Worm

About this book

An insight into the mysterious world of the remarkable, but often underrated worm.

Worms are remarkable but often underrated creatures. Exploring their roles from gardener's friend to toothache culprit, this book offers an insight into the mysterious world of worms. The reader is introduced to all manner of 'worms', even though many only superficially resemble the limbless, sinuous archetype. There is discussion of worms as internal parasites, soil dwellers and aquatic forms, and an examination of worms in literature and mythology, showing how humans and worms have an intimate and closely entwined history – throughout the ages, worms have been portrayed as benign, even beautiful, yet at other times spitefully ostracized as deadly creatures. This richly illustrated book looks at the microscopic and the very large indeed, asking what the future holds for both human- and worm-kind.

Contents

1 Introducing the Worm
2 People's Interactions and Perceptions
3 Darwin's Plough
4 Aside from Science
5 Lumbricus terrestris - (Not Such) a Common Earthworm
6 The Future of Worms and Humans

Appendix: Phrases and Words Referring to Worms
Timeline
References
Bibliography
Acknowledgements
Photo Acknowledgements
Index

Customer Reviews

Biography

Kevin Butt is Reader in Ecology at the University of Central Lancashire, UK. He has published widely in the field of environmental science, soil ecology and soil restoration.