experiences in Trinidad observing bats in their natural environment (like abandoned military buildings). His book is very readable, and is intended as a casual book for the curious, but that doesn't mean there isn't a wealth of information here, and not only about bats either. Leeches, chigger mites, and ticks make an appearance as well, along with a few other sanguivorous delights in case that wasn't enough for you. Aside from a brief dip into molecular biology about the inner workings of the circulatory system, which only amounts to about 15-20 pages and can be skimmed if the reader chooses, all of it is very readable and accessible.

Ultimately, and as you might expect, the book stresses the importance of these creatures. While they have been stigmatized because of their penchant for consuming blood, in the end you will find they are not as scary as you might have thought, and you may very well find yourself defending them. They have led to very important scientific discoveries (like blood thinners to help with blood clots) and while it is important to remember they can be vectors for dangerous and deadly diseases, all-out eradication of these important pieces of nature is rarely the right course of action, regardless of how 'creepy' you might think they are.

[Tiz. T. · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is very hard to rate.

On one side, the tone and writing are both very entertaining and I honestly laugh out loud a couple of time (ok, more than a couple). And the part about the vampire bats is stunning interesting, I never knew all the interesting tidbits (bats that pretends to be chicks?! Cool!).

On the other side, the part about insects is...
Well. Sensationalized?
For example, the part about bed bugs is full of factual errors. A bit extreme perhaps? Yeah bed bugs are a pest, but you don't need to actually burn down your house if you have them (no the author doesn't suggest it but close)
Also, for somebody who is a proud scientists the "tell both side" of the chronic Lyme diseases (spoiler: it doesn't exist) and, even WORSE, to mention the vaccine manufacturversy without a note that say there is no such things, vaccines on the market are safe and effective (while the author did made a note urging his reader to buy a CO detector, which yeah do buy it btw) is a serious bummer.

Also a lot of blood feeding animals such as mosquitoes are hardly mentioned. It seems like the author wrote about what he knew and liked (vampire bats), was interested in (leeches), and was scared off (ticks and bed bugs).

So... all in all:

Part About the Bats: 5 stars
General Tone: 4 and half stars
Part About the Leeches: 4 stars
Everything Else: 1 stars (don't mess with vaccines)

Final Rating: 3.5 stars, rounded to 4
It is nice and entertaining but... well. It would have been better if the author would have written the whole book about bats you know?

[Chris · Rating 4 out of 5]

Apart from the bad jokes, Dark Banquet does a pretty good job making the science of blood-feeding creatures engaging and easy to follow. The book is broken up into sections based on different sanguivorous animals and includes accounts from experts on each of them in addition to some background on each. There are also some sections on basic biology and medicine sprinkled in when relevant. For example, there is a chapter on the human circulatory system at one point and later several pages on evolution.

While the book accomplished what it sets out to, providing an interesting account of a selection of different animals, there wasn't anything remarkable. I didn't walk away with any particular impression about blood feeding animals or the natural world in general that I didn't have going in. As the book is broken up into chapters on the different animals, I don't believe Schutt did enough to tie it all together apart from a few paragraphs at the end. Expanding on the final message with a short chapter of epilogue would have, I feel, given a more satisfying payoff. It's a technically good book but nothing about it makes me thing it's anything special or deserving of a 5 star rating. It's worth a read if you go in with appropriate expectations or already have an interest in these animals.

[Veronica Noechel · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very well researched, fun, and fast moving. It's a bit like attending a class taught by the coolest biology professor ever. You don't even have to be a goth dork (like me) or an insect-paranoid anxiety case with a morbid facination for bedbugs (like me) to love this book. Do not be afraid--it didn't take me a month to get through this, I just have a habit of forgetting to check in and change what book I'm reading here. In reality, I was so engrossed, I read the majority of the book on a 3 day (albeit sleepless) weekend holiday trip to see the inlaws. The only part that kept me from giving this book 5 stars was the section on basic blood-related biology, which caused the book to sag in the middle like a soggy matress. Was it entirely necessary to include this part? It's possible. Certainly arguable, but it felt a lot like I was trudging through bio-for-non-majors again at that point. Thank god the leeches came along to make things exciting again.

I enjoyed the book so much, I was inspired to see the companion film, "The Killer Shrews" as recommended by the author. I highly recommend that you do so as well, if only to admire the fine acting skills of the canine crew portraying the shrews themselves. Bravo!

[Angie · Rating 4 out of 5]

I am having a difficult time doing an overall rating for this book. I really enjoyed the first part of this book, on vampire bats - that gets 5 stars. Having worked with them in the past, I found his observations to be spot-on, and I discovered many more fascinating insights on them as well. Schutt provided anecdotes from his personal career and experience, which I liked.

The second part on the specific biology of blood was also very interesting. I was especially intrigued with the historical context and the story of George Washington's last days, which I had not encountered in such medical detail before.

The final part of the book was least diverting for me, but perhaps that is because I am not a huge fan of ticks, mites, and chiggers. While I understand that they are a part of the ecological web of life, I still didn't really care so much for reading about them. Additionally, bedbugs took over a large part of this section of the book, and they have been done to death by the media. Overall, however, I enjoyed the premise of the book. I would love to see him do an entire book on his bat experiences; until then, I plan to look up his scholarly publications, just to learn more about his experiments and conclusions.

[Savannah · Rating 4 out of 5]

Vampire bats and other blood sucking animals are the main characters showcased. Instead of examining all creatures that feed on blood, the focus is on a few including vampire bats, leeches, chiggers/ticks, beg bugs and even medical blood letting. As I read, it became obvious that the author has a passion for vampire bats. I found that this section was the one I enjoyed the most and was the most in depth. I wish that the author would write a book primarily based on these fascinating bats. Family stories are peppered throughout the text. These stories are not necessarily related to the subject at hand. I found them to be amusing but some may find them distracting. There are a few sections that were written at a very technical level, such as explaining what elements serve as the building blocks of blood. I became very confused with all the vocabulary tossed about like granulocyte without mentioning which type of blood cell was granulocyte. Overall, this book is an amusing read for someone who is interested in the above mentioned animals but if you want a book that covers a more variety of animals then this may not be the book for you.

[Cindy · Rating 4 out of 5]

First, what I didn't like: bedbugs. Ewwwww. Had to skip parts of that chapter. But I did find some tips on how to figure out if you have the critters at your house, what to do if you do, and how to prevent them from moving in. But gross.

Occasionally, I got a little bogged down in technical stuff. Maybe a glossary would have helped.

But everything else, I really liked. The coolest part, I thought, was the part about the leeches. I had actually read some of that before, in Spineless Wonders, but I enjoyed reading more about them, because they're so dang weird! But good to read more. And this is the first time I've read about chiggers in a book. I grew up in the South and believe me, I know LOTS about chiggers. I had to squirm when I read that part. It made me laugh, but only because I knew EXACTLY what he was talking about. I learned a lot there too. I wish I had known that stuff before, when I lived down there. I had no idea what nasty diseases chiggers could spread. Now I hate them even more.

Highly recommended, but not for the squeamish. Would be good as an audiobook.

[Notafood · Rating 4 out of 5]

dark banquet was informative and fun. it did sometimes go overly science-y so I skipped a paragraph here and there, which is not my norm. the author did seem to be trying to convince you not to hate or denigrate blood feeders (sanguivores) but really, would a creepy hater ever pick up this book? I think only the pro-leech community would get past the title.

any author who writes "...the liquefied dermal stew is snorked up through the stylostome..." about chiggers is okay by me.

the illustrations by Patricia j wynne were beyond amazing. not too many not too few and all were delightful. I want to go out and get a parade of bloodsuckers tattoo, vamp bats and leeches and finches candiru and ticks that become adorable with her pen

[Cassandra · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is DELIGHTFUL. I have rarely been so happy with an unresearched, impulse buy as I am with this book. Bats are some of my favorite animals so I was completely enthralled with the first part concerning the blood-sucking subset of those wonderful animals and the following sections on blood itself and leeches were equally fascinating. I'll say I found my enthusiasm lacking in the rest of the book. I am just not that interested in bugs outside of spiders and scorpions (and, apparently, leeches) although the author did a fine job with the topic. I still read the book in one sitting so clearly I wasn't that bored. The only thing I really wanted was more information on vampire finches. How can you leave me hanging, Bill??

[Donna Jo Atwood · Rating 4 out of 5]

It seems appropriate that I read this book about vampire bats and other "blood sucking" creatures on Friday the 13th.
Bill Schutt writes a very readable book about the creepy, crawly creatures we shudder about, with little related side digressions in other scientific, historic, and cultural realms.
In addition to vampire bats, there are sections on leeches, and on bedbugs and other parasetic insects.
If you start this book expecting to be scared by the horror movie aspecs, forget it. This is an informative and engaging book. (And I mean that in a nice way--I am the last person in the world to read books in the horror genre.)

[Erin · Rating 4 out of 5]

I like to pepper some non-fiction into my reading regularly, and with my current vampire fetish this caught my eye. The author is a biologist who's specialty is vampire bats, so those sections are by far the most in depth and interesting. He can get bogged down in technical jargon at times, and his outright dismissal of anything expect straight-up Darwinism can get grating, but overall the book is an interesting introduction to the lives of sanguivores. Although the section about bed bugs will undoubtedly leave you itching...and paranoid about ever buying another mattress.

[Elizabeth K. · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fun! Like a Smithsonian article, it's a natural history book about creatures that eat blood, mainly bats, leeches, and ticks. It's gross but in a good way. Did you know that some vampire bats can imitate baby chicks in order to sneak up on the mama chicken?

Grade: A
Recommended: To people who enjoyed being grossed out by the natural world. This would probably be a good gift book for older kids or teens who like the divine ew-ness of nature.

[Corinna Bechko · Rating 4 out of 5]

A darkly funny exploration of how several species of sanguivores make their living. The author's affection for vampire bats clearly shines throughout and I soon found myself with a fresh appreciation for not only bats but other blood sippers too. Some species were completely new to me (vampire finches, cadirus) while others gave me the itchy creeps just reading about them (bedbugs). Overall a very enjoyable read but definitely not for the weak-stomached.

[Keith Sader · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a fun and entertaining look at the lives and ecology of many fascinating creatures. Mr. Schutt starts off with the vampire bats and weaves his story through bugs, fish, and birds. I was truly entertained by this wild romp through a back-alley of feeding behavior.

Note, this book is pretty basic stuff and written to a popular audience. Serious scientific works are noted and foot-noted throughout.