Invisible Allies: Microbes That Shape Our Lives (BCCB Blue Ribbon Nonfiction Book Award

by Jeanette Farrell

Mmm-mmm, microbes!

Although we are accustomed to equating the presence of microbes with disease, in fact most microbes play a vital "friendly" role in shaping our lives. It is not just that one hundred million microbes can populate a thimbleful of fertile soil, or that many millions live happily in as much of our saliva. Microbes are everywhere, and we could not survive without them. To emphasize their amazing ubiquity, Jeanette Farrell considers the invisible bugs essential to an everyday the eating of a light lunch consisting of a cheese sandwich and a chocolate bar. Microbes create such a lunch, digest it, and, through the alchemy of decomposition, transform it so that the cycle can start all over again. In the course of her eye-opening narrative, Dr. Farrell relates the historical significance of using microbes to preserve foods, our long-standing ambivalence about the microbes that live on and in us, and our growing understanding of their importance.

Interspersed with fascinating anecdotes and illustrations, Invisible Allies will transform the reader's perception of the microcosmic world - around and inside us.

Genres: Science, Nonfiction, Medicine, Medical

176 pages, Hardcover

First published April 12, 2005

Reviews

[McKenna B · Rating 3 out of 5]

Farrell, J, Invisible Allies
Published in April 12th 2005 by Farrar, Straus and Giroux

Invisible Allies is split into five main chapters. "Bacteria at the Table" is talked about a summary of the history of cheese and cheese production. I didn’t know this that there are scientists who are "cheese microbiologists" who study just how cheese is made by the bacteria. "As an expert on cheese microbiology once said, looking for the activity of a particular bacteria in a cheese is a bit like looking for the Loch Ness monster. On the scale of a bacteria, the cheese is as big as the 600-foot-deep lake in Scotland--it offers many living creatures plenty of rooms to hide. Tools for microbial invented in the last twenty years of the twentieth century improved our ability to find and distinguish bacteria, and some of these tools are being used to explore the microbial that is cheese" . Also, "Our Daily Bread" is a described/explained summary of how bread is made--specifically risen bread. This chapter is loyal to/is dedicated to the wonderful bacteria yeast. In this section is a "try this at home" experiment for making your own sourdough bread. Adding on, it tells a story of the brothers Fleischmann and their yeast-selling company. "Food of the Gods" begins as a chapter gave to the history of the cacao bean, which was thought by many cultures to be "the food of the gods" They treated like it was money. Toward the end of the chapter, Farrell goes little off topic to present brief histories of cultural and foods from around the world that depend on bacteria in their production. Which in my opinion I dislike but there might be things in a book that the reader may dislike. But if there are more good things that you like in the book than bad then It’s fine. A example of this is, there is a discussion of kimchee, soy sauce, cassava, sausage, and fish. She also talks about the idea that these foods are an important part of our separate cultures in our world. "Bacteria Are Us" shows us how our own human bodies use bacteria to digest our food that we eat. Also, she points out that these bacterias in our bodies, are extremely important to make our human bodies work properly. We couldn't live without them. The last chapter "Rot Away" discusses how bacteria’s are used to get rid of the human waste. This is the nastiest chapter, in both of our opinions, it discusses how bacteria rots poop in her own words and dead people, animals, and plants.

Invisible Allies is a good book. Farrell includes drawings/pictures that are all in black and white. This book is based on the genetic branch of biology also it has received with a nonfiction book award.
I can tell because in every thing there are microbes. I know because when I searched up a question I had about the book a response was:
“Genetic studies of microbes have revealed much about life processes and the origin of life on Earth. Continued research will help scientists understand more about all life on Earth, including human life. How is it possible that the study of microbes could all do this? In part, it's because of a phenomenon call the conservation of genes across species. This is simply mean that the gene responsible for a specific task in one species will be very much like the gene responsible for that task in other species. They don't have to use microbes. However, microbes can be grown quickly and cheaply in the laboratory, and they can be stored, and are easy to work with.”
The author probably choose this title of the book to be, “Invisible Allies,” because microbes to us human are invisible until we look under a microscope. I think this is an awesome title for this book because microbes are invisible to us humans.

The most interesting part to me as a first impression was that “our entire planet teems with invisible life: microbes, or microorganisms, live in the absolute dark two thousand yards deep in the ocean, in hot springs that nearly heat to boiling, and in the icy interior of Antarctica.” This is on the very bottom of page three and top of page four.
The most memorable passage in this book I think is “ If the microbes were to die off, however, plants, animals, humans would would not stand a chance.” This is from page four. I choose this one because life is a big thing on earth.

Before the thought of these creepy visitors sends you running, somewhat futilely, for a bar of soap, consider this: the successful persistence of microbes is responsible for life on Earth. Microbes release oxygen into the air we breathe, they rid the world of noxious mounds of dead plants and animals, and they free up the parts of those dead things so that we can use them to make our bodies. Those microbes living in our gut digest our foods, make vitamins we need, and hold other unwelcome microbial invaders at bay. It is very likely that if all other forms of life were to die the microbes would go right on enjoying planet Earth in our absence. If the microbes were to die off, however, plants, animals and humans would not stand a chance.

I didn’t know really quite understand how the microbes do things as well as I do now.
That if the microbes were to die off, however, plants, animals and humans would not stand a chance. It’s like a food chain.

This book would interest in how microbes have shaped our lives as human beings. Also if the reader likes history because this book brings in history into some topics that are talked about in this book.
For example how we found out about how they work the way they do. Who was involved in the choices they made to figure out some situations.

A reader could miss if they did not read carefully or were not organized that they have to backtrace in the book because a line didn’t make since. “One microbiologists in what he called the 1941 Census of Bacteria in the United States tried to calculate the total numbers of helpful and harmful bacteria”. This is from the bottom of page four.

[Gavin P. · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was a great experience and taught me a lot about what is in the world around me. It did this with great explanation by using history and experiments as evidence. I would definitely recommend this book if you are interested in how cheese and other foods work. Also, I would recommend it if you want to learn the history behind the little friends around us. Most people who like to learn how viruses and diseases are fought, and people who like to learn about the world around them in a bigger depth. Most people who have problems reading dull books would probable not want to read this.

[Gretchen Blackburn]

LOVED this book, made me want to become a microbiologist. I’d highly recommend- it was digestible, informative, and interesting.

Fun facts from this book:
1 of 30,000 microbes are harmful, compared to 1 of 17,000 people who are murderers.

1 bacterium that reproduces every 20 min can turn into a billion overnight.

A mother’s womb is microbe-free.

Animals raised in a sterile environment grew larger and lived about twice as long as their counterparts, but they were extremely susceptible to infection if brought outside the bubble.

[Stuart Levy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great read about the powerful good role that some bacteria can play.

[Jack Dewald · Rating 3 out of 5]

Invisible Allies by Jeanette Farrell is an informative book about how microbes are required for humans and other organisms to survive. This book also tells about how microbes help make everyday foods.
Jeanette wrote about the near-ancient way of using Penicillium roqueforti, a microbe that aids in the making of blue cheese and the (not so ancient) life saving antibiotic penicillin. Jeanette also discussed the possible ways Egyptians discovered how to use the same microbe that fermented their alcohol to make bread rise. Then she moves on to the making of chocolate and the combined contributions of the different microbes to make the familiar sweet candy we know today. Next she talk about the microbes (such as the ones in our gut that produce vitamin K which plays a major role in the clotting of your blood) that make it possible for us to stay healthy and alive. In the last chapter of the book Jeanette wrote about what happens to your body after you pass away. She said that if microbes didn't decompose our bodies or any organism's bodies then we would have a world full of lifeless bodies piled on the surface of the earth.
Throughout the book Jeanette includes interesting pictures that help you understand the effects that certain microbes have on different things. She includes things that you can do at home like making homemade yogurt with the help of microbes found in spoiled milk.
The kind of person who would like this book is one who likes biology and/or the history of foods because this book explains how microbes shape our lives and keep us alive along with scientific facts about the making/decomposing of everyday things.

[Rashad Peddrew]

Invisible Allies: Microbes That Shape Our Lives was an interesting read, but at times it got boring. The author was a Doctor and you could tell by the word choice she used. The content of this book gives the reader a historical look at the microbes and how the microbes has been discovered by accident by the ancients and discovered and studied by modern scientists. Dr. Farrell talks about Aztecs, the Egyptians, and she even gives details about Europe as she goes through her lessons on microbes. She tells about cacao bean is transformed into cocoa and chocolate. The chapters in the book have historical images of various products that exist simply because of the microbes. These images that she uses are historical images from long ago and serve a purpose even though I feel the images could be a little updated to make it more appealing. Overall, it was an interesting read for me I learned more about bacteria and how microbes actually shape our lives. At first I thought it would be a bad read for me, but it turned out ok. I'll admit there's a macabre appeal to the microbes that kill, but when it comes to the ones that make the awesome stuff we eat, learning how we harnessed useful bacteria is just as cool. I will recommend this book to people who like to read, who wouldn’t mind a slow pace moving book, and to people who like to learn new things. Dr. Farrell did an ok job with this book, but she did give me a better aspect of Microbes.

[Martha Grover · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was a really quick, fascinating read. The author is a doctor and not a writer- the book is a little clumsy in its use of language, but the author knows how to explain science in a clear, concise way. The book talks about microbes, their discovery and their use in our foods and medicines.
Did you know that there are ten times as many microbes in our bodies as we have cells? Pretty amazing!

[Sandra Strange · Rating 3 out of 5]

A good companion to her other book--Though the book about the role of bacteria and fungi in our food, our gut and in rotting everything dead is classified young adult, it provides fun, interesting reading for all. Clear, entertaining, informative, the book is a great addition to a nonfiction library.

[Christine Canaria · Rating 4 out of 5]

Naturally after reading Invisible Enemies and not wanting the book to end, I just had to pick up this book. I'll admit there's a macabre appeal to the microbes that kill, but when it comes to the ones that make the awesome stuff we eat, learning how we harnessed useful bacteria is just as interesting.

[Kristen · Rating 2 out of 5]

I read this for nonfiction book talks. There were parts that were mildly interesting, but I really don't like science very much.

[Rose]

579 Far

[Paige · Rating 5 out of 5]

A wonderful book about many of the helpful bacteria that we depend on.

[Steve · Rating 4 out of 5]

An enjoyable short read. Pretty basic material here, it was in the childrens section in my library after all, but entertaining and informative enough for a good read.

[Linnae · Rating 4 out of 5]

Microbes are pretty cool! Just don't think about it too much...

[Tracy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Basic information about the microbial role and discovery of microbes in cheese, bread, chocolate, human life, and decay. Makes me want to go on that tour of the water treatment plant even more!

[Nsc · Rating 5 out of 5]

Love it