I Contain Multitudes: The Microbes Within Us and a Grander View of Life [Paperback]

Joining the ranks of popular science classics likeThe Botany of DesireandThe Selfish Gene,a groundbreaking, wondrously informative, and vastly entertaining examination of the most significant revolution in biology since Darwin—a “microbe’s-eye view” of the world that reveals a marvelous, radically reconceived picture of life on earth.

Every animal, whether human, squid, or wasp, is home to millions of bacteria and other microbes. Ed Yong, whose humor is as evident as his erudition, prompts us to look at ourselves and our animal companions in a new light—less as individuals and more as the interconnected, interdependent multitudes we assuredly are.

The microbes in our bodies are part of our immune systems and protect us from disease. In the deep oceans, mysterious creatures without mouths or guts depend on microbes for all their energy. Bacteria provide squid with invisibility cloaks, help beetles to bring down forests, and allow worms to cause diseases that afflict millions of people.

Many people think of microbes as germs to be eradicated, but those that live with us—the microbiome—build our bodies, protect our health, shape our identities, and grant us incredible abilities. In this astonishing book, Ed Yong takes us on a grand tour through our microbial partners, and introduces us to the scientists on the front lines of discovery. It will change both our view of nature and our sense of where we belong in it.

“Beautiful, smart, and sometimes shocking” (Wired),I Contain Multitudeslets us peer into the vast world of the microbiome for the first time, allowing us to see how ubiquitous, complex, and vital microbes really are: they sculpt our organs, defend us from disease, break down our food, bombard our genomes with their genes, and grant us incredible abilities. This book will change both our view of nature, and our sense of where we belong in it.