Crab

What exactly is a crab, and what role do these animals play around the world? Cynthia Chris takes up both questions. She argues that crabs live in groups, are inventive at working out problems, and are indispensable to the ecosystems they inhabit.

Crabs have long captured the imagination of people who make art and literature. Their armored bodies, meat that is difficult to catch and spoils quickly, and brash personalities have drawn the attention of creators including Vincent van Gogh and Jean-Paul Sartre.

Chris presents the animals in lively detail, following their history from the ancient fossil record to their part in protecting their habitats from the effects of climate change.