Never Home Alone: by Rob DunnMy rating: 5 of 5 stars
What an awesome book! It is about the life that is either invisible or nearly invisible in our homes. Most of the unseen creatures in our homes and on our bodies are benign. Some are dangerous, but not many.
Breadmakers have the most unusual microbiomes on their hands than other humans on earth (I would like to think of myself as one of those people). I don't bake with sourdough because it requires too much care and fuss (so I'm probably not one of those people). But I may try again because of this book. Even with the same recipe and the same ingredients for a starter, each baker's starter will flavor their bread differently because of yeasts, bacteria, and other items on the baker and in their environment. That is just amazing.
Cats and dogs increase, in a positive way, the biodiversity in our homes. Spiders are so important to controlling flies that may carry diseases that many areas on earth have spider homes that are transported from place to place to control the flies. Spiders only eat arthropods, not people. Dunn talked about the MRSA / spider bite problem that doctors have, that I have blogged about before.
The book clarified a lot of science for me. It can be quite technical but Dunn helps the reader through tough sections with repetition (which helps retention). I will be looking into more of Dunn's fascinating books soon.
In the meantime, he reacquainted me with Sue Hubbell, author of Broadsides from the Other Orders. I own the audiobook but had forgotten it. Now, it's next in my queue. I want to find drain flies in my house (he speaks of them frequently and we all have them). I want to raise cave crickets as an Internet friend on Martha's Vineyard has done; as Sue Hubbell has done. And I want to overcome farsighted ecologist syndrome, which means that we often don't see what is right in front of us (like drain flies). This book has inspired me in so many ways.
"The species in our homes is a measure of our lives."
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Looks like an informative book to read about.
ReplyDeleteInteresting. Drain flies may be what I see every now and then.
ReplyDeleteInteresting book, great review. Have a great weekend!
ReplyDeleteSounds like the kind of book that could find a very cozy spot on my shelf with many like-minded companions.
ReplyDeleteThat sounds like a good book!
ReplyDeleteWe are a community, each of us!
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