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4.0 

I Contain Multitudes

By Ed Yong
I Contain Multitudes by Ed Yong digital book - Fable

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Publisher Description

New York Times Bestseller

New York Times Notable Book of 2016 NPR Great Read of 2016 Named a Best Book of 2016 by The Economist, Smithsonian, NPR's Science Friday, MPR, Minnesota Star Tribune, Kirkus Reviews, Publishers Weekly, The Guardian, Times (London)

From Pulitzer Prize winner Ed Yong, 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. Pulitzer Prize-winning author 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.

603 Reviews

4.0
Thinking Face“I'll read anything Ed Yong writes. He's such a great science communicator!”
Thumbs Up“As a Science teacher, this really scratched an itch in my brain. It was wonderfully nerdy, perfectly applicable, and an engaging narrative.”
“The first two chapters of this book (which are free on Fable) are so fascinating, and I would recommend them to everyone. The strength of this book is immersing you in the understanding that we live not just with microbes (bacteria, yeast, etc) in symbiosis, but that our life is an overlay on the base of the vast amount of ancient life that exists within us and around us. The whole book was great as an audiobook too. As you get further in, it does get rather technical in parts, particularly for someone without training in science (like me). But at that point I was hooked, so let’s go. If you’re particularly interested in the microbiome and the effect of natural remedies like probiotics, I feel like this is a must read. As a sourdough enthusiast, I can’t believe how long it took me to read this. But I think generally it’s a foundational understanding of life as we know it.”
Reviewed in:STEM Book Club

About Ed Yong

Ed Yong is a science writer who reports for The Atlantic. For his coverage of the COVID-19 pandemic, he won the Pulitzer Prize in explanatory reporting, the George Polk Award for science reporting, and other honors. His first book, I Contain Multitudes, was a New York Times bestseller. He is based in Washington, DC.

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