Overview

As we continue to live through a pandemic, all eyes are on microbes: an imperceptible and pervasive threat that hangs heavy on the air and clings to surfaces. But the reality of micro-organisms is far more diverse and life-sustaining than such a notion would have us believe (hence the title of this book). Not only are they omnipresent, but we are highly attuned to their workings – both in the world at large and right here within our own bodies. Meanwhile, cutting-edge microbiome research is changing our understanding of reality, challenging fundamental concepts of free will and individuality. Threaded through everything are microbes: the very glue that holds ecosystems together. This topical, engaging and original book counters the prevailing narrative of microbes as the bane of society, along the way providing much-needed clarity on the overwhelmingly beneficial role they play. We discover how the microbiome is highly relevant to environmental and social equity issues, while there’s also discussion about how microbes may influence our decisions: even the way we think about how we think may need to be revisited. Invisible Friends introduces the reader to a vast, pullulating cohort of minute life – friends you never knew you had.

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9781784275686

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Reviews

A fascinating exploration of the possibility of the microscopic world...This is not a book written to shock the reader, or to make the reader aghast at the number of microbes on their eyelashes, or in every breath they take. Rather, it is a book to prompt the restoration of the symbiotic relationship between the visible and invisible worlds, as well as the awareness and appreciation of what is contained within our microbiomes. -- Brian McHugh, Climate Thoughts with Brian Invisible Friends by Jake Robinson is just COOL. A journey through an ever changing understanding of the microscopic world. -- Charlie Bingham, nature and travel writer This is an enthusiastic and hopeful romp through microbiology that encourages readers to rethink their relationship with nature and see themselves as embedded in it.  -- The Inquisitive Biologist Refreshing... This book is a must for students of microbiology. -- Arindam Mitra, Microbiology Today This volume is an excellent introduction to the microbial world... The text is accessible to a lay audience, and it has a useful appendix with further scientific explanations and reading suggestions. Robinson uses storytelling and integrated interviews with scientists to make each point. This book could be used as a text in a general education science course as a way to introduce diverse topics such as ecology, environmental science, evolution, human health, and psychology as well as the obvious microbiology. -- D. Schulman, CHOICE

Author Information

Jake M. Robinson is a microbial ecologist based in the UK. In 2021, he received a PhD from the University of Sheffield. He is passionate about researching microbes, ecosystems, social equity issues and the connections between them, and at the same time is keen to develop ways to conserve and restore nature. Invisible Friends is his first book. 

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