At the intersection of science, journalism, and narrative, Pests is not a simple call to look closer at our urban ecosystem. It’s not a natural history of the animals we hate. Instead, this book is about us. It’s about how we define a pest, and what that says about people, how we live, and what we want. Bigger than a wildlife guide or natural history, it’s a story about human nature, and what it means for the animals in our midst. Bethany Brookshire’s deeply researched and entirely entertaining study will show readers what there is to venerate in vermin, and help them appreciate how these animals have clawed their way to success as we did everything we could to ensure their failure. In the process, we will learn how the pests that annoy us say far more about humanity than they do about the animals that plague it. They show us that what we want most in the world is control—and they let us know that we will never have it.