Product Description

When Rats, Lice and History appeared in 1935, Hans Zinsser was a highly regarded Harvard biologist who had never written about historical events.Although he had published under a pseudonym, virtually all of his previous writings had dealt with infections and immunity and had appeared either in medical and scientific journals or in book format.Today he is best remembered as the author of Rats, Lice, and History, which gone through multiple editions and remains a masterpiece of science writing for a general readership.

To Zinsser, scientific research was high adventure and the investigation of infectious disease, a field of battle.Yet at the same time he maintained a love of literature and philosophy.His goal in Rats, Lice and History was to bring science, philosophy, and literature together to establish the importance of disease, and especially epidemic infectious disease, as a major force in human affairs. Zinsser cast his work as the "biography" of a disease.In his view, infectious disease simply represented an attempt of a living organism to survive.From a human perspective, an invading pathogen was abnormal; from the perspective of the pathogen it was perfectly normal.

This book is devoted to a discussion of the biology of typhus and history of typhus fever in human affairs.Zinsser begins by pointing out that the louse was the constant companion of human beings.Under certain conditions-failure to wash or to change clothing-lice proliferated.The typhus pathogen was transmitted by rat fleas to human beings, who then transmitted it to other humans and in some strains from human to human.

Rats, Lice and History is a tour de force.It combines Zinsser's expertise in biology with his broad knowledge of the humanities

Hans Zinsser (1878-1940) received his doctorate at Columbia University and also was an instructor of bacteriology at Columbia University. Throughout his career he was also a professor at Stanford University as well as Harvard University. His scientific work focused on bacteriology and immunology and he is greatly associated with Brill's disease as well as typhus.Amazon.com Review
There are few topics more distressing than disease, yet there are few books more darkly delightful than this timelessclassic about the histories of microbial diseases, rats, and lice, and the scientistsand doctors who combatted them. First published in 1934 and still inprint, this book combines science, history, biography, literature, andother fields into an elegant but grim package of broaderudition and darker humor. Here are two representative passages.

...[I]nfectious disease is merely a disagreeable instance of a widelyprevalent tendency of all living creatures to save themselves thebother of building, by their own efforts, the things theyrequire. Whenever they find it possible to take advantage of theconstructive labors of others, this is the path of leastresistance. The plant does the work with its roots and its greenleaves. The cow eats the plant. Man eats both of them; and bacteria(or investment bankers) eat the man....

...[T]he natural history of the rat is tragically similar to that ofman ... some of the more obvious qualities in which rats resemblemen--ferocity, omnivorousness, and adaptability to all climates ... theirresponsible fecundity with which both species breed at all seasonsof the year with a heedlessness of consequences, which subjects themto wholesale disaster on the inevitable, occasional failure of thefood supply.... [G]radually, these two have spread across the earth,keeping pace with each other and unable to destroy each other, thoughcontinually hostile. They have wandered from East to West, driven bytheir physical needs, and--unlike any other species of living things--have made war upon their own kind. The gradual, relentless,progressive extermination of the black rat by the brown has noparallel in nature so close as that of the similar extermination ofone race of man by another...

Customer Reviews (24)

Plague and Human History
I've owned this book for decades, and keep it on the shelf reserved for books that have taught me the most. It teaches that epidemics have had a decisive influence on human history; for instance that wars cause plagues, and that for centuries many wars were decided not by battle, but by which army's camp first got the plague.

There have been other, equally surprising treatments of this subject.An excellent example from the 1970's is William McNiell's "Plagues and Peoples".It expands the subject to include, for instance, the role of malaria in delaying the spread of civilization to southern China, and that of smallpox in decimating many Native American cultures before they were even seen by Europeans.The subject is also visited in "Guns, Germs, and Steel".Diamond suggests that many plagues, and partial immunity to them, stem from living with domestic livestock.He thinks this explains why European diseases devastated America, rather than the other way around.I'd be interested in hearing what scientific support this view has.

A classic, but in my opinion somewhat overrated and out of date
When I came across a copy of this book I was anxious to read it as I recognized it as a classic.Unfortunately, my ardor was quickly extinguished because I feel that the book is somewhat overrated and out of date. More about why I feel this way shortly, but first let me tell you how this book is organized and the subject presented.

This is the classic presentation of the biology and impact of Typhus on history.It is told in a personal style, in my opinion perhaps too personal.The first three chapters (covering about 50 pages) are devoted to the author's explanation of why he wrote the book, an apology for writing it and a discussion of the origin of life.To say I was disappointed with these three chapters, which I would rate, at best, as one star, is an understatement.They are pretentious, rambling and worst of all, uninteresting.Given the fact that this book is considered a classic, I decided to continue.Fortunately, from my perspective, the book got a bit better.The next 100 or so pages are devoted to the history of many epidemic diseases.Professor Zinsser's stated objective for including this material is to show that these diseases were not Typhus.Unfortunately, while better than the first 50 pages, I found the presentation to still be pretentious and to ramble on a bit, but in my opinion it did raise the level of the book to two stars.The final 150 pages are actually devoted to the subject of Typhus and were significantly improved over the first 150 pages, but in my opinion raising the book to only a three star level.

Why do I rate this book as only three stars?
1) As stated above, I was not impressed with the first half of the book.There are many much better treatments of epidemic disease. So, in my opinion, the reader is only getting half a book.
2) Professor Zinsser lets his personal biases pervade the text to an extent that I found distracting and in some places offensive.For instance, he equates New York Irish and Italian politicians of the1930's (when this book was written) with barbarian tribes destroying the Roman Empire.
3) Professor Zinsser also takes on a pretentious, and snide tone that I did not feel was at all appropriate.For instance, he uses the term saprophyte and instead of explaining what this means in the text or in a footnote he uses a footnote to state - "If the reader does not understand this word it is too bad." In my opinion this is no way to treat a general reader who is trying to learn something about a subject for which you are an expert.
4) Much of the book was, in my opinion, not sufficiently focused and tended to ramble.
5) The biology, which was up to date in 1934, is now quite out of date.For instance, the disease organism that produces Typhus (Rickettsia) are referred to as being viruses, which they are not. Given that they are quite different from the bacteria that a 1930's bacteriologist was familiar with, this is not a surprising error, and reflects the poor understanding of viruses and not a lack of knowledge on the part of Professor Zinsser.He actually gets it right in that he feels that Rickettsia are bacteria or closely related to them.
6) There is no index or bibliography and only a few footnotes.To make matters worse, Professor Zinsser continually refers to authors and books, that are not referenced in enough detail to enable reader a to find them to do further reading.(In most cases there is no detail, except for the name of the author.)The book is thus made much less useful for those seeking a fuller understanding of the subject.

Why, given the problems listed above, do I think that this book disserves even three stars? In spite of the above listed problems, there are some redeeming features in this book, but in my opinion, not enough to raise it more than three stars.I liked the following:
1) There is a very nice presentation of the idea that given time diseases and their hosts tend to reach a state of toleration, reducing the virulence of the disease.He gives many examples of cases where diseases are much less virulent today than in the past and cases where people who had no prior contact with the disease experienced a much greater mortality.A good example of this is the measles, which is (or was before inoculation against it) a childhood disease with a low mortality for a western society, but was highly lethal one for a society who had not been previously exposed to it.We now understand, given a much better understanding of genetics, why this is the case, but Zinsser's discussion is still worthwhile.
2) Professor Zinsser addresses the problem of transmission of Typhus from rat flea to human in addition to the more typical human-to-human transmission via body lice.This alternate route is important because it can explain the transmission over long distances (where all the humans and lice might be dead before the end of the journey) and as alternate reservoirs to contain the disease between epidemics.
3) Many other histories ignore the influence of disease on historical events and this book, to some degree, corrects this omission, especially with regard to Typhus.
4) Professor Zinsser makes the case the epidemic Typhus did not exist before the 15th century, although sporadic cases may have been reported much earlier.This is not, however, a universally held belief.
5) This is the classic history of the influence of Typhus on history and is the primary reference for others covering the impact of disease on history.As such, it is an important reference, but one whose usefulness is diminished by the lack of references.

All in all, at best, I found this to be a three star book and one whose audience is limited.Because of the style and rambling nature of much of the book it is not a very good choice for the general reader and the lack of references makes its usefulness limited for specialists.It is probably best for those who have heard of it and therefore want to read it first hand, but they are likely, as I was, to be disappointed.

interesting bit of history
From back cover:

Profound, provocative, amusing, fascinating, Rats Lice and history utterly defies literary classification, except that it is undoubtedly a contemporary classic. Using as his framework a "biography" of typhus fever, Dr. Zinsser writes trenchantly on infectious diseases and medical responses, people, customs, history, places, religion, art and science in a pawky style which shows both his enormous scholarship and rare human wisdom.

A one-of-a-kind history of medicine
The copy of "Rats, Lice, and History" that I own was published in 1963, and this was the 33rd time it had been reissued since first appearing in 1934. I can't imagine Dr. Zinsser's grumpily discursive, masterfully written, and ultimately profound biography of typhus fever ever going completely out of print. Stylistically the only work I can compare it to is Gibbon's "Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire". Where Gibbon occasionally dipped his pen in vinegar and excoriated the Christians, Zinsser dips his pen in hydrochloric acid and savages all of the quaint human customs that have kept Typhus alive and thriving. He shows much more affectionate sympathy for the louse than he does for the General or the Politician.

In the interests of research, Zinsser carried pill boxes of lice under his socks for weeks at a time before taking "advantage of them for scientific purposes."He is not able to tear himself away from these little creatures and address the true subject of his biography, i.e. the typhus germ, until Chapter 12!

However, the journey to Chapter 12 is well worth taking because along the way, Zinsser wittily savages modern biographers, psychoanalysis, astronomers and physicists who "scamper back to God" (Biologists evidently are much less prone to being 'born again'), and of course, all of the wars that have given Typhus countless opportunities to murder lice and humans alike.

"Rats, Lice, and History" should be required reading for would-be writers for its style, would-be Generals for its lessons on how soldiers really die, and for anyone else who is interested in a passionate, eminently witty, one-of-a-kind history of medicine.

The title of this book is Rats, Lice and History
One would read this for its wit, alone, but the subject matter is fascinating.Dr. Zinsser wrote for the New Yorker for many years under the nom de plume of RS.This 1935 book will still be read, with pleasure, a century from now. ... Read more

Product Description
For all teachers: It's your life told here, dear teacher, with all its glories, warts, joys, and heartaches. The poems of Brod Bagert, America's performance poet, chronicle the frustrations of the profession, as well as their transformation into the unexpected victories that make it all worthwhile. The cast of characters includes the second grade from hell, that hopeless, control-freak-of-a-colleague, the faculty restroom, the custodian, Rambo teacher, and even the cafeteria food. Brod speaks in the voice of the classroom teacher, and the voice rings true. Here's a perfect gift - for yourself or for a teacher you love. Illustrated by illustrator/author Kim Doner. Winner of the Oklahoma Book Award for Best Illustrated Book. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (9)

Great gift for teachers
Great book for teachers.You would think that the author was a teacher himself, but he actually used to be a lawyer!I'm a teacher and it rings true on every line!

Very cute
This book is very cute and a joy.There is a poem for different situations to read to your students.

Other poems not-so-good
I loved the poems I read in the advertisement on amazon, but was disappointed in the other poems in the actual book.

Brod Baggart exceptionally pleasing!
I love this book. I saw Brod Baggart at a teacher conference and enjoyed his dictation of the poetry so much that I had to buy his books. This one in particular has so many light hearted, true to life poems that really hit home for teachers. Laugh outloud funny poetry!

Brod Bagert is Bang-Up
I had never read any of Brod Bagert's books. As a matter of fact I had never heard of him. I work at a high school and do not see elementary books. I read this for my literature class that I am taking for a teaching degree. He is excellent! Rainbows, Headlice, and Pea-Green Tile is great. A real joy to read. ... Read more

Product Description

Customer Reviews (5)

Good book of poems by renowned poet
Merwin's second books including the popular The Lice and the Pulitzer winning The carrier of Ladders. An introduction to Merwin writing without full-stops, commas but deep in pauses. Sometimes allegorical, definitely some of the poems especially in The Lice seem to have be written while on LSD but definitely intriguing. I think Carriers of Ladders possesses the most depth. His collection have poems in his books than other poetry collections but the poems are also much shorter seeking impact in brevity of statement. An interesting collection for maybe America's most renowned living poet.

Don't know how he does it
I had read "The Carrier of Ladders" in a college class in the 1980s, and recall not being particularly impressed.Clearly, I wasn't ready for Merwin's supremely focused and near-mystical artistry.I purchased this collection recently after hearing a recording of Merwin reading "The Last One" from "The Lice."What is most remarkable is his ability to express the most complex thoughts in simple language, and often, in very short pieces.By that I mean, there are probably no words in any of these poems that would not be readily understood by an intelligent ten-year-old.Merwin's sentence structure and imagery, however, are of the highest order, and merit the most careful reading to fully absorb his meaning.The overall effect is so unique and astonishing, as to be akin to magic, especially in the later books when Merwin eschews punctuation.After reading these remarkable works, I have no doubt as to Merwin's place in the canon of great poets.

very thought provoking
this book was like merwin pouring his heart and soul onto paper, evoked emotions and memories of long ago!

If looking to define the feeling haunting you, read on.
I suggest reading on, because I have a small but appropriate few sentences to write about Merwin. I first came across Merwin when I was assigned to find a poet I liked who was still living for a poetry class. That is tosay, not living for my poetry class in particular, but, a poet still alive,so my known favorites, Solomon of the Superlative Song, William Morris,Eugene Fields or Henry W. Longfellow, writers of, among other things nurseyrhymes from my chldhood, nor John Keatsfulfilled this alive requirement. As a result, I found myself looking to the song lyrics of the 60s and 70sI'd listened to growing up, my father being a pseudo-hippie, him notknowing that I was actually listening to the words. I say this because itis precisely this music which encouraged me to look into poetry.Unfortunately, my professor was not about to accept song lyrics from JethroTull or Queen, though members of the bands might still be living, which wasgood for me, or I never would have discovered Merwin. It was the first timeI opened a book of poetry andfound what I was feeling written the way Ithought. Suddenly whatever feelings merely drifting at the edges of mysubconscious which I had no real way of dealing with were right there onthe page before me as though someone had read my mind. It was not eerie, atall, either -- it was just like being an adolescent and literally feelingone's feelings being relayed by rock and roll, or any kind of music for allthe world to hear, and glad someone finally understood and was on yourside. And so you go out and buy the tape, becasue it's like hearing a goodfriend's voice, perhaps one that relieves you of tension, or helps youformulate thoughts on the order of the world and your place in things, afriend to reassure and support you. That's what these poems are like,friends that you can read again and again, and be reassured that there issomeone out there who understands you, and who can voice what you arethinking when you can't, and these revelations you can keep to yourself, ormore likely share with the world, for everyone should have such a friend.

"We were not born to survive, only to live." --Merwin
Merwin touches the universal with specifics.Merwin's book bears a simplicity lacking in much of what we do today.His word choice in these poems rarely indicates they were written in the 1970's, but the style is poignantly modern nonetheless.As subjects, Merwin takes nature, aging and friendships.He peppers these with haunting feelings of hollowness, biblical allusions, and the occasional phrase that I cannot reconcile to the poems containing it.With Merwin, though, I remains content and know that a little ambiguity at the edges will keep me returning to the poem year after year. ... Read more

Product Description
Cooties have one golden rule: To get a-head, invade a school. Told from the point of view of lice, this humorous rhyming book helps readers learn what lice are and how to protect themselves from them. Full color. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Fun way to teach about an embarassing subject
This is a humorous way to let kids know about lice and what to do to prevent or get rid of an infestation.Most 1st or 2nd graders should be able to read this book with little help (there are a few words in it which they might need assistance with) and the illustrations are terrific.

My only complaint is that some of the rhyming text didn't flow smoothly which might be bothersome to young readers. ... Read more

Product Description
Rhyming text describes what happens when a family discovers lice in the home and fights against them. Includes factual information about how lice live, spread, and can be eradicated. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (3)

Perhaps the Right Choice for Younger Children - a review of "Yikes-Lice!"
This book covers the basic material about lice - size, means of transmission, what's needed to get rid of them - in a fashion suitable for even very young children.One of the ways it does this is by using drawings instead of photographs.Photos tending to be scarier for the really young as lice are sort of monstrous when greatly magnified.

The other thing that the author does is to provide two different textual approaches to the information.The first is normal prose, and the second is a rhyme.For really young children I think I would talk about what the pictures showed, and use only the rhyme on repeat readings.

Three Stars [C+].Cute, colorful and non-threatening, this book covers the basics but wouldn't be a great resource for an "advanced" book report on the topic of lice.

The Accelerated Reading designation/ATOS is 4.3 for this book.

Pam T~

Fantastic Read/ Great learning Tool
Yikes- Lice is a fantastic read for both children and adults!Author Donna Caffey wonderfully explains the lice epidemic in a well written rhyming children's book.I would personally recommend school nurses across the nation to include this book on their shelves.

Caffey should be encouraged to write more books on changeling subjects for children.

Wonderfully written
This book should be on every students schoolsupply list. When our daughter came home fromschool with lice I was as horrified as she was. This book explains these naughty little creatures at a level we all can understand. Makes for enlightening reading on such an unenlightening subject. ... Read more

Product Description
A terrific treatment plan for a lousy problem.

The head-count on lice infestations is growing each year, yet head lice have become resistant little buggers, immune to many of the traditional treatments. So how can you treat a child's head lice infestation while keeping your home, your own head, and your child's self-esteem intact? Now there's an answer for the millions of families plagued by persistent lice. Based on their award-winning, acclaimed video, Joan Sawyer and Roberta MacPhee-- otherwise known as the "Lice Ladies"-- present panicked parents with a safe, effective five-step treatment plan to end stubborn cases of head lice once and for all. In an informal, easy-to-read, and often humorous voice, the Lice Ladies offer help for families bugged by lice, including:

* Bug Off! Their famous "Head Lice to Dead Lice" plan for treatment and prevention of head lice infestations
* An itchy subject: the social, emotional, and legal issues associated with head lice
* Lice through the ages: a history of lice and their treatments, including chemicals, oils, and folk remedies
* Nitpicking: how to effectively check for, comb through, and pick out lice
* Housekeeping: how to keep your home lice-free (without becoming obsessive-compulsive)
* Other essential tips on what parents, kids, and schools can do to banish and prevent head lice, including a helpful resource list of doctors, organizations, public health departments, websites, and more.
... Read more

Customer Reviews (6)

Great Information, Could be Shorter
I know it's already a small book, but there's still tons of fluff. I could really do without the opening story. The olive oil treatment is the way to go. This book is cheap and definitely worth it. It made me realize that lice are really not that big of a deal. A stupid, slow bug that doesn't carry disease. Get the book, just skim the fluff and skip to the important stuff.

Highlights important things, but also contains some misinformation
This book has a lot of good info, and we're following its plan.One thing that's a little concerning is that it contains some misinformation about some of the chemical products it advises against.It states that Malathion (which we were just prescribed to use, for better or worse) is banned in the US by the FDA.This is not true.
[...]
Maybe the FDA has been bought by the head lice industry (wouldn't surprise me), but statements like this should be corrected.

The ONLY way to really get rid of these little nuisances
The information is presented in an entertaining while very informative way.Quit fighting the same old over-the-counter routine...get this information so you can eliminate these critters for good, and KNOW with complete confidence that it's going to work Greatly.Then you can share what you know with others who you may find, need it as well :O)

Nitpicker review
I run a professional nit removal and head lice treatment service located in Roslyn, N.Y.We have been treating people with head lice for about 2 years and we use this book as our guideline. It is a wonderful book.Thevideo is great too!

Can having lice really have a humorous side?
The authors seem to think so, and you might also after reading this. There is a lot of controversy surrounding head lice today.This book is a great reference to the variety of techniques as well as a delightfullyentertaining guide to their own chosen style of eliminating the determinedpests.The book treats the readers with respect.The straight forwardhonesty of the writers is refreshing and funny. ... Read more

Product Description
The is a book of W.S. Merwin's poetry published in 1977. 80 pages. ... Read more

Product Description
The popular Rookie Books expand their horizons - to all corners of the globe! With this series all about geography, emergent readers will take off on adventures to cities, nations, waterways, and habitats around the worldÂ…and right in their own backyards. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Great book!
the book really takes the stigma out of a kid having lice...even the biggest nit-picker would have to admit the book has its facts down, and delivers them in an easy going manner. ... Read more

Product Description
They feed on us, make their homes on us, and generally make our lives miserable. They are horrible guests, sometimes spreading deadly diseases. These blood-sucking parasites are lice and fleas and they are pests of the first order! This book delves into the tiny world of ectoparasites that prey on humans and animal hosts. Special sections give information on the plague-producing history of rat fleas and how to combat the scourge of head lice. ... Read more

Product Description
It seemed like things couldn't get any worse after Henry tried to sell his little brother for pocket change, but this time, he really outdoes himself. He gives his class lice - on purpose! ... Read more

Product Description
RATS, LICE, AND HISTORYBy HANS ZINSSER. Being a Study in Biography, which, after Twelve Preliminary Chapters Indispensable for the Preparation of the Lay Reader, Deals with the Life History of TYPHUS FEVER Also known, at various stages of its Adventurous Career, as Morbus pulicaris Cardanus, 1545 Tabardiglio y puntos DeToro, 1574 Pin fas Febris pur purea epidemica Coyttarus, 1578 Febris quam lenticulas vel puncticulas vacant Fracastorius, 1546 Morbus hungaricus La Pourpre Pipercorn Febris petechialis vcra Febris maligna pestilens Febris putrida ct ma tgna Typhus carcerorum Jayl Fever Fievre des hopitaux Pcstis bcllica Morbus castremis Famine Fever Irish Ague Typhus cxanthematicus Faulfieber Hauptkrank heit Pcstartigc Eraune Exanthematisches Nervcnfiebcr, and so forth, and so forth. PREFACE: THESE chapters we hesitate to call so rambling a per formance a book were written at odd moments as a relaxation from studies of typhus fever in the laboratory and in the field. In following infec ... Read more

Product Description
This updated edition asks some great questions.What is a nit?How long does a head louse live?Why do head lice need to live in people's hair?This book is an introduction to head lice, discussing how they are born, what they look like, what they eat, how they grow, where they live, and how to get rid of them. ... Read more

Product Description
What if Howard Hughes ruled his corporate empire from a chrome-and-glass citadel, served by problem gamblers who've been enslaved so they can pay off their debts? Louse is only partly the answer to that question. It's also a deft piece of corporate satire, an Orwellian fable about absolute power, even a kind of religious allegory. Author David Grand's remarkable first novel follows Herman Q. Louse, valet to the invalid, germ-phobic billionaire Herbert Horatio Blackwell, as he navigates the conspiracy-ridden world Blackwell has constructed in the middle of the Nevada desert. Louse's story is interspersed with snippets of memos, bulletins, press releases, and public confessions--Grand's modern version of groupthink--all of which provide a darkly comic counterpoint to the novel's growing intrigue. There are more twists and turns in this book than in your average Hollywood thriller, yet somehow the plot--as well-oiled as it is--becomes hardly the point. Louse is a chilling look at the fate of the individual in a collectivized world, as appropriate to today's corporate drones as to the denizens of Orwell's 1984.Amazon.com Review
What if Howard Hughes ruled his corporate empire from achrome-and-glass citadel, served by problem gamblers who've beenenslaved so they can pay off their debts? Louse is only partlythe answer to that question. It's also a deft piece of corporatesatire, an Orwellian fable about absolute power, even a kind ofreligious allegory. Author David Grand's remarkable first novelfollows Herman Q. Louse, valet to the invalid, germ-phobic billionaireHerbert Horatio Blackwell, as he navigates the conspiracy-ridden worldBlackwell has constructed in the middle of the Nevada desert. Louse'sstory is interspersed with snippets of memos, bulletins, pressreleases, and public confessions--Grand's modern version ofgroupthink--all of which provide a darkly comic counterpoint to thenovel's growing intrigue. There are more twists and turns in this bookthan in your average Hollywood thriller, yet somehow theplot--as well-oiled as it is--becomes hardly the point. Louse is achilling look at the fate of the individual in a collectivized world,as appropriate to today's corporate drones as to the denizens ofOrwell's 1984. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (13)

Strange and mesmerizing
A strange, Kafkaesque first novel, "Louse," portrays the proscribed existence of Herman Q. Louse, indentured valet to the despotic, Howard Hughes-like mogul, Herbert "Poppy" Blackwell. Louse cannot remember a time before; his world is defined by the drugged, antiseptic, rule-bound confines of Poppy's "Resort Town of G."

Poppy is a repellent bony pile of flesh in a bed. "His skin is like moth-eaten velvet and shimmers like the phosphorescence of a crashed wave. I fear that a slip of the finger will puncture or bruise its cloudy sheen." His sterile bedroom, a self-imposed prison, is sealed against bugs, bacteria and dirt. Louse's duties are rigidly ritualistic.

Outside Poppy's room, surveillance cameras monitor behavior, even in the cell-like bedrooms (complete with a spy hole for watching your neighbor). Transgressions, "acts of free will" trigger fines, for, it appears, the "Resort's" inhabitants are gambling debtors, confined to work off their casino losses. Whispers of scandal and conspiracy abound; Louse tries to ignore them, fearing at worst a trap, at best, pointless rumormongering, an activity which seems to supply the only recreation and social contact.

Organized in short chapters, Louse's bewildered narration is interspersed with official documents defining the "Resort's" organization and rules. The reader understands no better than Louse what is real. Cracks begin to appear in the stultifying routine. Unexpected deviations startle and confuse. Dragged into the unknown conspiracy, Louse fears a trap, a test. But images of an outside existence begin flashing in his head. " `I must be ready for my pharmaceutical, Ms. Lonesome,' I say with my teeth clenched."

The walls of Resort G appear to be crumbling.

Darkly humorous, Grand's deadpan, paranoid delivery combined with the officialese of bizarre documents draws the reader into a surrealistic, claustrophobic world.

"1984" meets corporate America
Part quasi-science fiction, part social satire, the one thing that can be said about David Grand's "Louse" is that it pays homage to Orwell's "1984" in its description of a hermetically sealed corporate world, ostensibly a gambling casino.The workers, who have been brainwashed to forget their past lives, must closely obey certain arbitrary rules, or get punished, or even tortured.The main character, Louse (sort of like the butler played by Anthony Hopkins in "Remains of the Day"), who occasionally has glimpses of his former life, serves as a cog in a corporate nightmare as the head honcho's right hand man and narcotic administer.He can hardly comprehend the world he has become a part of, nor does he try very hard to.At one point, a conspiracy brews, but neither Louse nor the reader can figure out who exactly is behind it, nor whether it actually succeeds.

As an Orwellian version of corporate America, "Louse" is only partially successful.Although the book was a fairly intense read, it doesn't hold a candle to the much better "1984," and, frankly, I was relieved when I finished.Still, I would like to see what David Grand writes next; he obviously has a talent for presenting ideas in an unusual manner.

Lackluster "Louse"
Some books are earthshattering. Some change people's lives. And some are just ink on paper, not actually formulating into an engaging story. "Louse," unfortunately, is one of the third kinds of books. Failing to evoke anything at all, it ends up being as sterile and dull as the penthouse.

Herbert HoratioBlackwell is a reclusive, eccentric mogul who hides away from the world (and germs) in a carefully sterilized penthouse atop a casino. He employs and controls compulsive gamblers, who pay off their debts by sacrificing their long-term memories and becoming his devoted slaves. One of these is his manservant Herman Louse.

In the detached little community of G, Louse encounters a subversive element. This is a problem, since he has been brainwashed into subservience. But as he tries to ignore the conspiracy brewing around him, he inadvertantly gets drawn into it.

"Louse" does pretty well in concept, with its bizarre otherworldly setting, strange characters and robotic civilization. It's hard to tell if this surreal setting is even in our world. And the concept of a "king" who controls people is always a winner, especially if there's a twist. In concept, at least, David Grand cannot be faulted.

The problem with "Louse"? Unlike Kafka, it fails to evoke any emotional response at all. Kafka could evoke horror, misery and despair. Grand can't do that. It's arguable that this is deliberate, a reflection of the sterile life that Louse and the others are leading, but there's no emotion in scenes like Louse's flashbacks, or near the end. Everything is painfully clinical and detached, even when some kind of vividity is called for.

The dialogue is almost as bad. The characters tend to exchange short, random sentences that sound like Hemingway on acid. The descriptions are uneven and minimal, and most of the supporting characters have only a few words to describe them physically or mentally. This is not so bad, because virtually all of them speak and seem to think alike.

Blackwell is hard to take seriously, since he's so obviously a copy of Howard Hughes (the lives of his parents, his movies, planes, and phobia about bacteria). Louse isn't a particularly engaging narrator -- one of the problems with a narrator who feels nothing is that the reader then feels nothing. Supporting characters are similarly two-dimensional.

"Louse" has an unengaging title and an unexciting storyline. Not recommended for those who like even a spark of inspiration in their book reading.

For the paranoid at heart
In Louse, Grand brilliantly and hilariously illuminates the interstitial moments of one's worst anxiety dreams and magnifies their existence in mind altering complexity.The narrative is pristine and subtle in itsexecution, the details and images, bizarre, and the overall effect,vertiginous.

Whatever, and I mean that in a good way
This book doesn't describe alienation - it is alienation.Fromcharacters who become familiar and yet are still nondescript to a plotthat unfolds but doesn't involve, reading Louse is like watching life go by from your window.If you want to read a better book in a similar vein, read The Physiognomy by Jeffrey Ford, which manages to both draw compelling characters and make a wide ranging commentary on modern life. ... Read more

Product Description
?There are GOOD things about having lice and there are BAD things about having lice?? Natalie learns that lice can happen to anyone, and shares her real life story about having lice. She learns that there are several BAD things about having lice ? an itchy head, mayonnaise, and missing school ? just to name a few. But she also discovers there are some GOOD things about having lice. Natalie provides tips on how kids can avoid lice and how parents can deal with lice if one of their kids gets them. The book also offers questions for teachers to use in the classroom regarding this sensitive subject. ?What a sweet way to approach a situation that made my child really sad. A classic story of turning a negative into a positive.?- Kaye Loughmiller, Teacher, Oak Elementary School, Los Altos, CA ?A thoughtful way to support children, parents and teachers as they deal with the age-old challenges of head lice. This book is a must have for every classroom and library.?- - Claire Koukoutsakis, Child Development Faculty, Foothill College ... Read more

Customer Reviews (12)

Insightful and courageous
A most insightful, down to earth experience of a sensitive issue which occurs in life.Lice can happen to all of us. Becoming aware of the "how" this can happen is extremely helpful. When brought into the open it can be minimized and hopefully avoided completely. Besides the issue of physically dealing with lice, Natalie shows the emotional side of this experience and concern for what will friends think. Amazing insights and courage for such a young lady.I have gifted my "grandmother" friends a copy to share with their grandchildren.

Touching and Informative
This is an excellent book, well written for an author of any age. It is quite brave of Natalie to share her experience with lice, a subject that certainly has a stigma for many people. Yet it is the very personal nature of her story, her feelings and worries given voice, that gives this book uncommon authority.I'd recommend it for anyone whose children end up with lice, and especially for teachers to read to their students should an outbreak hit their school.

Meant to be shared - lice or no lice
BRAVO! This wonderfully written book should be read to young and old alike. It reaches deep to express the viewpoint from a young person's perspective while also dealing with the facts.The story is written passionately by this young author in hopes of helping others avoid or cope with lice.In addition, the book offers a checklist for kids and parents, as well as discussion questions for the classroom.

I love this book!
So many of my friend's children have had lice. It is traumatizing for the children and the families that find out they have it. I love Natalie Lillie's book. It is educational and comforting to children that have lice and know friends that do. It is nice to know that others have had to deal with it too, and that you get through it. Thank you, Natalie, for telling us your story. The illustrations are precious as well. I love the book.

Great story and beautiful illustrations
This is a wonderful books written from a child's perspective.In addition to giving us useful information about how to avoid and treat lice, Natalie tells us how she delt with the "feelings" part of having lice.Getting rid of the bugs was only half the battle.She did the courageous thing and told her friends and found out that "my friends are still my friends" and "my moms friends are still her friends".My kids loved both the sweet story and beautiful illustrations. ... Read more