Evolution: More frightening than you might think. Photo by Lenore Edman, used under Creative Commons licensing.

Evolution: More frightening than you might think. Photo by Lenore Edman, used under Creative Commons licensing.

If you're looking for something scary this Halloween, look no further. Today's excerpt comes from Unnatural Selection: How We Are Changing Life, Gene by Gene, which, completely coincidentally, we published earlier this week. The book explores the biological fright fest we've unleashed with the plethora of chemicals on which the modern lifestyle relies. Monosson studies a spooky cast of characters, from shifty flu viruses and Grim Reaper-esque cancer cells to fish that thrive in Superfund sites. In the excerpt below, we've shared the creepy-crawliest chapter, which looks at why bedbugs have returned to plague us despite the chemicals we've flung at them.

Happy reading, and happy Halloween!