Home Feed
Home
Search
Search
Add Review, Blurb, Quote
Add
Activity
Activity
Profile
Profile
The Wasp That Brainwashed the Caterpillar
The Wasp That Brainwashed the Caterpillar: Evolution's Most Unbelievable Solutions to Life's Biggest Problems | Matt Simon
21 posts | 10 read | 23 to read
A bizarre collection of evolution tales . . . the weirder, the better. Entertainment Weekly A fascinating exploration of the awe-inspiring, unsettling ingenuity of evolution On a barren seafloor, the pearlfish swims into the safety of a sea cucumbers anus. To find a meal, the female bolas spider releases pheromones that mimic a female moth, luring male moths into her sticky lasso web. The Glyptapanteles wasp injects a caterpillar with her young, which feed on the victim, erupt out of it, then mind-control the poor (and somehow still living) schmuck into protecting them from predators. These are among the curious critters of The Wasp That Brainwashed the Caterpillar, a jaunt through evolutions most unbelievable, most ingenious solutions to the problems of everyday life, from trying to get laid to finding food. Join Wired science writer Matt Simon as he introduces you to the creatures that have it figured out, the ones that joust with their mustaches or choke sharks to death with snot, all in a wild struggle to survive and, of course, find true love. From the Hardcover edition.
Amazon Indiebound Barnes and Noble WorldCat Goodreads LibraryThing
Pick icon
100%
review
Victoria_Clyne
post image
Pickpick

Re-reading the blurb on the back of this book I'm not sure why I bought it. The pretty cover? The really interesting title? To this day I'm not sure but I'm glad I did.

This book is a series of small chapters each of which features a different animal which through evolution has developed a unique talent. I was fascinated. This is a great book to dip in and out of and then annoy your loved ones with amazing, and at times gross, animal facts.

DivineDiana Intrigued by the cover, the title, and your review!🐛 3y
19 likes1 comment
blurb
Victoria_Clyne
post image

This one has been on my TBR for a while. I'm not even sure why I bought it. I decided to start it for my Reading Widely Challenge and one chapter in I'm fascinated.

blurb
Ang203l
post image

Weird animal stories.... here for it!

quote
keithmalek
post image

quote
keithmalek
post image

quote
keithmalek
post image

quote
keithmalek
post image

RavenLovelyReads 😂😂 i gotta read that book! 6y
9 likes1 stack add1 comment
quote
keithmalek
post image

quote
keithmalek
post image

review
Shemac77
post image
Pickpick

Hilarious! Also true and scientific which makes this nerd nerd out even harder. The animal kingdom is harsh but not without its own special brand of comedy.

blurb
Shemac77
post image

Nerding out with science.

61 likes3 stack adds
blurb
Kelly
post image

Current listen. This is fascinating and hilarious and horrifying all at once because Nature is just that.

Tamra Sounds fascinating! 7y
balletbookworm Ahhh, I really need to get this one off my TBR. My science nerd brain needs fed 🤓 7y
28 likes3 stack adds2 comments
review
Deborah42
post image
Pickpick

Focused on the grossest and most creative ways organisms have evolved to survive long enough to reproduce, this book will certainly generate interest in further study for kids with strong stomachs who are curious about biology.

review
PomegranateMuse
post image
Pickpick

"The peacock is a tasty creature with a giant target sprouting out of its bum, but it's also a sexy creature with a giant target sprouting out of its bum. "
Let it be known that I love the #snark ??❤️ Also, let it be known the illustrations in this book are hilarious, but also quite good! #sexycreature #tastycreature #mattsimon #bumtarget

PomegranateMuse Everyone who reads this book must use the hashtag #bumtarget or #tastycreature or #sexycreature lol 😂 8y
8 likes2 stack adds2 comments
review
angrylilasian
post image
Pickpick

This is one of the weirdest, grossest, laugh out loud books I've read in a long time. 😂 There are some crazy things going on in nature and somehow this guy wrote about them in a conversational way that makes it so much fun to read. May not be for the squeamish though! #becauseScience

59 likes6 stack adds
blurb
quietjenn
post image

I am a very restless reader the last few days, probably because we shifted apartments last weekend and things still feel chaotic. But! Maybe giving this a go? The Alex Awards are my jam, historically speaking.

blurb
TelevisionNeighbor
post image

There are so many #booksaboutnature that I want to read this year. This has the coolest title. I could read only science and history books and be totally okay. #readjanuary

review
RanaElizabeth
post image
Pickpick

An excellent read-aloud book, the animal kingdom is just too strange not to share.
Full review over on Goodreads.

WanderingBookaneer I gave this to @Figgy for Christmas! 8y
RanaElizabeth @WanderingBookaneer @Figgy Be prepared to spend a lot of time on Google looking for images and video of crazy shit! 🐌🕷🐝🐟🐍 8y
59 likes1 stack add2 comments
blurb
RanaElizabeth
post image

The illustrations in this are pretty great. These lovely fellows are lowland streaked tenrecs from Madagascar. It makes noise by rubbing its quills together.

readordierachel That's awesome. 8y
61 likes1 stack add1 comment
blurb
RanaElizabeth
post image

Science books are a good seasonal read, right? Also, the night-reading settings on my tablet inverts the colors on the covers and sometimes does amazing things. This is not what the cover is supposed to look like.

40 likes1 stack add
blurb
WanderingBookaneer
post image
kellyannprz If I'm not mistaken, I saw you and @BookishMarginalia at Libros AC by the children section! 8y
BookishMarginalia Yes! @kellyannprz Are you still here? I'm in the cafe! (edited) 8y
WanderingBookaneer @kellyannprz : Indeed! You should've said hi! 8y
See All 6 Comments
kellyannprz Just read your comments😩 But I basically went for something in particular and left; had other stuff to do💔 @WanderingBookaneer @BookishMarginalia 8y
BookishMarginalia @kellyannprz Definitely next time! 8y
58 likes6 comments