Rat

Book excerpt: From its origins in the swamps of Southeast Asia to its role in the medieval Black Death to its unshakable niche in modern urban centers, the rat has incredible evolutionary advantages. Combining biology with history, and social commentary with firsthand experience, this book dispels the myths and exposes the little-known facts about this ubiquitous rodent. Plague carrier, city vermin, and a menace to modern man, the rat is a fixture in humankind¿s history. Rats are always adapting and they outwit any attempts by humans to wipe them out. This book explores the history, myth, physiology, habits, and psyche of the rat and even speculates on the future of rats and how they might evolve over the next few hundred years. ¿Creepy and entertaining¿.