Not sure about the subtitle, but otherwise, good science-y stuff.

Okay. Flu season may not be the best time to read a book titled The Invisible Kingdom: From the Tips of Our Fingers to the Tops of Our Trash, Inside the Curious World of Microbes.*

But I couldn't help it. I got it from the library because every now and then I like a good satisfying science read, and this was definitely that. In various chapters Idan Ben-Barak describes what microbes are ("any creature that is, individually, too small to be seen with the unaided eye"--including bacteria, archaea, fungi, protists, and viruses), how they've been studied and used in experiments, how they move, how they affect us, and lots of other good creepy topics. It's just rigorous enough to be interesting and kind of challenging, but it's definitely science lite; topics are explained simply** and with a great deal of humor and enjoyable footnotes. Consider this tidbit, from the chapter on surprising discoveries about microbes:

"How do gut bacteria first enter the gut, though? A fetus inside the womb is sterile, and the initial transfer of microorganisms occurs during or shortly after birth. Eventually, in the first year or two of a child's life, they gradually build up stable, thriving gut flora." (p. 176.)

And the footnote for that piece of information is: "Note that I have tastefully refrained from using the words contamination, mother, and feces in this description, so as not to cause too much unease."

So yeah, I liked this one. But perhaps my favorite thing about it is a little present that came with it: for a long time I worked in the public library, and periodically people I knew there must still notice my name on holds, because when I opened this book there was a tiny little post-it with a "hello!" note on it from my friend, which I really enjoyed. But even without the note it would have been a good book.

*I am not a fan of overly long nonfiction subtitles, particularly when they don't add much to my understanding of the book's subject. This subtitle is too long and not particularly helpful. I also hate it when subtitles change from the hardcover to the paperback edition. What is that? Confusing and stupid, tht's what.

**Not as simply as the textbook I had in my high school Physics for Dummies class, which used rhyming to provide pronunciation help ("joule rhymes with pool"), but still, pretty simply.

Comments

[Care]

I like science books that do not have a 'go to lab' requirement.

[Citizen Reader]

Me too, Care. I'm about as "general" as a general science reader can be, so I know if I can understand a book, it's pretty understandable.

[Liz]

I think that book sounds like fun (especially as our public library has just shifted to these RIDICULOUS encased mice that are impossible to use easily. The reason? They're anti-germ -- I put in a note of protest in the suggestion box and just got an email from the director telling me public health concerns trumps the fact that these mice are completely unusable. They don't register clicks, because of the extra layer. So I'm on a germ thing anyway. I like science that's easily digested, so to speak -- I like what I can understand. I bet my husband would love this one, in fact. I'm involved with nutrition and healthy eating these days, which is science! Am reading "The Perfect Formula Diet" (www.perfectformuladiet.com) which, in addition to other pluses, pokes holes in common nutrition and health myths, including that calcium intake has little to do with the strength of bones throughout life -- cow's milk has lots of estrogen -- linked to all kinds of cancers. Interesting stuff -- plus good healthy eating tips. It's science you can relate to.

[Liz]

Not sure if that linked, so I'll try again: http://www.perfectformuladiet.com

Enjoy the science and the myth-busting!

[Rachael]

Sooo adding this book to my list. I love good popular science books, and especially science history books like Ghost Maps and The Great Influenza. You don't find really interesting, accessible and well-written ones all that often, which makes them a treat.

Liz--It took me a minute to realize that you weren't making a scientific research joke about lab mice.

[Beth]

see, i was considering ordering this for the library, but wasn't sure how accessible it was. i loved the cover and thought it would get picked up, but without looking at it, i wasn't sure if it would appeal to a larger audience (than me, that is). thanks for the review :)

(and i just read wally lamb's wishin' and hopin' over the weekend and sooo loved it. it's very "a christmas story"ish and it was short and sweet and funny and i was very surprised. i usually hate holiday books, but this one cracked me up.

[Venta]

I wish I had an easy science book in high school. Maybe I wouldn't have given up on vet school. This one sounds interesting. Thanks for the suggestion, CR.

[Eva]

This sounds like fun-that footnote cracked me up! :) I'm SO with you on needless nonfiction subtitles; often times, I refuse to type them out. And so many nonfic titles are Word: Word, Word, and Word...that formula gets a bit tiresome at times.

If I do read this, I'll have to be careful not to mention it to my mom...she works for Head Start, so lots of 3 and 4 year olds, and she's crazy about her hand sanitizer already, lol.

[Citizen Reader]

Liz,
This book is a lot of fun. Thanks for the nutrition book info, too, I'm very interested in that stuff lately. Along with Rachael, I at first was confused by the "mice" in question but of course it makes sense--the hilarious part is that I'm sure the special covered mice are a lot harder to clean and will therefore become more filth-encrusted than regular mice, which I remember periodically wiping down with disinfectant spray when I worked at the library. So sad. My only advice for you anytime you use the library is WASH YOUR HANDS immediately upon leaving. That goes for any public space but libraries in particular get a lot of use and abuse.

Rachael,
Yeah, I think you might like this one. It's not as in-depth as The Great Influenza, but it is a lot of fun.

Beth,
I think this one would do well in your library, particularly since all things microbe and germ are big news these days! I'm also glad you liked the Wally Lamb--I just am not a fan of his, so I think I'd better play it safe and avoid "Wishin and Hopin," but that's just my own bad attitude.

[Citizen Reader]

Oh, Venta, you're way too smart for the physics book I had in high school. I very particularly took "Physics for Dummies" (of course they called it something like General Physics) in school because, although I may have been smart enough to take the real thing (that's pretty debatable though) I was EXTREMELY lazy. Some things never change.

It's never too late for vet school, darlin'...

Eva,
If your mom works with kids there's probably lots of things in this book that will make her cringe. But that doesn't mean you couldn't enjoy the book!

[Thomas at My Porch]

I generally stay away from non-fiction but this one sounds like it might be a go. I should take it along later this month when we go to Thailand and Cambodia. I know I am going to be tempted to eat street food. Maybe this book could keep me in line and my stomach microbes from finding foreign enemies to fight with.

Have your read Mary Roach's "Stiff". It's all about what you can do with a cadaver.

[Citizen Reader]

Thomas,
Oh, how much you miss! (If you normally stay away from nonfiction.) Come on. You know I had to say it.

Yes, this was a very fun science read. Not quite as narrative as Mary Roach's "Stiff", which was also a good book, but very good nonetheless. Have you read Carl Zimmer's science book Parasite Rex, by the way? That is NF that you HAVE to read--if you enjoy science fiction or fantasy or thrillers, learning about parasites, which are the weirdest little things on earth (in my opinion, anyway), is totally fascinating.

[Venta]

I tried so hard with this book, but I couldn't get past the first few chapters. I think my science reading needs to be about thinks I can actually see. O.K. I will admit I love crows (they are so smart), so I can highly recommend In the Company of Crows and Ravens. There were so many examples of their intelligence. For example, researchers put french fries in a mcdonald's bag and in a brown paper bag and put them close to each other. Time after time, the crows went for the white mcdonald's bag. I know bacteria are smart, too, but I assume stuff that can kill me will be intelligent.