The Mosquito
A Human History of Our Deadliest Predator
-
-
4.2 • 57 Ratings
-
-
- $7.99
Publisher Description
**The instant New York Times bestseller.**
*An international bestseller.*
Finalist for the Lane Anderson Award
Finalist for the RBC Taylor Award
“Hugely impressive, a major work.”—NPR
A pioneering and groundbreaking work of narrative nonfiction that offers a dramatic new perspective on the history of humankind, showing how through millennia, the mosquito has been the single most powerful force in determining humanity’s fate
Why was gin and tonic the cocktail of choice for British colonists in India and Africa? What does Starbucks have to thank for its global domination? What has protected the lives of popes for millennia? Why did Scotland surrender its sovereignty to England? What was George Washington's secret weapon during the American Revolution?
The answer to all these questions, and many more, is the mosquito.
Across our planet since the dawn of humankind, this nefarious pest, roughly the size and weight of a grape seed, has been at the frontlines of history as the grim reaper, the harvester of human populations, and the ultimate agent of historical change. As the mosquito transformed the landscapes of civilization, humans were unwittingly required to respond to its piercing impact and universal projection of power.
The mosquito has determined the fates of empires and nations, razed and crippled economies, and decided the outcome of pivotal wars, killing nearly half of humanity along the way. She (only females bite) has dispatched an estimated 52 billion people from a total of 108 billion throughout our relatively brief existence. As the greatest purveyor of extermination we have ever known, she has played a greater role in shaping our human story than any other living thing with which we share our global village.
Imagine for a moment a world without deadly mosquitoes, or any mosquitoes, for that matter? Our history and the world we know, or think we know, would be completely unrecognizable.
Driven by surprising insights and fast-paced storytelling, The Mosquito is the extraordinary untold story of the mosquito’s reign through human history and her indelible impact on our modern world order.
APPLE BOOKS REVIEW
In war, it’s important to know your enemy—that’s why Timothy C. Winegard’s exhaustive chronicle of humans’ peskiest and most fiendish foe is such a crucial read. Winegard takes a close look at the disease-bearing insect’s world-changing, history-altering CV, ranging from ancient Greece up to present-day experiments to eradicate the bug’s worst qualities. I mean, did you know that mosquitoes were actual combatants in the American Revolution?! Buzzing with in-depth research and lively writing, The Mosquito is a fascinating read that’s made us reflect on the past every time we swat those buggers off our necks.
Customer Reviews
Made learning fun, and put my life in prospective
I picked up The Mosquito expecting to learn about one tiny insect. What I got instead was a fascinating journey through human history.
This book completely changed the way I think about mosquitoes. You begin to realize that this tiny creature has influenced wars, shaped civilizations, determined where people could live, affected economies, and changed the course of countless individual lives. Even today, mosquitoes continue to impact millions of people around the world. The discussions about whether humanity might one day eradicate them, and whether we even should, were especially thought-provoking. After surviving and adapting for millions of years, you can’t help but wonder if this incredibly resilient species can ever truly be defeated, or whether our attempts might only make it stronger.
What I loved most was how much history I learned that I was never taught in school. Nearly every chapter had me stopping in amazement, thinking, “How did I never know this?” It felt like one revelation after another. Timothy C. Winegard has an incredible talent for connecting history, science, medicine, and human stories into something that’s both educational and impossible to put down.
Oddly enough, I also found the book comforting. It reminds you how fragile and unpredictable life has always been. Sometimes the smallest things, even a single mosquito bite, can change the course of a person’s life or the course of history. It puts our own lives into perspective and reminds us to appreciate the present because you never know what tomorrow holds.
I’ve recommended this book to just about everyone I’ve talked to since finishing it, and I’ll keep recommending it. It’s one of those rare books that completely changes how you see the world around you. If you enjoy history, science, or simply love learning something that will leave you saying “Wow” over and over again, I can’t recommend The Mosquito highly enough.
Packed with interesting information
Fantastically written account on mosquitoes and their indelible presence throughout human history…packed with intriguing and well researched anecdotes on how the mosquito has directly influenced so many aspects of our history
WOW!!
This book has been an incredible journey! I was unaware of the significant role mosquitoes played in our history before reading it. I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book.