House Guests, House Pests: A Natural History of Animals in the Home - Richard Jones

Today we live in snug, well-furnished houses surrounded by the trappings of a civilized life. But we are not alone--we suffer a constant stream of unwanted visitors. Our houses, our food, our belongings, our very existence are under constant attack from a host of invaders eager to take advantage of our shelter, our food stores and our tasty soft furnishings.

From bats in the belfry to beetles in the cellar, moths in the wardrobe and mosquitoes in the bedroom, humans cannot escape the attentions of the animal kingdom. Nature may be red in tooth and claw, but when it's our blood the bedbugs are after, when it's our cereal bowl that's littered with mouse droppings, and when it's our favorite chair that collapses due to woodworm in the legs, it really brings it home the fact that we and our homes are part of nature too.

This book represents a 21st century version of the classic Medieval bestiary. It poses questions such as where these animals came from, can we live with them, can we get rid of them, and should we? Written in Richard Jones's engaging style and with a funky-retro design, House Guests, House Pests will be a book to treasure.

PRAISE
“Amiable but authoritative . . . exceptionally readable, but imbued with a powerful sense that 'Bugman Jones' is a man who'd discuss tapeworms enthusiastically at dinner.” – Book of the Month, BBC Wildlife

“Fortunately for readers with a less advanced case of zoophilia, Jones has provided thoroughly entertaining descriptions of some of the roughly 3,000 animal species that make their homes in our houses, as both full-time cohabitants and part-time invaders.” – Natural History Magazine

“In approachable, entertaining language and chapters divided by creatures' lifeways, the author explains what commensals eat, where they nest, how they developed a relationship to humans, and how an occasional nuisance becomes a pest.” – Library Journal

“However even though we may find them less than appealing, each of these species does have an important ecological role to play, and few are better qualified to explain these roles than Richard Jones.” – The Well-Read Naturalist

“In this intriguing and highly entertaining cross between natural history and archaeology, Jones pieces together the rise of the home and the consequent rise of the home invaders.” – starred review, Booklist