This is an absolute gem of a book. Even if – like me – you’ve got no particular affection for cockroaches this is a book that you have to read. Richard Schweid takes us an a grand tour of the cockroach world, and along the way we learn about the life and times of the cockroach, about pest exterminators, forensic pathologists dealing with cockroach infestation in dead bodies, the effects of globalisation in Mexico, the bead trade in sub-Saharan Morocco, entomologists and other scientists, cockroaches and asthma in working class children and a whole lot more. Interspersed with straight reportage, (and the piece on Ciudad Juarez is especially good), are anecdotes and extracts from cockroach appearances in literature.
Having worked in the catering trade, and having lived in a Mediterranean country for a while, I can tell you that unless you’re up close to a cockroach you just can’t imagine how alien the thing is. I remember working in the kitchens of a big Victorian hospital in South London, where there was all out war between the staff and the roaches. The stock-pot in the centre of the kitchens was on day and night, home to left-over veg and always bubbling away with a nice thick vegetable stock. Of course when somebody put the lights on late at night and the roaches used to scurry for cover... The extra protein probably never did anyone any harm, honest.
That pales into insignificance compared to some of the infestations listed in this book. Some of the stories are enough to make any but the most ardent animal-liberationist reach for the strongest insecticide to hand. But the fact that roaches were here before us, in fact they were here about 150 million years before the dinosaurs, suggests that we’re the infestation, not them. Still, most of the thousands of cockroach species seem to do fine without any contact with us at all. And those that have decided contact with homo sapiens isn’t so bad after all, seem do be doing pretty well too.
Skilfully written, the writing is matched by the excellent design of the book. While the black and white photographs of roaches aren’t especially stunning, the flip book showing two roaches mating is a nice touch that’s cleverly done. Having read this I’m more than eager to read more of Schweid’s work.
I get to review a lot of different material, from Peter Sotos books to SM fiction to commercial software to weirdo music, and I have to say that nothing I’ve reviewed has ever caused such strong reactions. In the eyes of some people the fact that I raved about this book marked me down as a weirdo much more than confessing to a love of industrial white noise, fetishism or extreme politics. Hell, if you need an excuse to buy this book then get for the yuck! factor alone.
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