unassuming

Liaisons of Life: From Hornworts to Hippos, How the Unassuming Microbe Has Driven Evolution
$19.95
I read the paperback of the original 2001 publishing year. It sure makes for a fascinating reading: Symbiotic bacteria that change the sex of their host's offspring. Worms that don't eat because they have incorporated chloroplasts for energy acquisition. Ants that market fungi with other ant species. And the origin of sexuality. (Though there are varying concepts out there, I may remark.)

The author jibes at the historic science establishment for driving out enlightened heads who came up with the idea of symbiosis in the late 19th century or some 60 years later. ("You believe in symbiosis? You must be a communist!"). He also assures us that the vilification of all the bacteria and other little "bugs" does good for the pharma companies' pockets only.

This book is easy to read and makes fun, while at it. Unfortunately, it contains no pictures. And it is a fast read, with less than 200 text pages. Meaning, this book is a good one, but not very exhaustive. It's more of a welcome introduction to the subject. One thing kept me wondering: The title. There is no mention whatsoever of either hornworts or hippos other than in reference to the title. Actually, I had to look up elsewhere, what a hornwort is (some plant), first I mistook it for the hornwarts found on a toad's skin. I am completely flabbergasted, how this most arbitrary book title came about.

Keep in mind that the book isn't the freshest one on the market. Mitochondria are still thought to have an infectious origin, for example. Even though really separate organisms once, please read Power, Sex, Suicide: Mitochondria and the Meaning of Life for an advanced theory. For a theoretic re-thinking, including reconstructing taxonomy and theories about gaia, read Symbiotic Planet: A New Look At Evolution. About largely more hostile bacteria and the fight with anti-biotics read Good Germs, Bad Germs: Health and Survival in a Bacterial World. If you are interested in the specific symbionts on and in the human body, read the exhaustive (dry) textbook Microbial Inhabitants of Humans: Their Ecology and Role in Health and Disease. More on the parasitic road, read the very recommendable Riddled with Life: Friendly Worms, Ladybug Sex, and the Parasites That Make Us Who We Are and with little overlap Parasite Rex : Inside the Bizarre World of Nature's Most Dangerous Creatures. If you like a coffee table book of the nasty treat "enjoy" Human Wildlife: The Life That Lives on Us. If you are interested in human-to-human symbiosis read the chapter on conjoined twins in Mutants: On the Form, Varieties and Errors of the Human Body.

Unassuming Rock N' Roll Friend
$0.99

Unassuming
$0.99

JOAN LESLIE - Girlish and unassuming, at 17 she shines brightly as a full-fledged movie star able to sing, dance, act. ..... 1942 LIFE Magazine Article, A5129A.
$15.99
This Item is an original five page Magazine article, taken from a vintage magazine of the year indicated. The article is complete and opens the door to the time during which it was written and the social beliefs of that era. The scan of this item was taken through plastic film, however it is an accurate representation of the item. The nominal size is 10.5 inches by 14 inches.