In this fascinating new york times bestseller, robert sullivan describes the history and behaviors of the new york city rat. To write his book rats, robert sullivan spent a year speaking with biologists who study rats and working with exterminators who kill them. Sullivan gets to know not just the beast but its friends and foes. Bloomsbury 175 5th avenue, new york, ny 10010, 2004. Robert sullivan turns the lowly rat into the star of this most perversely. Robert sullivan is the author of the meadowlands and a whale hunt, both new york times notable books of the year, and a recipient of a national endowment for the arts creative writing fellowship. In rats, the critically acclaimed bestseller, robert sullivan spends a year investigating a ratinfested alley just a few blocks away from wall street. Ts eliot knew about rats as harbingers of mortality.
In his third book, robert sullivan leaves the wilds of the meadowlands and the rough whaling waters of the pacific northwest to take up ratwatching in the. Its hard to think of an animal more reviled than the rat. Sullivans book is a delightful mix of facts and anecdotes from his yearlong rat adventure, interviews with experts like exterminators and. One day he realized that to ignore rats the most common mammal in the world in his beloved new york city would be to ignore one of americas great immigrant success stories. Surprisingly funny and compulsively readable, rats is an unlikely account of a year spent in a garbagestrewn alley in lower manhattan. Rats isbn 9781582344775 pdf epub robert sullivan ebook. Rats by robert sullivan overdrive rakuten overdrive. When you start the quiz, the excerpt will not be available. A year with new yorks most unwanted inhabitants by robert sullivan 243pp, granta. New york public library book for the teenager new york public library book to remember psla young adult top 40. Robert sullivan turns the lowly rat into the star of this most perversely intriguing, remarkable, and unexpectedly. Rats are incredibly hardy animals who have never shown any problem adjusting to change. Sullivan spends the year with a notebook and nightvision goggles, hunting for fabled ratkings, trapping a rat of his own, and trying and failing to. Robert sullivan calls rats a citys most unwanted inhabitants.
On the first page of this fascinating study, new york writer robert sullivan tackles the question many readers may wonder. Robert sullivan robert sullivan is the author of books such as rats. Robert sullivan recorded in 2004 after the publication of his book rats. Robert sullivan spent a year on the trail of the common rat. For those who have been pining for a really good book about. Based on a book by robert sullivan and distributed by the discovery channel, the film chronicles rat infestations in major cities throughout the world. Love them or loathe them, rats are here to staythey are city dwellers as much as or more than we are, surviving on the effluvia of our society. Coming up, a creepy creature thats more hidden than the rat. According to the hollywood reporter, dakota group and submarine entertainment, distributors of the documentaries blackfish and the cove, announced an upcoming featurelength documentary based on robert sullivans bestseller, rats.
Yes, its about rats, and not cute rats that become pets. Read the excerpt from rats and answer the questions that follow. A few years ago the bbc wildlife department broadcast a documentary about the common rat. Rats have conquered every continent that humans have conquered, mostly with the humans aid, and the notsoepicseeming story of rats is close to one version of the epic story of man. Sullivan never falls in love with his subject the way he did in his book on the meadowlandsrats are rats. Robert sullivan relates his experiences as he delves into rats, with the focus being on the role that rats play in history and modern culture rather than dwelling on the nuances of rat behavior. Sullivans rats book to be turned into a documentary film. Venturing into ratdominated environments, this documentary brings you face to face with the little, misunderstood creatures that live and breathe all around you. Morgan spurlock finds his inspiration from robert sullivans nytbestselling book, rats. He was born in manhattan and now lives in brooklyn, new york. Observations on the history and habitat of the city. Robert sullivan turns the lowly rat into the star of this most perversely intriguing, remarkable, and unexpectedly elegant new york times.
Sullivans rats book to be turned into a documentary. Rats have conquered every continent that humans have conquered, mostly with the humans aid, and the notsoepicseeming story of rats is close to. Robert sullivan is a naturalist renowned for two previous books, the meadowlands and a whale hunt, both of which received many accolades. Observations on the history and habitat of the citys most unwanted inhabitants. Robert sullivan turns the lowly rat into the star of the most perversely intriguing, remarkable, and unexpectedly elegant book of the season. But does he have enough content for an entire book, asks christopher priest. In addition to spending 2001 observing rats in an alley, sullivan also speaks to exterminators, sanitation workers, and others f. He traced how rats went from being symbols of satans evil during the black plague to being, well, symbols of slum lords evil during the rent strikes of. Observations on the history and habitat of the citys most unwanted inhabitants chronicles his backalley adventures. Use features like bookmarks, note taking and highlighting while reading rats. Observations on the history and habitat of the citys most unwanted inhabitants by robert sullivan.
Common rats robert sullivan has decided to write a natural history of the unlikeliest of. Alley rats, sewer rats, toilet rats all those urban norway rats live in. Mark your answers to these questions in the spaces provided in your studentanswer booklet. But rats are also interesting animals withincredible capabilities. Synopsis surprisingly funny and compulsively readable, rats is an unlikely account of a year spent in a garbagestrewn alley in lower manhattan. Robert sullivan intrepid journalist, curious writer, fearful urban dweller sets off to contemplate new york city and its lesserknown byways by. Few subjects would seem less immediately appealing to the general reader than rats. His writing has appeared in the new yorker, the new york times, new york magazine, a public space, and vogue, where he is a contributing editor. Inspired by robert sullivans new york times bestselling book, rats goes deep beneath the surface to explore the lives of mans greatest parasite. Download it once and read it on your kindle device, pc, phones or tablets. But rats are also interesting animals with incredible capabilities.
This acclaimed book by robert sullivan is available at in several formats for your ereader. This book was and i am choosing this word carefully, given the title delightful. New york public library book for the teenager new york public library book to. Please read the excerpt rats by robert sullivan and then answer the 7 multiple choice questions. Thoreau went to walden pond to live simply in the wild and contemplate his own place in the world by observing nature. Rats ebook by robert sullivan 9781596919174 rakuten kobo. A contributing editor to vogue, he is a frequent contributor to the new yorker. So all the more credit must go to robert sullivan, who has written an immensely lively, enjoyable, learned, witty and, yes, appealing book on these damnable creatures. Alley rats, sewer rats, toilet ratsall those urban norway ratslive in. Rather than looking for more powerful and potentially dangerous ways to kill rats, the only real answer to.
Rats, also known as rats nyc, is a 2016 american documentary horror film directed by morgan spurlock. Venturing into ratdominated environments, this documentary brings you face to face with the little. A skillful nature writer goes on rat patrol and records a year with vermin. Robert sullivan books list of books by author robert. Robert sullivan turns the lowly rat into the star of this most perversely intriguing, remarkable, and unexpectedly elegant new york times bestseller. There is more than one author in the goodreads database with this name. Morgan spurlock finds his inspiration from robert sullivans bestselling book, rats. He provides a menu of rodentias favorite and least liked foods. In his journal of a rat year, sullivan a whale hunt, 2000, etc. The urban legend that the rat population in manhattan equals that of its human population was definitively refuted by robert sullivan in his book rats but illustrates new yorkers awareness of the presence, and on occasion boldness and cleverness, of the rodents.
What to do about wild rats the humane society of the. Usually that change is the introduction of a new poison, as humans constantly work harder and harder to exterminate these animals. Rats have conquered every continent that humans have conquered. Robert sullivan writes about the big brown rats with scary teeth that live in the alleys and sewers and garbage of new york city. A new york public library book for the teen age a new york public library book to remember from 2004 a psla young adult top 40 or so nonfiction, isbn 9781582344775 buy the rats ebook. He spends nights in a forgotten alleyway in new york, watching the rats as they emerge from their burrows to take advantage of the local restaurant waste. When i saw this book on the library bookshelf, its title immediately attracted my attention. Robert sullivan is the author of rats, the meadowlands, a whale hunt, and most recently, the thoreau you dont know. But perhaps no other animal resists such attempts better than the rat.
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