Desert Plants: Biology and Biotechnology Book

Rats, Lice and History is written in an entertaining conversational style with with enough scholarly flourishes that you'll want your computer by your side to look up words and translate all the French, German and Spanish quotes. (Generally the Greek and Latin are translated or explained.)

The author manages to weave in a wide range of historical musings along with up to date science (for the publication date of 1934). The description of how "new" diseases arise is as true for AIDS as for typhus.

I found my copy of the book at the University of Oregon Science library. I really enjoyed the physical book. The bookplate for Vandevelde inside the cover, the obituaries for Dr. Zinsser pasted into the front and back of the book,the worn cover, and the pencil underlines all connected me to others who had read this exact same physical book.