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Bite
An Incisive History of Teeth, from Hagfish to Humans
Contributors
By Bill Schutt
Formats and Prices
Price
$13.99Price
$17.99 CADFormat
Format:
- ebook $13.99 $17.99 CAD
- Hardcover $31.00 $40.00 CAD
- Audiobook Download (Unabridged) $24.99
This item is a preorder. Your payment method will be charged immediately, and the product is expected to ship on or around August 13, 2024. This date is subject to change due to shipping delays beyond our control.
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In Bite, zoologist Bill Schutt makes a surprising case: it is teeth that are responsible for the long-term success of vertebrates. The appearance of teeth, roughly half a billion years ago, was an adaptation that allowed animals with backbones, such as fish, amphibians, reptiles, birds, dinosaurs and mammals—including us—to chow down in pretty much every conceivable environment.
And it’s not just food. Tusks and fangs have played crucial roles as defensive weapons—glimpsing the upper canines of snarling dogs is all it takes to know that teeth are an efficient means of aggression. Vampire bats use their razor-sharp teeth to obtain a widespread but generally untappable resource: blood. Early humans employed their teeth as tools to soften tough fibers and animal hides. Our teeth project information and social status—the ancient Etruscans were the first to wear tooth bling, and it’s doubtful that George Washington would have been elected president without the false teeth he wore.
So much of what we know about life on this planet has come from the study of fossilized teeth, which have provided information not only about evolution but also about famine, war, and disease. In his signature witty style, the author of Pump and Cannibalism shows us how our continued understanding of teeth may help us humans through current and future crises, from Alzheimer’s disease to mental health issues. Bite is popular science at its best and will appeal to readers of Mary Roach, Merlin Sheldrake, and Ed Yong.
Genre:
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"Lively… wide-ranging… [with] an enthusiasm that’s infectious... Schutt calls teeth 'time capsules,' and aptly so. Crack one open, and anything and everything, from the silly to the sublime, can tumble out. Even the stories of less exotic teeth provide fascinating insight into evolutionary history."New York Times Book Review
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“Who knew hagfish could be so interesting? Bite ranges across millions of years of evolution as Schutt explores the surprising importance of these stony nuggets inhabiting the mouths of animals. His writing is a mélange of science, history, and humor, as delightful to read as it is informative. Including a cast of quirky scientists as well as sharks, narwals and even George Washington, Schutt makes it all very accessible.”Darrin Lunde, author of The Naturalist
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“Bite is a comprehensive jaunt through comparative biology, history, and popular culture regarding those critical itty bits. Worth sinking your teeth into.”Roy A. Meals, MD, author of Bones and Muscle
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"A lively, deeply informed investigation of the origin, development, and significance of teeth... Schutt’s purview is wide ranging and his curiosity insatiable... A fascinating romp through evolutionary history."Kirkus Reviews, starred review
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"Zoologist Schutt (Pump: A Natural History of the Heart, 2021) enthusiastically and wryly polishes the profile of dentition, including fangs and tusks... Plenty of interesting material for readers to sink their teeth into."Booklist
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“Schutt’s tone is dryly funny, and his conversational prose reads as if an erudite friend were explaining their life’s passion over drinks. Pop science aficionados will want to sink their teeth into this.”Publishers Weekly
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"Another tightly focused book to chew on"AARP
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"A zoologist and author makes an unlikely subject — teeth — fascinating in this book you may want to devour in one sitting... You’ll love reading the examples of the ways different species, from dinosaurs to prehistoric humans to vampire bats, have used their teeth to survive and thrive in the world."BookBub
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"Bill Schutt does an excellent job unveiling fascinating insights into how teeth can establish dominance, explain evolution, and even improve our mental health. Plenty to chew on."Amazon Blog
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"Wide ranging, accessible, and fascinating."Arlington Magazine
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"Bite: An Incisive History of Teeth, from Hagfish to Humans might have a daunting title, but Bill Schutt has managed to make the topic interesting as well as digestible... Schutt presents to readers a smart, highly technical book that thoroughly explores his title subject in an approachable way."Book Junkie
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"Readers who've never considered the mouths of unfamiliar beings will be surprised at what they learn, and delighted at the tiny drops of knowledge to be had here. You'll cringe, you'll be amazed, and you'll feel like a real scientist because the information is easy to understand."Bookworm Sez
- On Sale
- Aug 13, 2024
- Page Count
- 320 pages
- Publisher
- Algonquin Books
- ISBN-13
- 9781643756158
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