★ The author, Ohtani Tomomichi, graduated from the University of Tokyo's Faculty of Agriculture, where he specialized in fish pathology. The supervisor, Ogawa Kazuo, is the honorary director of the Meguro Parasitological Museum and professor emeritus at the University of Tokyo. The Meguro Parasitological Museum is one of the few museums in the world dedicated to parasites.
★ The book is divided into four themes: "Manipulate," "Bite," "Lurk," and "Rampage." From the hairworm that makes mantises jump into water, to the Toxoplasma that makes mice unafraid of cats, to the wasp that uses ladybugs as bodyguards, to the fungus that zombifies ants—every page is a survival plan written by hundreds of millions of years of evolution.
★ Demodex mites live on your face right now. They inhabit hair follicles and sebaceous glands, feeding on sebum. Most people carry them for life without noticing. The book says parasites are closer to us than we think.
★ The book includes Naegleria fowleri with a fatality rate over 95%, the malaria parasite—the worst killer in human history, and Schistosoma japonicum that blocks blood vessels with massive eggs. It also introduces Leucochloridium paradoxum, which travels between birds and snails—and how it makes snails "commit suicide."

A book that uses illustrated, accessible commentary to enjoy the true face of parasites—creatures that live by every means possible while parasitizing others.

Supervised by the honorary director of the Meguro Parasitological Museum! Did you know that a vast number of parasites exist on Earth? Parasites are closer to us than we imagine. Through their long evolutionary history, they have acquired diverse ways of life. For example...
・Demodex mites—right now, on your face
・The hairworm that manipulates mantises into jumping into water
・Leucochloridium paradoxum that extends and contracts in a snail's antennae
・The tongue worm that never separates from its partner once found
And more... To survive, they evolved over hundreds of millions of years. They are so ingenious that you can't help but exclaim, "There's a trick for that!" Please enjoy the complex and diverse world of parasites.

Ohtani Tomomichi
Science writer, editor, and representative of the joint office "Studio Daiyojohan." Born in 1982. Graduated from the University of Tokyo's Faculty of Agriculture, Department of Applied Life Sciences, majoring in Aquatic Life Sciences. Completed the master's program in Aquatic Biosciences at the same university's Graduate School of Agricultural and Life Sciences; withdrew from the doctoral program. During his studies, he specialized in fish pathology, researching infectious and parasitic diseases in fish and shellfish. After working as a publisher's editor, he became independent in 2014 and currently works in his present role.

Chapter 1: Manipulate
・Toxoplasma gondii: makes mice like cats
・Ladybug braconid wasp: uses ladybugs as bodyguards
・Hairworm: manipulates mantises into water
・Ant fungus: zombifies and manipulates ants
・Samurai ant: conducts slave raids, etc.

Chapter 2: Bite
・Demodex: right now, on your face
・Human flea: the jumping acrobat
・Tongue worm: the parasite that loves forever
・Stone-shelled mussel: the fishing expert that lures fish, etc.

Chapter 3: Lurk
・Tapeworm: one of the world's largest parasites
・Roundworm: takes a grand tour inside the human body
・Anisakis: trouble if eaten by humans
・Anglerfish: the ultimate male
・Pearlfish: enters and exits through a sea cucumber's anus, etc.

Chapter 4: Rampage
・Leucochloridium paradoxum: travels between birds and snails
・Plasmodium: the worst killer parasite in human history
・Schistosoma japonicum: blocks blood vessels with massive eggs
・Naegleria fowleri: the killer amoeba with a fatality rate over 95%
・Echinococcus: the fox's dangerous leftover, etc.