In this classic bestseller, Paul de Kruif dramatizes the pioneering bacteriological work of such scientists as Leeuwenhoek, Spallanzani, Koch, Pasteur, Reed, and Ehrlich. This seventieth anniversary edition features a new introduction by F. Gonzalez-Crussi. Index.

CUSTOMER REVIEWS (Average Customer Rating: 4.5 based on 24 reviews)

Inspirational

I am a retired OB/GYN and this book started me on the course that led to about 4000 deliveries. I read this book in the 3rd grade and was inspired to follow in the footsteps of these great men. And I now will be purchasing this book for my grandchildren in the hope they will enjoy it as well.
July 05, 2008

Great book for all ages

Who knew that the inventor of the microscope was a janitor? This book reads like a novel and makes science exciting and personal.
January 23, 2008

inspiring history of microbiology

I believe I would have chosen to pursue an education and career in microbiology whether I had read this book or not. Nevertheless, I'll always remember how scientifically inspiring it was for me to read Microbe Hunters for the first time (and many years have passed since then). De Kruif has a talent for dramatizing the actions, thoughts and discoveries of the scientists, making them think out loud on the pages, and giving the book a feel that is more like entertaining fiction than the history of science.

Although I loved reading this book, I agree with the previous reviewer who advises that we should "...be aware that the author shares the racial and social biases of his time and class (mid 1920's)" as the book is marred by some passages that are (to say the least) objectionable in this respect, and highly distasteful by today's standards. This is a real shame, because were it not for such racial slurs this book would otherwise have been well suited to young people with an interest in science. Because of these issues, I don't recommend this as a book for kids. If you are among those who can overlook these shortcomings (at least temporarily, while reading the book), and take the book for what it is (i.e. a product of the very different times in which it was written), you will likely enjoy the spirited writing style that de Kruif uses so adeptly in portraying the history of microbiology.

This book has been in print for an impressive length of time, especially considering the fact that the topic is science. I believe that major reasons for its longstanding popularity include that de Kruif used great storytelling techniques which allowed him to engage a broad audience of scientists and non-scientists alike in reading and enjoying Microbe Hunters. Despite the troubling aspects of the book mentioned above, I enjoyed it far too much to give it anything less than 5 stars.
November 16, 2007

Preserved for History

I read this book as a child and it was fascinating reading. Some of what is described is still current (Pasteur's rabies vaccine) while some treatments are long out of use (Ehrlich's "magic bullet" for syphillis was actually derived from arsenic and had a fair amount of side effects-an accurate cure would not be developed until the discovery of Penicillin). Also some of the attitudes taken by the writer are racist such as the quip along the lines that "you couldn't tell the Africans with sleeping sickness apart from the healthy ones because they were all lazy". This should remind people of the dichotomy that existed in society then. Also biology then was like a manic gold rush. There were no restrictions on testing medicenes so that famous scientific figures would test the treatments on friends, family or if they were brave, themselves. One thing that was strongly prevalent then was the optimism of a cure for the various diseases. There was no sense of a pharmeceutical industry trying to quickly bring to market a highly profitable drug, whether or not it was safe or effective or even more than slightly different from other medications. There was no sense of cynicism then. Once the germ theory was developed, people realized what lived amidst their world and sought to find ways to have people live better and healthier lives. So you can dismiss some of the outdated attitudes and ideology and see this book as specimen on a microscope slide, frozen in time, to be examined from a new perspective
April 24, 2006

Good history, inspiring

This is kind of a history told by those who lived it - almost. First published in 1926 when this new science of biology (that we all now take for granted) was the thing of wonder and mystery Kruif writes a timeless classic about the first explorers of the microbe universe.

The writing is a bit heavy and the story is told in a dramatized fashion. Still, though, the book is a great read and very inspiring. A fascinating look into the world of science and discovery.
December 20, 2005

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