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The New York Times Bestseller
An International Bestseller
Finalist for the Lane Anderson Award
Finalist for the RBC Taylor Award
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.
Publisher : Dutton; Reprint edition (July 7, 2020)
Language : English
Paperback : 496 pages
ISBN-10 : 1524743429
ISBN-13 : 978-1524743420
Item Weight : 2.31 pounds
Dimensions : 5.52 x 1.02 x 8.24 inches
Customers say
Customers find the book engaging and informative, providing a thorough review of the mosquito and its impact on history. They describe it as an eye-opener and a great read. However, some readers feel the pacing is slow and predictable, making it difficult to finish. Opinions differ on the content regarding the mosquito and its role in human history.
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