Microbes and Man - Softcover

Postgate, John

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0521423554 ISBN 13: 9780521423557

Publisher: Cambridge University Press, 1992

Synopsis

This fully updated and revised edition of Professor Postgate's best-selling book provides an inspiring introduction to the fascinating world of microbes and their profound influence on man and the environment we live in. Microbes are everywhere. In the air, in soil, in water, on our skin and hair, in our mouths and intestines, on and in the food we eat. They make the soil fertile; they clean up the environment; they change, often improve, our food; they make vitamins for us inside ourselves; some protect us from less desirable microbes. As 'germs', microbes are regarded as nasty, because a few can cause disease, a few can spoil food, a few can destroy valuable materials. Only when such misfortunes occur are most people conscious of microbes at all. Yet collectively, microbes present a fascinating world of invisible, or barely visible, creatures, which together encompass all the processes of which terrestrial life is capable; creatures which have had, and continue to have, profound effects on our lives and surroundings. In this book, John Postgate explains to ordinary non-scientist readers the impact this invisible community has on our everyday lives, and conveys the excitement microbes can generate in those who study them.

About this title

Review

' ... uniquely captures the essence of microbiology ... should be compulsory reading for all embarking on a microbiological, or indeed biological, career.' Geoff Gadd, SGM Quarterly

Book Description

This popular account of the invisible world of microbes and their impact on humankind has now been revised and updated for a fourth time. The role of microbes in our everyday lives are discussed, as well as their role in socio-economic areas such as agriculture and biotechnology.

Edition details

• Publisher: Cambridge University Press
• Publication date: 1992
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 0521423554
• ISBN 13: 9780521423557
• Binding: Paperback
• Edition number: 3
• Number of pages: 309