It wasn’t until my second reading that I found this book rather interesting because I had to get past a bunch of ick factor to get there. I never (ever) had an interest in a medical career and avoided biology classes – (in my defense I liked physics and astronomy, geology etc.). – Sad to say I got behind in my blurb/reviews so this will have to do.

I Contain Multitudes: The Microbes Within Us and a Grander View of Life
by Ed Yong
2016 / 373 pages
read by Charlie Anson 9h 52m
rating – A / microbiology

Yong’s style is kind of breezy with some attempts at humor. It could be a fun read if I were more interested and not affected by yuk. I did learn quite a lot.

From Audible:
Joining the ranks of popular science classics like The Botany of Desire and The 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. ©2016 Ed Yong (P)2016 HarperCollins Publishers