Product Description
Making Peace with Microbes Public sanitation and antibiotic drugs have brought about historic increases in the human life span; they have also unintentionally produced new health crises by disrupting the intimate, age-old balance between humans and the microorganisms that inhabit our bodies and our environment. As a result, antibiotic resistance now ranks among the gravest medical problems of modern times. Good Germs, Bad Germs addresses not only this issue but also what has become known as the “hygiene hypothesis”— an argument that links the over-sanitation of modern life to now-epidemic increases in immune and other disorders. In telling the story of what went terribly wrong in our war on germs, Jessica Snyder Sachs explores our emerging understanding of the symbiotic relationship between the human body and its resident microbes—which outnumber its human cells by a factor of nine to one! The book also offers a hopeful look into a future in which antibiotics will be designed and used more wisely, and beyond that, to a day when we may replace antibacterial drugs and cleansers with bacterial ones—each custom-designed for maximum health benefits.

CUSTOMER REVIEWS (Average Customer Rating: 5.0 based on 21 reviews)

great book by Lisa (ny)

5 Stars
August 12, 2009
This book is fascinating and highly accessible; a recommended read for anyone interested in biology or human health.

Good Germs, Bad Germs by K. A. Baird (New Zealand)

4 Stars
June 29, 2009
A very interesting book outlining the problems of over using anti microbial agents. Also eye opening when discussing microbes and the human body. An excellent book, but it tails off at the end without any real punch line.

If you enjoy learning then buy this book by Ameliawizard (Fernandina Beach, FL United States)

5 Stars
March 13, 2009
Great book if you enjoy learning. If you ever wondered about human physiology and what makes the human body work then you should read this book. I read through this thing like speed reading through a mystery thriller, it was that good. Well written, great research, makes science fun. If you are in the least attracted to this type of reading then you must get this book.

Excellent book for just about everyone by Sarah Snyder (Owensboro, KY USA)

5 Stars
January 09, 2009
This book is the best written science book I've read in quite some time. It is succinct while being scientifically accurate, it is engaging without rambling on, and chock full of information without being confusing. This is a book I could comfortably recommend to readers even without much science background, but it also has enough new information to satisfy those who do. Additionally, it is well notated, which means you can easily find out more if something in particular interests you. On a more personal note, I would recommend this book to anyone suffering from an autoimmune disorder, asthma, or allergies. It gives a fresh perspective on where the field of research in these areas is going, what is being tried now and what hope is there for the near and distant future.

Living in a bacterial world by Dutchman (Puget Sound, WA USA)

5 Stars
November 09, 2008
This book should convince you of a new paradigm. We do not live in a world of bacteria that are trying to invade and kill us. We live in a an self-made environment of bacteria that have a stake in our survival, and that protect us from potentially harmful disease. Our use and overuse of antibiotics is changing our individual bacterial ecosystems for the worse, hence the rise of multiply-drug-resistant microorganisms. Sachs illustrates all this with entertaining clarity, then goes on to describe how current scientists are taking legions of bacteria, putting them through the equivalent of a bacterial Olympics, and deploying the winners to restore a healthful personal ecosystem that can rid us of certain illnesses. I am a physician with over thirty years in practice. I read and then reviewed and annotated this book, and am writing a newsletter to my patients about it. I think every person, physician or not, will enjoy and learn from this excellent book.

SIMILAR PRODUCTS

	A Field Guide to Bacteria (Comstock Book) by Betsey Dexter Dyer (Author) Pocket-guide to observing bacteria without a laboratory or fancy equipment. Presents all the major taxonomic groups of bacteria in a useable, accessible format for amateur naturalists who may or may not have access to a microscope. Includes ideas for planning field trips to explore bacteria in their natural environments. Illustrated, some color. Softcover, hardcover available.
	Microcosm: E. Coli and the New Science of Life (Vintage) by Carl Zimmer (Author) A Best Book of the Year Seed Magazine • Granta Magazine • The Plain-Dealer In this fascinating and utterly engaging book, Carl Zimmer traces E. coli's pivotal role in the history of biology, from the discovery of DNA to the latest advances in biotechnology. He reveals the many surprising and alarming parallels between E. coli's life and our own. And he describes how E. coli changes in real time, revealing billions of years of history encoded within its genome. E. coli is also the...
	In Defense of Self: How the Immune System Really Works by William R. Clark (Author) We live in a sea of seething microbial predators, an infinity of invisible and invasive microorganisms capable of setting up shop inside us and sending us to an early grave. The only thing keeping them out? The immune system. William Clark's In Defense of Self offers a refreshingly accessible tour of the immune system, putting in layman's terms essential information that has been for too long the exclusive province of trained specialists. Clark explains how the immune system works by...
	Heatstroke: Nature in an Age of Global Warming by Anthony D. Barnosky (Author) In 2006, one of the hottest years on record, a “pizzly” was discovered near the top of the world. Half polar bear, half grizzly, this never-before-seen animal might be dismissed as a fluke of nature. Anthony Barnosky instead sees it as a harbinger of things to come. In Heatstroke, the renowned paleoecologist shows how global warming is fundamentally changing the natural world and its creatures. While melting ice may have helped produce the pizzly, climate change is more likely to wipe out...
	The Secret Life of Germs: What They Are, Why We Need Them, and How We Can Protect Ourselves Against Them by Philip M., Ph.D. Tierno Jr. (Author) They're on everything we touch, eat, and breathe in -- on every inch of skin. And despite the advances of science, germs are challenging medicine in ways that were unimaginable ten years ago. No wonder the world is up in arms -- and using antibacterial soaps. From the common cold, E. coli, and Lyme disease to encephalitis, mad cow disease, and flesh-eating bacteria, Tierno takes readers on a historical survey of the microscopic world. Rebuffing scare tactics behind recent "germ events"...