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Distributed for Reaktion Books

Worm

A richly illustrated celebration of the mysterious world of worms in science and culture.
 
This book celebrates the mysterious world of worms from gardens to toothaches and beyond. Kevin Butt introduces all manner of worms, including many that bear only superficial resemblance to our limbless, sinuous friends in the dirt. To trace the intimate history between worms and people, he discusses worms that live in bodies, soil, and water as well as worms from literature and mythology. Throughout the ages, worms have been portrayed as benign, even beautiful, yet at other times spitefully ostracized as deadly creatures. This richly illustrated book looks at the microscopic and the very large indeed, asking what the future holds for both human- and worm-kind.

176 pages | 80 color plates, 28 halftones | 5 1/4 x 7 1/2 | © 2023

Animal

Biological Sciences: Natural History


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Reviews

"This book has the basis of more than 35 years of scientific research by the author into earthworm ecology but is much more than that. . . . The whole book is an insight into the mysterious world of the remarkable but often underrated worm."

Earth Society of Britain

Table of Contents

1 Introducing the Worm
2 People’s Interactions and Perceptions
3 Darwin’s Plough
4 Aside from Science
5 Lumbricus terrestris – (Not Such) a Common Earthworm
6 The Future of Worms and Humans

Appendix: Phrases and Words Referring to Worms
Timeline
References
Bibliography
Acknowledgements
Photo Acknowledgements
Index

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