Product Description

More than the story of how people and rats live together, this book takes a serious and intriguing look at science and scientists, the problems they solve and fail to solve, and the scope and imperfections of our scientific knowledge of the world. It answers questions such as: Are rats still a threat to human health? Do rats think? Is it true that wild rats sometimes die, unwounded, from social stress? Can studies of rat societies tell us anything useful about our own social lives? This compelling historical and social study will capture the interest of all readers-from those fascinated by rats to those who cringe-by explaining the delicate and sometimes volatile impacts humans and rats have had on each other over the centuries and into the modern age.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #369909 in Books
• Published on: 2001-08-01
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 216 pages

Natural History Magazine
"historical and social study"

Synopsis
Are rats still a threat to our health and food? Do they think? Is it true that wild rats sometimes die, unwounded, from social stress? Can studies of rat societies tell us anything useful about our own social lives? Love them or loathe them, everyone has a rat story. Throughout history vast numbers of rats of many species have shared our space, our food and our diseases; and they continue to do so. Yet this is more than a tale about how people and rats live together. It is about science and scientists, the problems they solve and fail to solve, and the scope and imperfections of our scientific knowledge of the world. It is a book for those who love rats or fear them; for the curious, the science literate and non-literate alike. Early in World War II, equipped only with firs class honours from Oxford University, Tony Barnett was drafted, not into the trenches (there weren't any), but into the sewers, wharves, food stores and other rat-infested environments offered by a London bombed nightly by the Luftwaffe. Thus began his interest in rats and his academic career in Scotland, India, Australia and North America.

He is now Emeritus Professor of Zoology in the Australian National University.

Customer Reviews

Rats GALORE!!!!
For anyone remotely interested in rats whether for or as in my case against, this book is great. It provides the reader with little tini witsy facts about the loathsome rats that are appealing in their sickness. In the end "Bring in the rat terriers" I proclaim....

The Story of Rats: Their Impact on Us, and Our Impact on The
This book really is an interesting read. I read it from the point of veiw of a Fancy rat owner and found it opened my eyes to lots of behaiviour i have observed in my pets. Also from a scientific point of veiw the links it draws between rats and humans and the lengths gone to explain some of our behaiviour via the rats is fascinating.