The Reading Warehouse

An entertaining guide to the world's slimiest stuff.

A Little Book of Slime reveals the sticky secrets of more than 30 slimy substances, from frothy frog nests to scrambled egg slime, each with its own important (if unpleasant) characteristics and functions. Magnified photos and fascinating text transform the gooiest substances on the planet into extraordinary stories of our natural world.

Everything that oozes and leaves a trail of gunk lurks in the book's pages: goopy secretions of the "killer" slime plant, glistening spittle of the revolting froghopper insect, bucketsful of slime made in minutes by the most repulsive fish. Decomposing vegetables, living snot mold, phlegm and saliva. Slime is widespread.

The book describes what slime is and then explores where it lingers: Slimy Stuff in Water, Slimy Stuff on Land and Other Slimy Stuff. Readers can use the "slime-ometer" to gauge stickiness, smelliness and sliminess, and Slime Alerts point out particularly slimy, scary or mind-boggling facts. A glossary supports the descriptions.

Fun to read with pictures that almost drip with goo, A Little Book of Slime turns disgusting slime into a surprisingly appealing topic. Slime may look and feel revolting but it's there for a reason