No man is an island, but even if he were, there would be no escaping the many quieter beings that share space with him. From spiders weaving webs in the corners of our living rooms, to the gecko waiting for careless moths outside our windows, no person is ever alone, and this should be reason enough to uncover the secrets of the animals around us. To get to know our invisible housemates.

This book not only brings you folk stories, myths and details of local and cultural beliefs about these animals, but also information about the roles they play in shaping modern pop-culture and scientific inquiry - leading to breakthroughs that can save lives.