Brains and parasites will definitely elicit curiosity in many, especially when combined. That certain parasites can hijack an animal and alter its behavior to serve their purposes is not a new concept, as most students of biology can attest. Nevertheless, it is very convenient to have a book that compiles this material into a readable account. One consideration to keep in mind, though, is that the title of the book can be a bit misleading and readers should be aware of this before deciding if this book is worth their time. Taken at face value, the title implies that this book will deal with stories of how parasites directly alter brain function and behavior through infection. And indeed, this is what we get in the first five chapters. From there, the book starts to stray from its implied intention. For instance, the next two chapters focus on how the gut microbiome affects behavior, but this is a case of symbiosis rather than parasitism. The remaining five chapters wander even further away by focusing on an animal’s ability to fend off infection, and how this shapes behavior. An interesting topic in its own right, but this is the realm of coevolution, and is only marginally related to the book’s intended thesis of direct parasitic control. Just something to keep in mind, as readers might prefer to peruse selected chapters rather than sift through the whole book.
Rafael Romero, PhD