I Contain Multitudes
The Microbes Within Us and a Grander View of Life
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- CHF 12.00
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- CHF 12.00
Publisher Description
THE NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER FROM THE WINNER OF THE 2021 PULITZER PRIZE
Your body is teeming with tens of trillions of microbes. It's an entire world, a colony full of life.
In other words, you contain multitudes.
They sculpt our organs, protect us from diseases, guide our behaviour, and bombard us with their genes. They also hold the key to understanding all life on earth.
In I Contain Multitudes, Ed Yong opens our eyes and invites us to marvel at ourselves and other animals in a new light, less as individuals and more as thriving ecosystems.
You'll never think about your mind, body or preferences in the same way again.
'Super-interesting... He just keeps imparting one surprising, fascinating insight after the next. I Contain Multitudes is science journalism at its best' Bill Gates
SHORTLISTED FOR THE WELLCOME BOOK PRIZE 2017
SHORTLISTED FOR THE ROYAL SOCIETY SCIENCE BOOK PRIZE 2017
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
British science journalist Yong succeeds in encouraging readers to recognize the critical importance of biological microorganisms. He argues that humans must move past the belief that bacteria are bad and need to be eradicated, and adopt a deeper understanding of the positive role they play in the lives of most organisms. Yong makes a superb case for his position by interviewing numerous scientists and presenting their fascinating work in an accessible and persuasive fashion. Throughout, he takes a holistic ecological perspective, contending that it makes no sense to examine bacteria in isolation. As in all ecological systems, context is everything, and the complex community structure of the microbiome does much to determine the effects of various bacteria. Yong demonstrates that this more inclusive view has led to a reconceptualization of how the immune system might work, how microorganisms can shape the development of organ systems, how bacteria might play a role in autism, and how the microbiome may influence an organism's propensity for obesity. He also shows that scientists have moved beyond the theoretical by successfully performing "ecosystem transplants" of human gut microorganisms, and he envisions a future that includes "artisanal bacteria" designed to perform specific tasks. Yong reveals "how ubiquitous and vital microbes are" on scales large and small.
