Stowaway - by Joe Shute

About the Book

A cultural and social history of the rat, examining how one creature achieved total world domination and has inspired such love and loathing.

Book Synopsis

A NEW SCIENTIST NON-FICTION BOOK OF THE YEAR

'Shows us that, ultimately, the history of rats is a history of ourselves.' THE SUNDAY TIMES
'Fascinating and prejudice-busting reading.' NEW SCIENTIST
'An intelligent and enlightening book' MICHAEL MORPURGO

A cultural and social history of the rat, examining how one creature achieved total world domination and has inspired such love and loathing.

Rats are creatures which inspire fear and fascination in equal measure. Their lives are more closely entwined with humans than any other animal, but they remain the most misunderstood of all species.

In Stowaway, Joe Shute explores our complex and contradictory relationship with the rat. He travels the world from sub-Saharan Africa to the Rocky Mountains and visits some of the most rodent-infested cities on earth to unpick the myths we tell ourselves about rats and investigate the unexplored secrets of their own extraordinary lives.

Joe delves into the hidden world they inhabit beneath our feet, learns about their role in natural ecosystems and how they have shaped human history. He also discovers their incredible intelligence and the bonds they form with humans when given the chance.

Stowaway questions what the lives of rats reveal about our own, and whether there might be a better way to live alongside this most misunderstood species.

Review Quotes

"Stowaway is not another natural history in the vein of the otter or the barn owl ... Shute's real aim is to show us that, ultimately, the history of rats is a history of ourselves." --The Sunday Times

"This wonderful, charming book ... forcefully demonstrates how little we know about our rodent neighbours." --The Spectator

"An intelligent and enlightening book ... Read this book and you will never look at a rat the same way again. They are complex like us, intelligent like us. Read this book and you'll shudder no more when you see a rat. That's what I'm telling myself anyway." --Michael Morpurgo

"Rats are far from the dirty vermin that we all love to deride; indeed, they are acutely intelligent and thoroughly fascinating. Joe Shute eloquently puts us right about the world's most common rodent and throws in some great facts and theories too." --David Lindo

"Fascinating" --John Simpson

About the Author

Joe Shute is an author, national newspaper feature writer and The Daily Telegraph's long-standing 'Weather Watch' columnist. He is currently a post-graduate researcher funded by the Leverhulme Unit for the Design of Cities of the Future at Manchester Metropolitan University. His other books include Forecast: A Diary of the Lost Seasons and A Shadow Above: The Fall and Rise of the Raven. He lives in Sheffield with his wife (and rats). @JoeShute