Book Description

Biologists and zoologists have the luxury of being readily able to view, touch, measure and observe the life cycles of their organisms of interest without great difficulty. For bacteriologists such tangible examinations are denied. Only recently has it become possible to build up an understanding of the nature of these communities of bacteria.Once water in a well is infected it is important for the environmental engineer to isolate and identify the bacteria present in the water in order to rehabilitate the well. The environmental health professional must also have a basic working knowledge of bacteria and how they react in the environment. This knowledge allows them to recognize the bacteria, evaluate the sickness that the bacteria cause, and in time control the sickness.The Practical Atlas for Bacterial Identification takes a fundamental approach, identifying bacteria by classification, family or genus names. The bacteria are then placed on a graphic which will allow the reader to visualize and therefore understand the complex set of bacterial responses to laboratory identification methods. The book is organized into three parts. The first part is an introduction to some of the techniques which may be applicable to obtain a "pure" culture and then carry out the primary investigative tasks before attempting identification. The second part contains a series of tables which can be used to speciate bacteria from some major bacteria genera. The third and final chapter is an atlas of the diversity and commonality of some characteristics within various groups of bacteria.Features ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Save your money - buy Bergey's manual
The book begins with a decent 6 page chapter on the "Initial Stages to the Identification of a Bacterial Culture," then has a condensed version of Bergey's manual, which theoretically could allow identification to the species level, provided the information is correct and complete. I got this book yesterday, and found an error on the first thing I looked up. (in table 7.1 - Streptomyces does produce aerial hyphae.)

A quarter of the book is "The Atlas Concept," in which a map of bacterial genera is shown, organized so that "the countries are families and the cities are genera." This atlas is then repeated thirty or forty times with shaded areas to show gram stain reaction, aerobicity, morphology, flagellation,catalase reaction, oxidase reaction, pigmentation, various biochemical reactions, etc. This may be somewhat useful, but in my opinion, not worth buying the book for.

Approximately 20% of the book is useless unless you use the author's commercial BART (TM) identification system, which it appears is only used to identify iron-related, sulfate reducing, and slime forming bacteria. If using the BART system, this book may be worthwhile, although one would think that the package inserts for the BART system would contain the same information.

Overall, I'd say get a introductory microbiology lab manual if you need to know how to read gram stains, determine aerobicity, and do biochemical testing, and use Bergey's Manual of Determinative Bacteriology for your identifications. ... Read more

Book Description

More than 1,000 species of mushrooms described in detail.Over 700 paintings and drawings reveal subtle field marks that cannot be captured into photographs. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

mushroom field guide
I found this book to be well illustrated. And although not as comprehensive as i'd hoped, it is still the most complete guide I have found. Overall, I feel it is well above average--and I'm quite hard to please! ... Read more

Book Description

During the past twenty years, multitudes of exciting discoveries in the field of anaerobic bacteria have been made. BIOCHEMISTRY AND PHYSIOLOGY OF ANAEROBIC BACTERIA explores the full range of these microorganisms.

Many anaerobes have been found to have the uniquely fascinating quality of being able to survive, indeed even thrive, in extreme environments. Anaerobic bacteria often do not require oxygen, can survive extremes in temperature, and can withstand the presence of toxins and heavy metals. In addition, these organisms have very different metabolic processes than "conventional" microorganisms. The wide diversity of metabolism in anaerobes is only part of the story. They have distinct energies, cytochromes, electron transport proteins, hydrogenases and dohydrogenases. Their molecular biology, physiology, and ability to use many types of electron receptors (CO2, sulfur, nitrogen and metal oxides) are also extraordinary.

With practical applications ranging from wastewater treatment to food storage issues, clinical diagnosis and treatment of a wide range of medical conditions to decontamination of heavy metal exposures BIOCHEMISTRY AND PHYSIOLOGY OF ANAEROBIC BACTERIA will prove indispensable to researchers and students alike. ... Read more

Book Description

The Fourth Edition of Microbial Physiology retains the logical, easy-to-follow organization of the previous editions. An introduction to cell structure and synthesis of cell components is provided, followed by detailed discussions of genetics, metabolism, growth, and regulation for anyone wishing to understand the mechanisms underlying cell survival and growth. This comprehensive reference approaches the subject from a modern molecular genetic perspective, incorporating new insights gained from various genome projects. ... Read more

Book Description

"Some new mushroomers will find this single volume all the library they need to harvest and enjoy wild mushrooms for the table." --Mushroom the Journal"The publication is of excellent quality and print, well edited, authoritative, and provides an excellent introduction to edible and poisonous wild mushrooms." --Mycologia Unusual shapes and colors make many mushrooms alluring to the eye, while the exotic flavors and textures of edible mushrooms are a gourmet delicacy for the palate. Yet many people never venture beyond the supermarket offerings, fearing that all other mushrooms are poisonous. With amateur mushroom hunters especially in mind, David Fischer and Alan Bessette have prepared Edible Wild Mushrooms of North America. This field guide presents more than 100 species of the most delicious mushrooms, along with detailed information on how to find, gather, store, and prepare them for the table. More than 70 savory recipes, ranging from soups and salads to casseroles, canapes, quiches, and even a dessert, are included. Throughout, the authors constantly emphasize the need for correct identification of species for safe eating. Each species is described in detailed, nontechnical language, accompanied by a list of key identifying characteristics that reliably rule out all but the target species. Superb color photographs also aid in identification. Poisonous "lookalikes" are described and illustrated, and the authors also assess the risks of allergic or idiosyncratic reactions to edible species and the possibilities of chemical or bacterial contamination. ... Read more

Reviews (5)

Limited scope, horrible recipes.
I bought this book many years ago as the first of what is now a fairly large collection on the subject. As the title indicates, it concentrates on the EDIBLE fungi, so the reviewer who was dissappointed because he/she could ID only one of the 13 mushrooms he/she found has unfair expectations out of the scope of this work. That said, only the most popular edibles seem to be listed here, and variants on those species are not covered in much depth. It's ok for those who just want to be able to distinguish a golden chanterelle from a jack-o-lantern, or a morel from a thimble-cap so they can safely gather some edibles. The worst thing about this book, however, is it's unfortunate recipes. Every single recipe I've tried from it completely sucks. Either the cooking method is inappropriate to that particular mushroom (turning delicate specimins to mush, for instance, or inundating absorptive ones with oil), or strong flavors from other ingredients overwhelm the sometimes subtle flavors of the mushrooms themselves. I get much better results by trusting my cooking intuition and experimenting than I do by following these recipes.

more confused than before
I came to US from Europe several years ago. It was a family tradition to go pick wild mushrooms every fall during my childhood years. So when I moved to Virginia countryside I decided I will try and revive the mushroom picking tradition in my new country. I started with a book to help me identify all those different, unfamiliar species of mushrooms. So I bought the "Edible Wild Mushroom Guide". I went to the woods and picked a bunch of different mushrooms - each one was different and tried to use the Guide to identify them . Out of about 14 visibly different species of mushrooms that I picked - the guide gave positive ID on ONE (!) mushroom only. Other 13 were not even included in the book. I can't testify to the quality of recepie part of the book - I was somewhat reluctant to cook things I can not identify!

Great for Beginners
For a "first" book on wild mushrooms I found this one to be very good. The pictures show the top, bottom, stems, colors and different parts of each mushroom. There are "warnings" on those that are ediable, but make some people sick, and the NO-NO"s are equally shown and written about. We're just new at this, and for a "starter" book this was just the ticket.

An excellent companion book to a good field guide
For those interested in preparing and eating the more common and easily-recognized species of edible mushrooms, this book is a must-have. In-depth species descriptions, including dangerous look a likes, make positive identifications much easier. Lush recipes (with photos) in the back of the book inspire mycophagists to get out in the woods and hunt their quarry. Buy the book -- you'll love it! Suggest using this book in conjunction with Audubon or other field guide.

Beautiful photography Wonderful recipies!
This books is a wonderful collection of fantistic color photographs. Each recipie is a new journey into an exciting and tasty world of foods under our feet. Highly recommended to scientist and amatuer alike! ... Read more

Reviews (1)

A Thorough and Sophisticated Presentation of Pathogenicity
As an undergraduate student studying microbiology, I found the book to be extremely technical. I would have appreciated a more clinical approach to pathogenicity. Bacterial Pathogenesis can, however, serve as an excellent reference text concerning the details of pathogenicity on a molecular level. The book covers virulence factors and antibiotic in detail. 21 bacterial diseases are covered extensively, each having its own chapter. ... Read more

Amazon.com

If we're so smart, why are we still at the mercy of treacherous microorganisms? The Genius Within: Discovering the Intelligence of Every Living Thing asks readers to let go of brain worship and look at the incredible problem-solving skills of viruses, ants, and other lowly creatures. Neurosurgeon Frank T. Vertosick Jr. seems an unlikely candidate to write a book celebrating noncerebral intelligence, but his knowledge helps him draw comparisons that others might miss. The fast-moving genetic intelligence of bacteria and immune systems might not match the precision of digital computers, but they have devised arms races much more complex--and deadly--than our comparatively paltry efforts. Vertosick's grasp of what it means to behave intelligently comes through clearly, even if he is as stumped as anyone trying to define the I word. Exploring parallels between neural networks, insect colonies, and our own brains, he finds common ground and shows that, as far as evolution is concerned, we're not so bright. It's not all bad, though: we're very good at what we do, and Vertosick hopes that we can learn to use our intelligence more wisely. --Rob Lightner ... Read more

Reviews (7)

Life is more then a Blind Algorithmic Process
Though Vertosick does not focus on the more technical and strictly academic foundations of his major thesis (life=intelligence), he does a beautiful job of using analogies and metaphors to describe how even a cell can exhibit "intelligent" behaviour. This book should be required reading for anyone who is remotely interested in biology, or anything to do with nature. Vertosick is able to successfully synthesize a completely different, yet strongly persuasive argument for the basis of life itself. He admits that his thesis may be flawed, but personally I think that most of his points are well thought out and strongly supported. This is one of the most interesting books on life and intelligence I have ever read.

An Ode to Creativity (aka "emergent properties")
If you want to know why Darwin might be "needlessy nihilistic" and what is at the core of Vertosick's carefully built case to explain--nothing less than--the possisble meaning of everything, then check this out. I thought the beginning was a little tedious, but the pay-off for hanging in there with his carefully crafted case was well worth it. I've bought several copies to share with friends and have had many lively debates. Thanks Dr. Vertosick for your emergent property--it's marvelous!

The Best Overview of Biology, Evolution and Intelligence
I've already reviewed this wonderful book under the title above. Unfortunately, my name was omitted from the review,despite my request not to be anonymous. I hope this will correct the omission.

The Best Overview of Biology, Evolution and Intelligence
This book is breathtaking in its scope and originality. I find it difficult to describe how important it is within a short review. This will just be a sample. The Genius Within is simply the best overview of biology, evolution and intelligence we have.

Vertosick extends the neural network model to explain how all intelligent systems work. Intelligent systems include organisms, parts of organisms, and associations of organisms. His basic idea is that any system that processes information to maintain and preserve itself in competition with other systems must be considered intelligent. He shows how general the neural network model of intelligence can be, applying it to metabolic cycles in the cell, to concerted action by communities of cells, both loosely connected in colonies and tightly connected in multicellular organisms. The hard wiring of vertebrate nervous systems is shown to be a special case of this general paradigm.

A key concept is that of the "party network." This is a wireless network like the one formed by conversations at a cocktail party. People spend various amounts of time with each other on the basis of their common interests. The differing levels of affinity between pairs of party goers plays the same role as the connection weights between neurons in a neural network. Each of the people at the party is connected with every other by the network of interactions that take place over time, but some are more strongly connected than others. The mobility of the neurons (people in this case) in initiating new connections (conversations) makes hard wiring unnecessary to the development of network structure in the group. You can show the network in action by having one person introduce a piece of controversial information to one other person at the beginning, then asking each of the partygoers what he thinks about the subject at the end.

The metabolic processes of a cell form a party network of interacting enzyme and substrate systems. These systems are connected through the interchange of substrate and products. The result is a network that transforms a few simple substrate molecules into the vast variety of interconnected macromolecules that defines the structure of the cell. This is an example of intelligence working at the basic level of molecular biolgy.

Vertosick shows how this model works for the combined action of bacteria in overcoming the effects of antibiotics, to the development of effective antibodies by immune systems, to the coordinated actions of social insects, and up through the evolutionary scale to the function of brains and nervous systems in vertebrates.

Evolution itself is seen though the model to be a manifestation of intelligence in organisms that uses genetic variation as a problem solving tool. The genes themselves are not the source of evolutionary change, but the repository of genetic information used by the organism. Vertosick gives the example of cloning to illustrate the primacy of the cell machinery over the genes. If you introduce a nucleus from one somatic cell into another somatic cell, nothing terribly interesting will happen. But if you replace the nucleus of a fertilized ovum with the same somatic nucleus, a new organism will develop, following the genetic blueprint of the implanted somatic nucleus. The developmental initiative comes entirely from the cytoplasm of the ovum, which uses the information supplied by the DNA of the implanted nucleus to construct a new organism.

This is just the beginning of the story presented in The Genius Within. Although I'm familiar with the general outlines of Vertosick's thinking from my own work, I found a new and original idea on almost every page. The result is a synthesis that draws on many scientific fields to produce a unifed theory of life and intelligence. The theory itself takes the form of an extended neural network, robust to the necessary incompleteness of some relatively minor details.

There will surely be quibbles from many who can't see the whole picture, who have turf to protect, or who simply can't tear themselves away from obsolete orthodoxies. (Vertosick deals effectively with some of the criticisms in an Addendum.) But this is a truly revolutionary work. Five star books are fortunately fairly common. The Genius Within is as rare as a royal flush.

Read it and weep with pleasure.

Well Worth The Effort
"The Genius Within", by Frank T. Vertosick, Jr. is an amazing, thought provoking book that the author states he wrote so the common reader could understand and presumably enjoy the concepts he shares. I agree without exception that the primary issues he writes about can be understood, but if you really want to understand the detail of all the workings that produce the results, you best have a deep understanding of biology, and a good grounding in chemistry would be helpful as well. It has been many years since I studied either topic, so while I did read the entire book, I don't think I would distinguish myself on a written test on Vertosick's book. Despite my opinion, the work is well worth any reader's time who appreciates a distinguished thinker in his field that is able to share concepts that otherwise would be confined to persons with advanced degrees.

Vertosick states that we, (humans), do not respect life rather we respect intellect. According to the author we suffer from brain chauvinism that results in our making value judgments based on nothing more than our own arrogance and not based on reason. He gives some extreme examples that can easily be extrapolated to human behavior on a larger scale. A person can make a living as an exterminator killing bees, a variety of insects, rodents, etc and be financially rewarded. Incinerate a cat or a dog, and a person will likely face a judge and possibly jail time. We harvest from the oceans countless varieties of creatures who live there and then can and consume them, yet there are groups that feel Dolphins should be protected, that cans of Tuna should be labeled "Dolphin Free". The question is why, there is no argument that can justify the intelligence of one creature over another, and intelligence is not measurable in any species including humans, so why do we judge between fish or swimming mammals? Bees have a complicated society and a very structured way of life, some even produce products that we value. But if a person chooses to eradicate a hive no protestors will arrive on your doorstep.

This same thinking would seem to help explain Genocide. The victims are generally dehumanized, they are treated worse than many animals, and this then makes the mass killing of a group defined as inferior easier for those doing the killing. This is only a single aspect of what is one of the most horrific human conducts, but the logic appears sound.

There are discussions on how the immune system works and how a disease like Cancer continues to outwit all of our attempts to destroy it. He explains why antibiotics can become ineffective in treating infections, just as pesticides become worthless as the intended victims adapt. The method of adaptations differs widely but they all are amazing. After reading parts of the book you will be hard pressed to state that thought is something that our brains have the monopoly on. There are scores of organisms within us that were adapting and evolving millions of years before we developed anything like a brain, or consciousness, whatever the latter word means.

Other areas that I enjoyed were the discussions on DNA; something that many would answer is the key to our existence. The fascinating fact is that much of what we are made of existed and continued to develop long before DNA was created. It is in these discussions that the science gets very detailed and harder to follow, but it is well worth reading and reading again, if only to get a general understanding.

At one point in the book the author said that if he looked at a schematic of a Pentium processor, he would do so with a mixture of amazement and ignorance. For those who have not studied advanced science, reading this book is much like he describes when looking at the Pentium chip.

I have just touched on the very wide array of issues the author discusses, and despite the scientific details that might make you dizzy, the concepts he shares are very worthy of the time you spend, and any confusion you encounter. ... Read more

Reviews (13)

All your favorite diseases
From adenovirus to zika fever, the pantheon of germs is discussed here in an informative and fun manner. Biddle focuses especially on historical aspects and classic anecdotes (like the one about the Plague-infested corpses being catapulted over city walls as an early form of biological warfare). We get a lot on where the germs were first discovered, and what part of the world they are ravaging today. The book is illustrated with classic pictures from days of old, such as the cartoon which makes fun of Jenner's cowpox/smallpox vaccine by showing people with cows coming out of every part of the body. We also get lots of horrid descriptions of the tortures that passed for medical treatment in the premodern age, i.e. bleeding, purgatives.

All your favorite diseases are here from the familiar to the obscure: AIDS, Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever, Anthrax, various cold viruses, Chinese Restaurant Syndrome, Q Fever, Malaria, Tuberculosis, Polio, Staph, Strep and all your other disease friends jostle for your attention in this nice little book that will make a wonderful addition to the library of any pathology enthusiast.

Witty and accessible guide for everyone
I am always on the look out for books which explain scientific phenomenon in ways that junior high school, high school, and undergraduate students will enjoy. Books that tweak their interest so they will go on and read the boring textbooks that so many professors and educators feel are necessary as drudgework. Biddle's book is a nice change of pace from the usual textbooks on viruses, germs, etc. and is enough to get the kids interested. It is also very readable, cynical, and caustic which is right up my creek. He deftly explains our own responsibilities in the cycle of viral infections world-wide and brings up the fact that we are ignoring the problems in Third World countries, which will eventually hurt us. Only suggestion I have is next time include prions and mad cow disease/Jakob-Crutzfeld/kuru! Too bad he can't write about politicians this way... Karen Sadler, Science Education, University of Pittsburgh

Good for those in the field, and for the curious
Usually, I approach texts such as this with some trepidation, because they have a tendancy of being the author's perception as well as some half-baked theory of a conspiracy.
This book is objective, clear-cut, and explains in simple terminology, the story behind our most common "bugs" and the diseases they cause.
If you are intrigued by the field of diseases, I suggest you check this one out.
Also check out "Killer Germs" (Barry & David Zimmerman) for something more in depth and historical.

Germs by Biddle
This is an excellent work which diarizes practically every
major germ imaginable. The author depicts how physicians
dressed in special garb to guard against the bubonic plague
throughout the centuries following the 1300s. The work describes
various acute respiratory diseases impacting the tonsils and
adenoids. Today, there is a lowered risk of Anthrax
infestation due to considerable advances in the medicinal arts.
Lyme disease is still a concern in the Northeastern, USA.
Approximately 15-30% of ticks are infected and 1-3% of
people bitten by ticks become infected with Lyme disease.
Cholera is a disease which manifests itself in a dirty
environment of water or food contamination. The hantavirus
is carried by mice and rats which contaminate the air by
breathing common air and spreading disease through droppings,
urine and saliva. This book could be very helpful in identifying
a complicated disease process early enough so that effective
strategies could be formulated and implemented.
This work would be beneficial to a wide constituency of readers
including medical personnel, parents, teachers, public
administrators, rangers and any public service employee.

Highly Accurate and Readable Guide
I'm a professional microbiologist (and plague expert) and find this book to be succinct, accurate, and a pleasure to read. Sounds to me like the reviewer from Brooklyn might have a competing volume to sell. I've recommended this work and its previous edition for years to my students and colleagues. It's a rare example of science writing that is both informative and fun. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

good descriptions for experimental biology
Very wide subject and detailed information for an inexpensive book. This book covers microbial applications related to all kind of bacteria including eubacteria. The only weak part of this book I believe is that the absence of the necessary examples in some chapters. This makes this book to be a four-star book rather that a five-star. ... Read more

Book Description

Includes morphology and development of the yeasts, cytology of yeast, physiology, nutrition, respiration, and alcoholic fermentation, origin of the yeasts, their position in classification of the fungi and their systematic relationships, methods of culture and isolation of yeasts, procedures for observation, methods for the characterization and identification, variation of species, classification of the yeasts, family of non saccharomycetes or doubtful yeasts, pathogenic yeasts and fungi related. ... Read more

Reviews (7)

Just overall a great read!
A magnificent outlook to all the most very important and specific types of psilocybe containing mushrooms.
Great advice for having a good trip worth reading.
History of christianity into the mix of older style spiritual use on it and how they interacted ..
The first 3 pages of the history amazed and still amazes me with the knowledge and time ,beyond time we never thought there was humanity as we know it .

AWESOME Book On This Field
This is by far the most descriptive and complete guide to psychoactive mushrooms and their deadly look-alikes I have ever read. LOTS of cool, detailed color pictures to help with both identification and leisure entertainment.

The book is comprised of the following:

-5 pages on the history of them
-6 pages on their distribution around the world
-8 pages on general places they like to grow (e.g. under a bush or something)
-12 pages on tips for good trips
-20 pages on identification & collection techniques
-123 pages on just about every species of psychoactive mushrooms known to man (pics, description, habitat, etc.) both highly active and relatives that have low chemical content
-10 pages on deadly look-alikes
-includes a glossary, recommended reading, bibliography, and index

This is the best all-around book on this subject! Buy it now!

All-Time best field guide
This book is by far the best book I have read on identification of psilocybian mushrooms. It has good information as well as some interesting perspectives on psilocybes. A must have for anyone who is serious about this stuff!

Photos and descriptions are great for identification.
This book is a must for any enthusiest of Magic Mushrooms. The Photographs and detailed descriptions of the various species make this book a definite must for anyone wanting to identify Magic mushrooms, including deadly look alikes. The book is a complete guide, from history, experiences and all relative information that you could want. Paul Stamet's is "The Man" of mushrooms and a lot of his time and effort has gone into making this book factual and interesting. Hope you enjoy this book a much a I have.

Entheogens: Professional Listing
"Psilocybin Mushrooms of the World" has been selected for listing in "Religion and Psychoactive Sacraments: An Entheogen Chrestomathy" http://www.csp.org/chrestomathy ... Read more

Book Description

Reviews (2)

Limitted Information
This is a nice book to augment a collection, but is not complete. The set of guides written by Smith and his daughter (Weber) do not overlap. This means that you need this book and the edition for the south in order to look up mushrooms in the south. There are no mentions of spore print colors in the individual entries, which makes for a lot of thumbing back and forth between the specific entries and the genus descriptions

HIGHLY RECOMMENDED
This book contains excellent color photos to mach the color tones and size characteristics of the mushrooms in the Midwest. We typically search in the areas south of Lake Superior. ... Read more

Book Description

It wasn't too long ago that modern antibiotics seemed to have conquered bacteria. Threatening bacteria, doctors proclaimed, were on their way out.

Not exactly. In THE KILLERS WITHIN, Michael Shnayerson and Mark Plotkin reveal the terrifying truth: that bacteria have evolved, have outwitted doctors, and are now on the ascendancy. Quietly, a medical crisis has been brewing, as laboratories and doctors frantically race to develop new drugs and new means to combat bacteria that, via aggressive evolution, have zigged when medicine zagged. Bacteria that disintegrate your skin; bacteria that clog your lungs; bacteria that result in golf-ball-size abscesses-all these and more make appearances in THE KILLERS WITHIN.

We meet the scientists desperately racing to stay one step ahead. We learn the creepy science of how bacteria work, and why they may be winning. And we see how, ironically, we've created the problem by misusing antibiotics. A book that will be compared to Laurie Garrett's bestselling "The Coming Plague," THE KILLERS WITHIN is a horror story that just happens to be true. ... Read more

Reviews (13)

This is an important book
This is a serious book about a very serious subject--the escalating arms race between humans and disease-causing microbes. The bad news is that we're losing, making the emergence of resistant disease causing bacteria "one of the greatest threats to the survival of the human species."

Co-written by Mark Plotkin, a leading ethnobotanist and Michael Schnayerson, a talented writer and editor, The Killers Within is a highly readable, often gripping narrative, full of stories, personalities and drama. At the same time, it presents a lot of the history, science and politics that surround the struggle of medical science to stay a step ahead of the deadly bugs that are proving remarkably adept at evolving ways to defeat our antibiotics.

The authors have no trouble identifying the culprits in this losing battle--an agricultural industry pouring millions of pounds of antibiotics into poultry and livestock as "growth promoters," doctors and patients who overuse antibiotics, and the interaction of profits and politics that determine what kinds of drugs reach the market and when. But behind these lies our naive blindness to the bacterial world's incredible capacity to defeat our most powerful weapons. Bacteria have multiple ways to evolve and swap handy genetic information, such as how to cleave penicillin molecules or pump antibiotics out of their cells. All it takes is one bacteria that survives an antibiotic by evolving a new resistance mechanism; within a few years even unrelated bacteria thousands of miles away will know the trick. It's as easy for the bacteria, the authors write, "as collecting charms on a charm bracelet."

The authors chillingly describe the costs of this war being fought out in our labs, hospitals and bodies--millions of illnesses, hundreds of thousands of deaths worldwide, and the risk to all of us of returning to a world where we are no longer protected by antibiotics. Most of the major pathogens have already evolved multiple drug resistance. The very young and the very old are already dying from untreatable infections, but any one of us is now at risk that a cut, an accident, a minor surgery or a bout of flu can lead on to a raging infection by bacteria resistant to most if not all antibiotics.

The authors do hold out some hope. Perhaps phages, vaccines, or new generations of genetically engineered antimicrobial agents will once again tip the balance in our favor. But for now, expect to see more headlines about outbreaks of resistant strains of bacteria and to hear more horror stories from friends whose scratch or surgery turned into a life-threatening nightmare. This book will help you make sense of those events. Let's hope that the dedicated and farsighted researchers it depicts will eventually win the day.

Robert Adler, author of Science Firsts: From the Creation of Science to the Science of Creation (Wiley, 2002).

Will Bacteria Inherit the Earth?
Michael Shnayerson and Mark Plotkin have written the latest book documenting the rise of bacterial resistance to antibiotic medications. Its a very chilling portrait of a problem that still is not being taken as seriously as it should be. The essence of the problem is very simple. Bacteria have short lives and reproduce very rapidly. Because of this, they are able to mutate and develop ways of preventing antibiotics from killing them. They are much more adaptable than human beings are as a life form.

According to the authors, the problem of bacteria resistance to antibiotics is far more serious than is conceived by most people. Already, hospitals have many patients with VRE's (vancomycin resistant entercoccus) infections and MRSA's (methicillin resistant s. aureus)infections. Such infections are characterized by being totally resistant to one and sometimes even entire classes of antibiotic medications. At the extreme, a few infections cannot be cured by even the enormously powerful antibiotic which is only used in hospitals, vancomycin.

One problem the authors discuss in some detail is the fact that some resistance to antibiotics by bacteria has been caused by feeding livestock huge quantities of "growth enhancing" antibiotic-laced feed. The European Community (beginning with Denmark) took note of this problem and has now prohibited the use of such feed in connection with livestock raising now. Unfortunately, various lobby groups and government agencies have prevented a similar rule from going into effect in the USA.

I don't recommend this book for everyone. To get much out of it, one must have a basic understanding of life science. It is helpful to know something about how cells multiply and divide, something about DNA, the difference between gram negative and gram positive bacteria, and how antibiotics actually work. I recommend that anyone reading the book prepare a glossary containing the meanings of abbreviations constantly used in the volume. Some of the abbreviations which constantly reoccur include: VRE, MRSA, VISA, CDC, NIH, CVM, MDR TB, DOTS, and RPR.
It is helpful, but not necessary to have some familiarity with names of bacteria such as salmonella, e. coli, s. aureus, E. faecium, and S. pneumo.

There is hope in the fight against antibiotic resistant bacteria. Governments, medical providers, and even the public are beginning to realize a problem exists. New medications to fight such resistant bacteria are being developed. Perhaps, two of the most promising possibilities being developed are peptide antibiotics, and phages (viruses that eat bacteria). However, it will be years before these medications will be able to do much. In the meantime, bacterial resistance will increase alarmingly.

This book is not pleasant reading. But it is a wake up call to an an enormous health care problem that at its extreme, threatens the existence of humankind.

Excellent Book. Every one should read it.
This book describes the problem of the bacteria developing resistance to the many antibiotics that humans are using to fight them and, the most important, that we are losing this battle. The book talks about the reasons behind this : overuse and abuse of antibiotics by us, use of antobiotics as "growth enhancers" and so on. I am already aware of this resistance problem but after reading this book I was thrilled and frightened. If we do not change our ways of using antibiotics soon then we will soon be unable to fight those drug resistant bacteria when they cause infections and a huge health problem will unfold. I for one strongly agree with the authors that antibiotics use as "growth enhancers" should be totally banned as soon as possible.

An eye-opener to the real world
This book was extremely interesting for me, but I wouldn't recommend it to just anyone. I would recommend it however to those interested in the Health/Science industry. The read isn't so hard but does require a basic understanding of some medical terminologies and you have to be able to pick things up and follow ideas easily. The book reads almost like a horror story, except its true. I wouldn't recommend reading this book if you get paranoid easy. I know I usually don't, but even I find myself thinking twice about alot of things now. This book gets a high rating from me because, as a studying pre-medical student, it has helped me to find my area of interest in the field.

Big on bios, short on science.
This is a reasonably good review of the problem, but there is just too much about the heroic docs and their saddest cases, and too little basic science. The book gets a little tedious and confusing because of this. It would profit from an introductory chapter devoted to the background science, and an appendix you can refer to with a table showing different kinds of antibiotics, possibly a figure explaining how antibiotic-resistance is evaluated (the MIC pops up everywhere, but is not explained well), a list of problem bugs and their acronyms, and another list of the principle mechanisms of resistance. There are web resources (listed) to go to for help-www.cdc.gov is a good place to start. The current research on nonantibiotic approaches to treating infections(principally antibacterial peptides from amphibians, and phage therapy) was very interesting to me: I have a good background in microbiology, and am probably being a little critical, but the science here was not explained very well. ... Read more

Reviews (3)

The One Indispensable Guide to Mushrooms in the North East
I live in the NY Adirondack Mountains and have been collecting mushrooms for years, trying to identify them. I almost gave up, but then I bought the Bessette/Fischer book, and identifying mushrooms became not only possilbe, but fun. The photographs are terrific, great aids for identification and often beautiful as well. The keys for identifying mushrooms within a specific genus are very useful - no book has room to illustrate all species, but these keys allow identification of mushrooms that "nearly match" the illustrated species. The book is the most comprehensive guide to mushrooms found in northeastern North America that I have found. Some of the standard "North American" field guides are good, but they all contain a great many species not found in this part of the country, which doesn't leave enough room to cover all of the fungi species commonly found here. George Barron's and William Roody's regional guides are also excellent, but not quite as comprehensive. If you live in the northeastern U.S., this is the one Mushroom Field Guide that you can't do without!

One of the definitive volumes on northest mycoflora
MNNA is a very good book, and has the finest keys I have ever found in any work on mushrooms. However, I find its coverage of certain groups of fungi to be in want of more detail. For example, the avid Russula student will find that few species have been included. The book could use more information on various genera, especially those which are in need of detailed systematic analysis, and more comprehensive data on the taxonomy of included fungi, which has been very neglected. I hope that a future edition of this book may correct some of these problems. Nevertheless, I reccomend Mushrooms of Northeastern North America to all serious amateur mycologists, you will find it to be an indispensable reference.

A must have supplement!
Alan Bessette is truly a great contributor to the field of mycology. Mushrooms of Northeastern North America is a fantastic book on its way to being the "bible" to species in the Northeast. A huge undertaking, Bessette does his best with a dichotomist key arrangement, making narrowing down the possibilities easier. Although aided by Fischers photographs, this guide is tremendously lacking quality, well organized, photographic detail. This book is not for the novice, as familiarity with mycological terms is necessary. I'm waiting for a new, up-to-date, thicker volume: MONNA revised. ... Read more

Book Description

How does anthrax spread?
Should I avoid opening my mail?
Wasn't I vaccinated for smallpox years ago?
What exactly is encephalitis?
Is my workplace a target for bioterrorism?
What precautions can I take to stay healthy and safe?

PROTECT YOURSELF AGAINST BIOTERRORISM

From fears of full-scale germ warfare to the spread of dangerous and deadly illnesses, we are faced with a new breed of anxiety -- and more questions than ever -- about our safety and well-being in the face of bioterrorism. Dr. Philip M. Tierno, a member of the New York City Mayor's Task Force on Bioterrorism, addresses our fears with the most powerful antidote: information.

Dr. Tierno explains:

Amazon.com

Feeling tired, achy, and congested?You'll hope not after reading science writer Gina Kolata's engrossing Flu, a fascinating look at the 1918 epidemic that wiped out around 40 million people in less than a year and afflicted more than one of every four Americans.This tragedy, just on the heels of World War I and far more deadly, so traumatized the survivors that few would talk about it afterward.Kolata reports on the scientific investigation of this bizarre outbreak, in particular the attempts to sequence the virus' DNA from tissue samples of victims.She also looks at the social and personal effects of the disease, from improved public health awareness to the loss of productivity. (The disease affected 20- to 40-year-olds disproportionately.)

How could this disease, now almost trivial to healthy young people, have become so virulent?The answer is complex, invoking epidemiology, immunology, and even psychology, but Kolata cuts a swath through medical papers and statistical reports to tell a story of an out-of-control virus exploiting an exhausted world on the brink of transition into modern society.Through letters, interviews, and news reports, she pieces together a cautionary tale that captures the horror of a devastating illness.Research marches onward, but we're still at the mercy of something as simple as the flu. --Rob Lightner ... Read more

Reviews (102)

The Amazing and True Story of Scientists and Amateurs
Gina Kolata's Flu is subtitled the Story of the Great Influenza Pandemic of 1918 and the Search for the Virus That Caused It. It is much more the story of the latter rather than the former. An important book on the influenza pandemic and its historical impact is waiting to be written. This book, though, still has its value both as a fun read of scientific discovery and some very inept amateur bungling, as well as an interesting look at the politics behind science. The author is also very good at capturing the personalities behind the events. No important conclusions are drawn and no important theories of history are defended but this book is a wonderful examination of a process in science. A delightful read.

mediocre extended newspaper article, now dated
This is not a book about 1918. This is an over-hyped and overlong newspaper story about digging up bodies and trying to recover the 1918 virus from them. It's now (June 2004) much dated, which is what happens to newspaper stories.
If you want to read an actual book about the epidemic-- and about much more, including contemporary science, the virus, the interplay between politics and the disease-- then read The Great Influenza by Barry. Now THAT is worth picking up. I gave that 5 stars, and if I could give it more I would.

about right for the armchair crowd
If you're looking for a highly detailed and relatively technical discussion you might find this book a little light. However, if you, like me, have just the general exposure to the subject of epidemics, their causes and consequences, you are likely to have a good read here.

A couple times Ms. Kolata's prose and approach get a little dramatic but it doesn't get in her way as far as telling the story and a little honest feeling for the subject is hardly a bad thing.

Comparisons to 'The Hot Zone' are inevitable but not quite accurate. 'The Hot Zone' deals with diseases still very much a threat and almost supernaturally spooky in their virulence and mystery. 'Flu' is more a forensic look at a disease that is familiar and whose flirtation with serious mortality has, so far, been a one-time thing.

Say 'Ebola' to someone and they react: where is it? how bad is it? is this the time it will get loose? Say 'flu' and most people shrug. We've all been there, done that. Influenza is a familiar, if unwelcome, guest every year. Reading Ms. Kolata's book won't exactly have you hiding under your bed come next flu season, but you might not be quite so inclined to cavalierly skip the innoculation campaign either.

Great historical overview, rather weak storytelling
First, whoever designed the cover and spine of this book should be fired. While sitting on your bookshelf the neon green spine jumps out and the lettering makes it look like some cheesy sci-fi tripe. Which is unfortunate, because it's a very informative book and full of excellent research. It's odd that the great flu epidemic got relegated to an historical footnote, because it's scale was devastating and frightening. It's also likely that sometime in the future a similar outbreak will jump from animal to man in south China or somewhere similar. And the results today would dwarf the original flu epidemic and make SARS seem like a mild fever. This book makes for fascinating reading on these counts and it's very interesting to follow how the scientists went back to uncover the flu's origins.
Like many psuedo-historical books of this nature, however, the author is much less skilled as a writer than she is as a researcher. She tries too hard to inject the book with drama when the subject matter itself is sufficiently dramatic. Thus reading it becomes irritating at times because the prose and bad melodrama gets to you, but you nonetheless don't want to stop reading and not get all of the information.

Frightening but an excellent read
Highly readable though this book I'm sure was not written to make you an expert on the subject. If you know nothing about the Flu epidemic of 1918 nor other quasi flu epidemics and near misses that have occured since, this book will effectively acquaint you with all of them. I would say that Ms Kolata's style is somewhat journalistic breezy and and her presentation of the material to some no-nonsense type readers might be off putting. But to my mind she very carefully builds her story so that by the conclusion we have surveyed many of the players, including the various viruses, and then she let's us all down softly as no real satisfying conclusion seems available at this time. I particularly liked the details of the virus hunters and scientists and felt that these characterizations were absolutely necessary to the premise of the book. In fact I was quite inspired by their stories. ... Read more