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Blink 3 of 8 - The 5 AM Club
by Robin Sharma
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This Is Your Brain on Parasites summary
Kathleen McAuliffe
How Tiny Creatures Manipulate Our Behavior and Shape Society
13 mins
Brief summary
This Is Your Brain on Parasites by Kathleen McAuliffe explains how parasitic organisms - virus, bacteria, fungi, and protozoa - can manipulate the behavior of their hosts, including humans. It's a fascinating insight into the relationship between parasites and the brain.
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This Is Your Brain on Parasites
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Humans have been battling a microscopic enemy for millennia.
In the history of humankind, conflict abounds; from opposing tribes to warring countries to contradictory religions, people have always found a way to fight. But there’s another type of deadly conflict that has gone practically unnoticed for thousands of years – a hidden war of microscopic proportions.
It’s the battle between humans and parasites: viruses, worms, microbes and bacteria. In fact, this fight has been so formative that it has affected the evolution of both the human physique and human behavior.
For instance, the human body has formed complex defenses to ward off intruders. The skin prevents microbes from entering; the nose and ears are lined with tiny hairs that filter out parasites and our eyes produce tears to force out invaders.
But even when a microbe does make it into the body, it’s immediately met by other defenses. There’s stomach acid, which is so strong it could burn a hole through a shoe, and mucous, a slime that traps microbes in the nose to be expelled by the next sneeze.
That being said, parasites have a few things going for them. For starters, they greatly outnumber us. They can also reproduce at an incredible rate and are both intelligent and highly adaptable.
So while the majority of them might die, a few survivors can mutate, infiltrate our system and take full advantage of the habitat our body offers.
It’s this incredible capacity for survival that has led to parasite-related deaths in the past. Just take the bubonic plague, a bacterial infection that decimated a third of Europe in the Middle Ages. Or consider Columbus’s arrival in the Americas; his landing resulted in the eradication of 95 percent of the indigenous population by way of smallpox, measles and influenza. And there’s always the Spanish flu, which claimed more lives in 1918 than World War I.
It all goes to show that, while they may be invisible to us, parasites are a powerful foe. They’re also smarter than we might imagine, which is what we’ll explore next.
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What is This Is Your Brain on Parasites about?
This Is Your Brain on Parasites (2016) is about the microscopic organisms that live inside us. They sometimes make us sick and, more surprisingly, they drive human evolution in a variety of ways. These blinks explain how parasites can guide personalities, emotions and even culture.
This Is Your Brain on Parasites Review
This Is Your Brain on Parasites (2016) delves into the world of parasites and their surprising influence on human behavior. Here's why this book is worth reading:
- Eye-opening revelations about the impact of parasites on the brain, from controlling behavior to influencing decisions.
- Through fascinating case studies and scientific research, the book shows how parasites have shaped human history and shaped societies.
- With its engaging storytelling and thought-provoking insights, the book never fails to captivate and challenge our understanding of ourselves.
Who should read This Is Your Brain on Parasites?
- Psychologists and doctors, and students of either field
- Anyone interested in free will
- People interested in human behavior
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This Is Your Brain on Parasites FAQs
What is the main message of This Is Your Brain on Parasites?
The main message of This Is Your Brain on Parasites is that parasites have a profound influence on our behavior and health.
How long does it take to read This Is Your Brain on Parasites?
The reading time for This Is Your Brain on Parasites varies depending on the reader, but it typically takes several hours. The Blinkist summary can be read in just 15 minutes.
Is This Is Your Brain on Parasites a good book? Is it worth reading?
This Is Your Brain on Parasites is a fascinating read that highlights the hidden world of parasites and their impact on human behavior and health.
Who is the author of This Is Your Brain on Parasites?
The author of This Is Your Brain on Parasites is Kathleen McAuliffe.
What to read after This Is Your Brain on Parasites?
If you're wondering what to read next after This Is Your Brain on Parasites, here are some recommendations we suggest:
- Nexus by Yuval Noah Harari
- The Structure of Scientific Revolutions by Thomas S. Kuhn
- The First Minute by Chris Fenning
- Discipline Is Destiny by Ryan Holiday
- A Planet of Viruses by Carl Zimmer
- The Laws of Human Nature by Robert Greene
- Phaedo by Plato
- Buddhism – Plain and Simple by Steve Hagen
- The Formula by Joshua Robinson
- Sophie's World by Jostein Gaarder