Introduction. Vermin in history -- "That nauseous venomous insect" : bed bugs in early modern Britain -- Bed bugs creeping through modern times -- Praying lice : creeping into religion, science, and sexuality -- Lousy societies : infesting the lower classes and foreigners -- The perils of lice in the modern world -- The flea in humanity's ear -- Modern fleas : literal and linguistic weapons -- Attacking rodents : rats in early modern times -- The two cultures of rats, 1800-2020 -- Conclusion. The power of vermin
Summary
"Vermin are not only pestering; they shape the way people look at each other and are a way that some people get to feel superior to others"-- Provided by publisher