Never Home Alone: From Microbes to Millipedes, Camel Crickets, and Honeybees, the Natural History of Where We Live

by Rob Dunn

Overview

A natural history of the wilderness in our homes, from the microbes in our showers to the crickets in our basements

Even when the floors are sparkling clean and the house seems silent, our domestic domain is wild beyond imagination. In Never Home Alone, biologist Rob Dunn introduces us to the nearly 200,000 species living with us in our own homes, from the Egyptian meal moths in our cupboards and camel crickets in our basements to the lactobacillus lounging on our kitchen counters. You are not alone. Yet, as we obsess over sterilizing our homes and separating our spaces from nature, we are unwittingly cultivating an entirely new playground for evolution. These changes are reshaping the organisms that live with us — prompting some to become more dangerous, while undermining those species that benefit our bodies or help us keep more threatening organisms at bay. No one who reads this engrossing, revelatory book will look at their homes in the same way again.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781541618305
Publisher:	Basic Books
Publication date:	10/01/2019
Edition description:	Reprint
Pages:	336
Sales rank:	218,472
Product dimensions:	5.40(w) x 7.80(h) x 1.00(d)

About the Author

Rob Dunn is a professor in the Department of Applied Ecology at North Carolina State University and in the Natural History Museum of Denmark at the University of Copenhagen. He is the author of The Man Who Touched His Own Heart, The Wild Life of Our Bodies, and Every Living Thing, and his magazine work is published widely, including in National Geographic, Natural History, New Scientist, Scientific American, and Smithsonian. He has a PhD from the University of Connecticut and was a Fulbright Fellow. He lives in Raleigh, North Carolina.

Table of Contents

Prologue: Homo indoorus 1

1 Wonder 7

2 The Hot Spring in the Basement 19

3 Seeing in the Dark 31

4 Absence as a Disease 53

5 Bathing in a Stream of Life 75

6 The Problem with Abundance 101

7 The Farsighted Ecologist 119

8 What Good Is a Camel Cricket? 143

9 The Problem with Cockroaches Is Us 161

10 Look What the Cat Dragged In 185

11 Gardening the Bodies of Babies 211

12 The Flavor of Biodiversity 231

Acknowledgments 257

Notes 265

Index 309

Editorial Reviews

It probably takes the soul of an entomologist, or maybe of a 9-year-old child, to love these bugs as much as Dunn does…There's a real sense of "gee-whiz" in this book, but it's mostly in service of Dunn's overarching goal: to preach the preservation of biodiversity, not only in the lush forests and streams that fit our traditional image of nature's abundance, but in the most humble places, too, where the vast majority of us will have most of our cross-species encounters—our basements, mattresses, refrigerator drawers and showerheads.

The New York Times Book Review - Robin Marantz Henig

08/20/2018
Those who read this delightfully entertaining and scientifically enlightening book about the thousands of creatures who live alongside humans will never think about their homes in the same way again. As Dunn (Never Out of Season), an ecologist at North Carolina State University, demonstrates via his own fascinating research, houses abound with nonhuman life. When people shower, they’re covering themselves with multiple species of bacteria. Drywall is impregnated with fungi just waiting for moisture to grow and, as Dunn says, “Their patience is great.” And, of course, pets bring in additional multitudes. But, Dunn explains, the vast majority of these organisms pose no threat, and many help enormously. “Fewer than a hundred species of bacteria, viruses, and protists cause nearly all of the infectious illnesses in the world,” though millions of such species exist. Indeed, Dunn plausibly argues that humans are healthier when surrounded by many other species, and are “as likely to be sick from the bacteria we don’t have as from the bacteria or parasites we do.” Throughout, he makes a compelling case for the value of biodiversity, while also conveying the excitement of scientific investigation, demonstrating that important discoveries can be made very close to home. (Nov.)

Publishers Weekly

"Utterly fascinating... a spirited romp through the vast diversity that inhabits our daily lives and how we've changed our ecosystems, often for the worse."—Washington Post

"In his fascinating new book...Mr. Dunn brings a scientist's sensibility to our domestic jungle by exploring the paradox of the modern home.... Mr. Dunn also gracefully explains, without getting bogged down in details, the technology that has allowed scientists during the past decade or so to sequence the DNA of millions of previously unknown microbes, making his book an excellent layperson's guide to cutting-edge research."—Wall Street Journal

"Chatty, informative... it's hard not to be occasionally charmed by [Dunn's] prose, as when he catalogs the arthropods with whom we share our homes... And it's hard not to share, at least a little, his awe at their diversity, even in a single household."—New York Times Book Review

"[A] fascinating and illuminating book... Dunn and his colleagues have used the concepts and techniques of community ecology to tease apart the functioning of a mostly ignored ecosystem: the human home. Their research enriches our understanding of ecosystem function, and—more grippingly—gives us insight into how our interactions with living things in the domestic habitat affect our health and well-being."—Nature

"Never Home Alone is a thumping good book that raises alarm and offers reassurance in roughly equal measure. And it is funny... What makes [it] so compelling is a sense of wonder and delight that encompasses all sorts of creatures and all sorts of science."—Los Angeles Review of Books

"Intriguing... Seen through Dunn's curious eyes, a house becomes not just a set of rooms, but a series of habitats to be explored. His writing and research lend a new appreciation of what many of us consider pests."—Science News

"If you're an insectophobe looking for a thrill, you'll love Rob Dunn's Never Home Alone, which details the thousands of species of insects and microbes that live in and around your home."—Bustle

"If you could somehow infuse the curiosity of a 6-year-old with Ph.D.-level intelligence, imagine what wondrous things you could learn. Or why not make it easier on yourself, and just read Never Home Alone. Yes, that delightful, open-minded gee-whiz is exactly what makes this book so enjoyable. Surprisingly, it's doubly so for a germophobe, an arachnophobe, or anyone who can't stand the idea of intruders. Dunn has a way of brushing fears aside so he can tell you about something that's too cool to miss, or a fact that makes you say, 'Wow!'... Science-minded readers will love this book. It's filled with things you'll want to know for the health of it. Really, for anyone who's alive, Never Home Alone is a book to share with a few million of your newest best friends."—Terri Schlichenmeyer, The Bookworm Sez columnist

"If you enjoyed I Contain Multitudes, this book should be next on your reading list. Just like Ed Yong shows readers the fascinating microorganisms all around us, Dunn opens our eyes to the minute creatures that live within the confinement of our own homes... a fascinating and entertaining read."—Read More Science

Finalist, 2020 Smart Book of the Year award—Jagiellonian University

"Wonderful."—TreeHugger

"Crammed full of eensy-weensy tales of wonder from the insect world.... On virtually every page, readers learn about these marvels and their potential applications so the benefit of humans, all of it written with the bounce and insight of a true believer...[a] hugely important book."—Open Letters Review

"A robust, scientific defence for both microbial life and for larger creatures too often exterminated simply because they've invaded our space. While data from copious end notes support staid scientific facts from strictly controlled lab tests, an engaging writing style enlivens narratives such as those about microbes in shower heads and beetles on windowsills, transforming Dunn's latest work into a profound understanding of how all living things help in constructing and maintaining our planet's complex web of life."—Winnipeg Free Press

"A good book about niche science, which deserves to be widely read."—Sunday Times (UK)

"Over a number of years, Rob Dunn, a U.S. biologist and ecologist and his team, surveyed the species to be found in 1,000 houses from around the world. The results, revealed in this remarkable, jaw-dropping, occasionally unappetising book, are astonishing."—Daily Mail (UK)

"A lively compendium of hard science, anecdote, history, and personal memoir.... Something of a scientific raconteur, Dunn tells his story of the macro and micro biome of our homes in a colloquial...stye that makes the heavy science go down easy."—Shelf Awareness

"[An] intriguing and captivating scientific detective story...Dunn eloquently observes that many species we find in our homes have value to us."—BookPage

"Scintillating... In a time of clear-eyed assessment of the environment, Dunn is a voice of reason who should be heartily welcomed."—Booklist, starred review

"Of course we must chlorinate our water, wash our hands, get vaccinated, and so on, Dunn argues persuasively and entertainingly. But we also need to relax and cultivate biodiversity for the good of all life on Earth."—Kirkus Reviews

"An entertaining tour of the biodiversity found in one of the fastest-growing biomes: indoors... This book will be enjoyed by biologists but also general readers with an appreciation for nature."—Library Journal

"Delightfully entertaining and scientifically enlightening... [Dunn] makes a compelling case for the value of biodiversity, while also conveying the excitement of scientific investigation, demonstrating that important discoveries can be made very close to home."—Publishers Weekly

"Easy to read and accessible... Recommended."—CHOICE

"Never Home Alone is a superb guide to your own house—a place that is home to hundreds of thousands of species—a far richer habitat than even the largest backyard. This riveting and surprising book is one of those rare volumes that will make you gasp out loud on almost every page, and phone your friends to report stunning fact after stunning fact. Thank you, Rob Dunn: I love our house even more now I understand it shelters multitudes of fascinating (and mostly benevolent) living creatures."—Sy Montgomery, author of The Soul of an Octopus

"If you're looking for a guide to the teeming, tiny, tenacious creatures that share our bodies, our homes—and may one day well inherit our planet—you could not do better than this fascinating book by Rob Dunn."—Deborah Blum, author of The Poisoner's Handbook

"Rob Dunn is a brilliant explorer of the strange, mostly uncharted biology of our homes and bodies. This must-read book is full of astonishing stories, skillfully told."—David George Haskell, author of The Songs of Trees and The Forest Unseen

"If you truly want to know yourself and be amazed, get to know your ecology. This charming book shows how important and fun it is to discover the astonishing world of marvelous and unseen creatures around us. You'll never take a shower again in the same way!"—Daniel E. Lieberman, author of The Story of the Human Body

"In Never Home Alone, Rob Dunn reveals the unseen wilderness that surrounds us every day. This book will change the way you think about everything from dust to spiders to showerheads—a fascinating and highly recommended read!"—Thor Hanson, author of Buzz, Feathers, and The Triumph of Seeds

"A Brooklyn couple visiting the West told me, 'We don't do nature.' Today, I'm sending them a copy of Rob Dunn's Never Home Alone, with this note: 'Nature made you, so roll in the dirt, open the windows, get a dog. Change your showerhead, but don't kill your spiders. And read this terrific book at once.'"—Dan Flores, author of Coyote America

From the Publisher

Listeners may be surprised to hear that we’re never alone. That’s because diverse species ranging from invisible microbes to camel crickets are living with us—or on us. Narrator Sean Patrick Hopkins unveils their world. Since this account is often scientific, it’s good that he makes the details of mating, eating, and thriving alongside us sound like a riveting “Nova” episode. Not only does Hopkins illuminate the life coexisting in our homes, he also shares the consequences of attempting to sterilize our intimate domestic worlds. Hopkins presents this combination of natural history and scientific mystery as a puzzling brain teaser, breathing life into its more scientific and complex sections with a clear, companionable voice and pacing that lets listeners absorb these detailed stories as they unfold. J.C.G. © AudioFile 2019, Portland, Maine

FEBRUARY 2019 - AudioFile

Listeners may be surprised to hear that we’re never alone. That’s because diverse species ranging from invisible microbes to camel crickets are living with us—or on us. Narrator Sean Patrick Hopkins unveils their world. Since this account is often scientific, it’s good that he makes the details of mating, eating, and thriving alongside us sound like a riveting “Nova” episode. Not only does Hopkins illuminate the life coexisting in our homes, he also shares the consequences of attempting to sterilize our intimate domestic worlds. Hopkins presents this combination of natural history and scientific mystery as a puzzling brain teaser, breathing life into its more scientific and complex sections with a clear, companionable voice and pacing that lets listeners absorb these detailed stories as they unfold. J.C.G. © AudioFile 2019, Portland, Maine

FEBRUARY 2019 - AudioFile

2018-09-18

A paean to biodiversity by a biologist who sees salvation in cultivating life's infinite variety.

Dunn (Applied Ecology/North Carolina State Univ.; Never Out of Season: How Having the Food We Want When We Want It Threatens Our Food Supply and Our Future, 2017, etc.) reports on an impressively wide variety of fascinating creatures all over the world. For example, your hot water heater is home to the same thermal-loving bacteria found in hot springs. That cricket in the basement lives a meager existence, mostly eating dead stuff. The showerhead in your bathroom is a perfect biofilm sheltering bacteria not killed by chlorination. The learning quotient is high in this fact-filled text, but there are also opportunities for learning more, since, as the author notes, specialists tend to study exotic bugs in faraway places, ignoring what is literally underfoot. Who knew that those camel crickets in the basement have gut bacteria that could devour industrial waste? Dunn estimates that there are 250,0000 species that live with us, and most are benign or beneficial. Yet we often choose to kill them, with pesticides for the cockroaches, fleas, flies, and mosquitoes, and antibiotics for disease pathogens, resulting in resistance as well as much collateral damage to other life. Our zeal for sanitation has led to an increase in allergies and asthma, manifested by an overreactive immune response known as the hygiene hypothesis, for which Dunn presents good evidence. The author also discusses pets; whatever the cat dragged in might alter readers' behavior toward their feline friends. For a change of pace, Dunn provides a chapter on the fermenting bacteria and yeasts that give us beer, wine, and foods like kimchi and sourdough bread. The surprise is that long-time preparers of these foods impart unique flavor to the products because their hands acquire some of the same fermenting species not normally found on skin.

Of course we must chlorinate our water, wash our hands, get vaccinated, and so on, Dunn argues persuasively and entertainingly. But we also need to relax and cultivate biodiversity for the good of all life on Earth.

Kirkus Reviews