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Leeches

April 25, 2009 · 19 Comments

Leeches

Those Amazing Leeches
Halton
1988

I am willing to concede that maybe there isn’t much in the way of scientific advancement in the world of leeches, but c’mon!  The toenail fungus on the cover is disgusting!

Categories: weeding

19 responses so far ↓

  • Jennifer // April 30, 2009 at 4:17 pm | Reply

    This one might make it to my “maybe” pile just for the gross factor on the cover! Just kidding….I am up in arms over this issue as well. I admit that I hang on to books for JUST ONE MORE CIRC, but even I realize that there are limits. We have a responsibility to our communities to provide current and valid information. If we all took two hours a month to weed, our collections would be current in no time. It is better to have a smaller collection that contains accurate information, rather than a large collection of crap that is going to misguide our patrons. Step up librarians and do your job!

  • Minnie // May 16, 2009 at 1:39 pm | Reply

    This one? PURE GOLD.

  • gumbogirl // May 16, 2009 at 10:26 pm | Reply

    Marvelous – the sarcasm-free title, the alarming cover photo…classic.

  • specialibrarian // May 18, 2009 at 1:40 pm | Reply

    I loved the leech book! I did weed it though and got a new one because one of my library kid’s dad had a disease that required him to be bled every two weeks and he decided leeches was cheaper than the cost of going to the doctor that often.

    It worked!

  • Awful Library Books in the Public Library « Librarian Science // May 20, 2009 at 8:13 pm | Reply

    [...] books range from the hilariously out-of-date to the just-hilarious. Some of the posts address valid library management concerns. How can libraries weed books that are [...]

  • Maureen // June 30, 2009 at 7:41 pm | Reply

    Maybe the leeches are there to heal his toe fungi.

  • heather // July 1, 2009 at 12:28 am | Reply

    I love this book! We have it at my library and I actually took it home once just to horrify friends and family. It’s really quite educational – in a gruesome way. Our children’s librarian just shrugs and says that what the kids like – to be grossed out. And the big toe on the cover shows blood pooling from an injury which is what the leeches help to alleviate. The other toes on that foot though… I don’t think leeches can cure ugly : p

  • Merle // July 1, 2009 at 10:59 am | Reply

    Our son treasures his copy of this book – hoping, I assume to share it with his kids someday. He’s currently attending the University of New Hampshire as a zoology major. Some subjects just naturally have narrow audiences, but for the right reader, they are perfect.

  • Denise // July 6, 2009 at 3:58 pm | Reply

    ok almost lost my breakfast

  • Halton // July 7, 2009 at 4:30 am | Reply

    This book should remain on the shelves as a legacy to my mother’s life work. Not only was she working on a sequel (“Here Come the Leeches!”, she was working on a screenplay adaption (Steven Spielberg was attached to the project) before the unfortunate accident when her beloved annelids suddenly turned on her, nearly sucking her dry. Needless to say, she has never been the same since. BTW, I was a Twisted Sister groupie in the 80’s and Dee Snider was a dear, dear man.

  • Bunk Strutts // July 13, 2009 at 6:58 pm | Reply

    First time here… so many books that I’d like to flip through before tossing them back in the silverfish den. But this Leech book… Amazon’s got it for a buck:
    http://www.amazon.com/Those-Amazing-Leeches-Cheryl-Halton/dp/0875184081

  • mojo repair shop // July 17, 2009 at 3:02 am | Reply

    Foot fetish anyone?

  • Cake // July 20, 2009 at 7:26 pm | Reply

    Well that is absolutely shocking, not to mention disturbing and hilariously disgusting. Seriously, as if the leeches weren’t enough, lets throw on a ring of juicy toe fungus to finish it off. -shivers- GROSS.

  • Meesh // July 21, 2009 at 7:44 pm | Reply

    Amazing–two of my biggest dislikes (leeches-ewww and feet-not a fan really) in one disgusting image

  • anonymouse // July 28, 2009 at 12:22 am | Reply

    The FDA approved leeches as medical devices back in ‘04, so any weeding might be supplemented with more current materials. Among other functions, leeches will prevent clotting of small areas postoperatively when clotting is not desired.

    Maggots are also used postoperatively to keep wounds clean.

    These medical animals are, of course, raised under strict supervision.

  • Bunk Strutts // July 28, 2009 at 1:18 pm | Reply

    Hello, I’m Robert Franklin, Leech Supervisor.

  • anonymouse // July 29, 2009 at 1:05 am | Reply

    Hello Supervisor. I do hope you are treating the little bloodsuckers well.

    I really enjoyed my tour of your website. I had a few much-needed laughs while I was there.

  • Bunk Strutts // July 29, 2009 at 1:34 pm | Reply

    Thanks for the kudos, but I’d prefer to be the strict Maggot Supervisor:

    “You! Maggot! Get away from those leeches and clean that wound! NOW!”

  • jo bourne // August 16, 2009 at 11:54 am | Reply

    Keep this one. The cover makes a bold pro-leech statement. There’s just not enough of that gritty realism around.

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