Microbia: A Journey into the Unseen World Around You

by Eugenia Bone

While researching her book about mushrooms, Eugenia Bone became fascinated with the huge impact microbes have on every aspect of life. But as she began reading scholarly works in an attempt to grasp the microbiology, she quickly realized she couldn't do it alone. That’s why she went back to school in middle age, to study Ecology, Evolution, and Environmental Biology at Columbia University. Her college experience was in equal parts challenging, humbling, and hilarious. The material was daunting, not only because she had spent her life convinced it was beyond her comprehension (a conviction many people share about science), but also because microbes are so different from the organisms we can see. She initially found it difficult to understand creatures that evolve so fast they can become another species in a matter of weeks, that can share genes by touching, that bridge the nonliving and living spheres of life. But despite her academic trials, Bone realized all life, from a mushroom to a maestro, are microbial in essence. Indeed, life itself is a vast conspiracy of microbes.

This popular science book takes the layman on a broad survey of the role of microbes in nature and shows how different the world is with a microbial point of view.

Genres: Nonfiction, Science, Biology, Health, Memoir, Nature

288 pages, Hardcover

First published April 3, 2018

About the author

Eugenia Bone, a veteran food writer who has published in many national magazines and newspapers, is also a cookbook author. She has contributed to many cookbooks and a few literary journals, been nominated for a variety of food writing awards and participated in radio, interactive and online interviews, in addition to appearing multiple times on television. Eugenia teaches and lectures about food preservation. She lives in New York City and Crawford, Colo.

Reviews

[Stewart Tame · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a bit different from what I was expecting.  Yes, we get a decent overview of current thinking on the diversity of microbial life and the complex and interdependent ways in which it affects and shapes things on the macro level.  But we also get quite a bit about how Eugenia Bone went about learning all of this information, conferences attended, how she felt returning to college to take classes again, people she interviewed.   It turns out that the bit in the subtitle about “A Journey” wasn't simply a poetic turn of phrase.


Telling the story in this way adds a human dimension to the proceedings.  Reading about her struggles to digest the material helped me to keep perspective on my own struggles with it.  And I don't even have the added complications of having to pass a test on the material.  Some of the science I already knew.  But it was good to be reminded of it, and to see how it fit in with all of the bits that I didn't.


It's frankly amazing how much research went into writing this.   There are pages upon pages at the end of the book detailing her sources and suggesting further reading.  I even skimmed the index.  For what the information is worth, there are no fewer than three pages mentioning Yeast infections, but only one that mentions Yellowstone National Park.  Make of that what you will. 


I definitely enjoyed this book, and am now quite curious about her previous, Mycophilia.  Recommended!

[Stanley B. · Rating 2 out of 5]

The subtitle “A journey Into the Unseen World Around You” made me think this would, at least, be about microbes such as bacteria and fungi. Instead, over half of the book is about the middle aged author going back to college and taking “Ecology, Evolution, and Environmental Biology” at Columbia University.

She wrote about her stress in taking tests and her frustrations at going back to college (not really interesting because she tried too hard to make everything humorous). Another quarter of the book is filled with generic, historical information about microbes. About twenty percent of the book contained interesting information that almost made the book worth reading.

I felt misled by the title and summaries. I was expecting more of a science type of book (her return to college a secondary story). Instead, I read more about the author’s attempt to learn about a science new to her while, maybe, attempting to relive her college years.

[Andrea Robbins · Rating 1 out of 5]

This is a review for the first 20 pages. I can't keep reading. Holy shit, I am so annoyed and I've only ready 20 pages.
This book is supposed to be a soft introduction to how microbiology effects our every day life, for readers who aren't science majors. And, from the first 20 pages and the rest that I skimmed, this book does technically serve as that for part of the chapters. But Eugenia Bone decided she would accomplish the education this book promises by taking you on her personal journey through studying microbiology.
And, holy fuck: this woman an entitled, incompetent moron.

"I can't self-teach, everything's confusing, waaaa." I was homeschooled poorly and literally taught myself high school. I'm not saying the discipline and book smarts required to do that are everyone's personal strengths. But take a fucking chill pill. Get a reality check. Do you live your life and support yourself as a 55 year old published author with this utter lack of follow through and intuition?

"I can't keep up with all the demands of modern college. Everyone probably hates me because I'm old. Everything is confusing!" I'm a college student. I take classes like this. I have to if I want to succeed and get a job. She DOESN'T HAVE TO DO THIS. She has a long career in writing. She has the time and money to go back to school for basically no reason other than on a whim. And yet she has the self confidence of a small dicked 14 year old freshman in a high school locker room. Give me a fucking break; she's a grown ass woman. I know getting older can feel disempowering in a world that focuses on 20 and 30 somethings, but she needs to check her privilage. She could've dropped out at any time and she would still have money, still have a career, and could continue writing about virtually anything else. I mean, SHE DROPPED OUT OF GENERAL CHEMISTRY IN LESS THAN 24 HOURS AFTER THE FIRST CLASS. 24 GODSDAMM FUCKING HOURS. What a lazy asshole!

"I had to use my maiden name! Except there's actually a way to change it in the records. But I'm too entitled and incompentent to bother doing that even though I'm calling it 'infantalizing.'" I'm a trans woman. I don't have the money to change my name. So my college has my deadname on the books. I have to see it all the time. Do I get pissy in my head to those running the system? Of fucking course not. Beaurocracy is a part of every college. Fucking grow up.

For real, I've had struggles a college student - one that NEEDS a degree to support themselves, not some 55 year old woman with a successful career. But I've never complained this much, let alone thought that my complaints would be worth thousands of people's time. It doesn't make her relatable or whatever. She's just obnoxious and entitled. She could've wasted less paper and actually put more educational content in the book. You know, the stuff people are reading it for.

[courtney puidk · Rating 1 out of 5]

This book is so boring, and the author is naively pretentious. “I couldn’t help but wonder what grade I would have received at Community College.”

The whole idea of anyone going back to an Ivy League school for funsies in their 50s, and hiring a tutor to help them digest the course material when their grades don’t really matter, is pretty ludicrous. Many people suffer from student loan debt and couldn’t just waltz back for fun. I don’t know of anyone who’s gone back to school without the goal of getting a degree. Also, there are plenty of free, online ways to learn about a myriad of topics from the comfort of your home... why did she need to go back to school? Oh to siphon a memoir out of the experience.

4/5 for being a good sleep aide... I had trouble getting through more than two pages without dozing off.

The authors “sense of humor” (making cliche jokes about the other students, their age difference, putting down Madison Square Garden, etc) isn’t my style and it would benefit her to be more grateful in her story / keep the story to fit the title and make it less of a memoir. It’s hard to empathize with someone who obviously has so much but seeming doesn’t realize it.

[Liz · Rating 5 out of 5]

How supremely, divinely, ironic: the fundamental basis for all life, and the essential bridge between the non-living, mineral world and the living, organic world, are creatures so tiny they can only be seen with a microscope (hence the name "microbes.") Disease-causing "pathogens" have gotten all the public and scientific attention to date. But Ms. Bone marshals an amazing amount of rigorous and cutting-edge science to clue us in about the workings of the entire unseen universe. And she does it in a way that's accessible, concrete, and verging on entertaining. For instance, explaining how bacteria transfer genes to each other: "Imagine you are lactose intolerant...but you get a job in Switzerland and every meal includes cheese. You have a problem. You really need to eat cheese if you are not going to starve. If you transferred genes the way prokaryotes did, the problem is solved when you encounter a Swiss-cheese eater and shake hands, and the gene that allows him to digest lactose seeps via the handshake into you, and now you have the gene that codes for lactose tolerance. Now let's add a weird twist. Different species of bacteria or archaea can share genes. So, imagine the Swiss-cheese eater is a dog whose paw you shook. You could still get, and be able to use, the dog's lactose-tolerant gene." She goes on: "When a bacterium dies, its cell ruptures and fragments of its DNA spill into the immediate environment. Those fragments can be taken up by another bacterium in the vicinity. It's as if the Swiss cheese-eater sat on a chair and spontaneously combusted and left behind some genes and then you sat on the same chair and picked those genes up." If only more high school biology teachers could explain stuff like this. Another strength of this book is scope. In a mere 221 pages, Ms. Bone manages to cover everything from the universe's evolution to plant metabolism to GMO's to what's really in breast milk to what causes rain. The insights do more than just satisfy curiosity--they help you comprehend the health, environmental, and ecological implications of our society's practices. It's a must-read for any scientist, health care practitioner, policy-maker, or citizen of the planet. The only criticisms: 1) I could've done without the angsty/confessional, 55-year-old-returns-to-college passages, and 2) this thing is screaming for a bibliography.

[Jesse Ofner · Rating 5 out of 5]

I found this an inspiring and captivating read. It brought me back to that place in my youth where science and the search for answers was a favorite thing in life and I now have a backlog of reading planned for the next year.
Her adventures in a college setting as an experienced human provided the seeds for thoughts on my own educational dreams and thoughts on what I would study in that setting if I had the opportunity.
Great read and a great book.

[Oné Pagán · Rating 3 out of 5]

Review posted at: https://baldscientist.wordpress.com/2...

[Joe O'Hallaron · Rating 3 out of 5]

I don’t think Eugenia Bone’s commentary on going back to school is particularly enlightening, but was maybe more interesting to me as someone who’s toyed with doing the same. Thoroughly enjoyed the other half of the book which I thought dove deep enough into each topic to feel less like pop science trivia and a more like I was learning something. A lot of references to other great sounding microbe/ecology related books kept my reading list topped up!

[Craig Tutton · Rating 5 out of 5]

Going back to study biology in my 50s, reading Eugenia Bone while studying my core textbooks was like having a virtual classmate to share the experience with me. Not only that, but an exceedingly well-informed, well-researched classmate. She is a master at assimilating a vast amount of knowledge about modern microbiology. Her brilliance is humbling.

[Jason Roth · Rating 4 out of 5]

Nice mix of humor and fascinating (to me at least) information about Microbiology that was written for the layman. The pace and length made this a very quick and enjoyable read. Will definitely be reading her book about Mycology.

[Scott Lupo · Rating 4 out of 5]

An enjoyable science book in the form of a memoir. The author has a witty and humorous writing style, which was good since she went back to college in her 50's to study subject matter that is dense and difficult for most humans. I did learn more about eukaryotes and prokaryotes (archaea and bacteria) and quite a few new vocabulary words. I especially liked the sections on soil microbes and microbiome since I garden. I also enjoyed the author's way of connecting the non-living with the living, proving we are all connected one way or another. There are a lot of good, layperson explanations throughout the book.

[McKenzie McClaran · Rating 5 out of 5]

The author has a witty, funny, and beautifully articulate way of describing her experience in biology and connecting the smalls to the bigs of life.

[Sarah Gao · Rating 2 out of 5]

I really wanted to like this book and was looking forward to it but I found the title extremely misleading. A great majority of the narrative is tracing Bone’s own journey taking biology classes at Columbia. Given that I am currently going through a similar journey going back to school and taking science classes to build my own foundation, I found it somewhat relatable at first but even so, it grew increasingly grating. Bone complains at every turn of each semester, unable to keep up with the demanding rigors of modern university classes. I found Bone’s writing to be incredibly blind to the privilege she has (paying tens of thousands just to go to Columbia to take a few basic intro level classes, and then complaining about it of course). Although she mentions it maybe a handful of times, it was hard to stomach especially given the large portion of the book dedicated to such complaints.

The other aspects were either explaining rather basic scientific concepts in a very generalized, loose way, or actually about microbiology. It was hard for me, after having taken these courses recently and learning about it on my own, to stay engaged with the material as it never reached the depth I was craving. Bone sacrifices deeper understandings and more robust explanations for breadth and more generalized accessibility. I’m sure there is an audience for this but it was not, especially packaged with the personal complaints about her classes, sufficient for me.

I think this could’ve been a great book had Bone focused less on herself and more on the amazing material microbiology has to offer. I have read many of the books she cites, including Ed Yong’s “I Contain Multitudes” and Blaser’s “Missing Microbes” and would highly suggest these two over Microbia. Perhaps this was an anomaly for Bone as she tries to personally delve deeper into the topic through taking the albeit expensive but useful classes and found it a compelling narrative to tie the book together, but I often found it a bit too simplistic, over generalized, and a bit contrived.

[Stephen · Rating 3 out of 5]

3 out of 5

The title of this book is slightly misleading. You think that this book will present topics on the importance of microbiology and how it effects everyday life. However, the book is about the authors personal journey in to learning about the unseen microscopic world all around us. My expectations were a little different going in and that clouded my judgment of this book. That being said, this is still an enjoyable ready and presents a nice overview of the main topic.

[Alex Williams · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm a little sad to finish Euginia Bone's Microbia today. She explains microbiology so smoothly. I especially loved the chapters on soil microbes and gut microbes but really the whole thing makes a picture of how everything is connected in such a concrete way.

[Bill Leach · Rating 5 out of 5]

The first few chapters of this book review the evolutionary development of microbes, including the formation of mitochondria through the capture of bacteria.

The chapter on the role of fungi in the soil is very good. Endo and ecto-mycorrhizal fungi support the growth of plants by increasing their access to nutrients by over a thousand times the reach of the roots. Ninety percent of the nitrogen in the food chain is made available through bacterial processes. Fungi produce large quantities of glomalin on the surface which binds the soil particles and provides a surface to which the water molecules can adhere. The author also looks at the other members of the soil ecosystem - protozoans, nematode worms, and earthworms. Interesting material on modern industrial farming practices and their effects on the soil.

Bone clarifies that the term microbiome refers to all of the microbial communities living on a host organism. A specific community is identified by its location, as in a root microbiome.

In and on a human, microbes possess genes, numbering 300 times as many as human genes. The gut has a microbiome that evolves with the food supply. Cattle must adapt to eating corn rather than grass as different types of bacteria are needed to digest starch rather than cellulose. Desert woodrats are able to eat the poisonous creosote bush because bacteria in their gut detoxify it.

Bone examines the birth and breast-feeding processes, showing how the mother's bacteria are passed on to the child thus providing the start for its own microbiome and giving some immune protection.

The author looks at what it know about the human gut microbiome. Martin Blaser has shown that Heliobacter pylori, implicated in causing cancers, is actually a normal resident of the gut. It has been associated with protection against asthma and allergies. It may also control gastric hormones that affect appetite and may be a factor in obesity. It is thought that the different types of gut bacteria may influence a person's food preferences, such as cravings for chocolate.

A great review by an engaging writer, with good coverage of newer ideas around the impact of microbes on humans and the environment.

[Heather Zepeda · Rating 2 out of 5]

Incredibly frustrating…. As a biology undergrad focused on microbial ecology, I picked this up excited and inspired to learn a little more about the subject, without wading through densely written journal articles. The entitlement was palpable within a few pages, then the whinging about how hard LEARNING is began (to be fair, burnout is real). The author’s sense of humor might be amusing to herself, but was annoying to me. I slogged through several chapters holding out for some nugget of inspiration or revelation…. But eventually I had to put it down. Not only was this book boring and self-indulgent, but also factually incorrect in many of the details. If this book had been properly fact-checked, I don’t think that I (an undergrad at a state school) should have been able to find as many errors as I did in a casual first read. First, she consistently overused the term “prove” for historical discoveries, when “demonstrated” is a more accurate term. Fine. Then she calls Sal Khan “Saul” multiple times… Ok, fine… not important to the story. A few more minor factual errors slip by. The last straw for me was referring to non coding DNA “junk genes”… by definition, a gene codes for a protein… so she invented a bit of an oxymoron. It’s a little insulting that this woman had the time and money to go back to Columbia and complain to a faceless audience about learning material that she apparently hadn’t learned well enough to explain, and then not even bother to request or use feedback from someone who might know a thing or two about the subject. This book was an unfortunate heap of sewage and I hope someday the microbes that eat it don’t experience any indigestion. If Mary Roach had written a book on this subject instead, it would have been informative and wildly entertaining- goals that Ms. Bone seems to have aspired to, but has missed by leaps and bounds.

[Erica · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was reading this book to see if it might be a good supplemental book whenever I teach microbiology. It was interesting to read through her struggles at going back to school, because I feel like that would resonate with a lot of my students. However, she definitely verged into whiny at times, so that lowered my score. Honestly, genetics is NOT that bad, especially compared to a lot of the other complicated topics their class covered!

Pros to the book: She provided a great overview of a lot of the current research on how important microbes are to a wide variety of different areas (soils, human microbiome, etc). I would have liked more focus on that, and a little less on the personal struggles. Ultimately, I will still recommend my students check it out, especially if they have a strong interest in microbiology, but it will not go on a required reading list.

[Mike Hall · Rating 4 out of 5]

What did I think? I am not sure, at the end of Chapter 11 Eugenia Bone states "that maybe the reason why I did not go to my (latest) graduation was because I never saw myself as being done learning"
At age 74 that is where I am, I am always on a MOOC on line course on a range of eclectic subjects. If I get an understanding of a subject then I am happy, there are about 350 entries in the Index in Microbia, no way am I going to remember all those items.
I could have managed without some of the day to day issues of going back to college whilst in middle age.
Given the range of topics I found it dense but readable and informative, and one with an Index that I could use as a quick reference in the future.
If it is aimed at giving a general overview of "Microbia" then it does a good job.

[Virginia · Rating 4 out of 5]

I found that the way Bone paralleled her experience as a middle aged woman taking a college intro biology course with the deeper insights from the microscopic world was novel and powerful. As a former biology student, I was able to empathize with her struggles of writing lab reports and that helped keep me interested in her story. I learned some new facts about microbes, which is why I picked up this book in the first place. If you are a professional scientist or already know a lot about microbes, this book may not be for you. But if you are curious about the world around you and want it framed in a human-centered, relatable way then pick this book up!

[David Kirchman · Rating 4 out of 5]

As implied by the title, this book has some fascinating stories about bacteria and other microbes in and around us, but the authors also relates going back to school (Columbia, her alma mater) to learn some basics in biology and chemistry, two subjects she had stayed away from while attending college the first time. Those stories, about a slightly older woman going back to school, are often funny and full of asides about higher education today. Although the book has a few mistakes (kelp is not a protist), it is a delightful and fun read.

[Stephanie · Rating 3 out of 5]

I learned some stuff, but I also skipped a lot (the sections about her classes- she's an engaging writer, and I didn't mind them at first because of that, but after a while I just wanted the science stuff. I didn't care about Columbia). It being summer, I have been working in the gardens a lot, so I've been thinking about microbes and their importance and absolute ubiquity, and how a little dirt never hurt.

[Emily · Rating 4 out of 5]

Bone made the microbial world palatable and I am excited to have furthered my understanding of the body as an ecosystem. Looking forward to using this information to inform my own decisions about my health as well as in my understanding of soil, gardening, and sustainable food systems. I agree that at some points Bone's descriptions of her education were tedious, but they did serve to make the book less dense which I appreciated at times.

[Roxanne · Rating 4 out of 5]

An unexpected treasure of a book.

The author not only explained the most complex subjects in an easy to understand manner, she made me want to learn more about the world around me. I am not generally a science geek and I loved the subject matter of Microbia.

In addition, you get to journey with the author as she returns to college at age 55.

[Helen Thurloe · Rating 5 out of 5]

Charming, funny, humbling, educational. I learned, I laughed, I cried. A wonderful, philosophical and brave book about ourselves and our world (and our times). Top fun facts for me: Rain is alive. Bacteria secrete uranium. Wow. Eugenia, it was worth the struggle; thanks for explaining so much to the great unwashed...

[Ethan Proud · Rating 5 out of 5]

By far my favorite nonfiction/science author. Very accurate and concise information with vignettes to make the reading journey fun without bogging down the reader. Being an environmental science major myself, I can sympathize with her wtf moment with chemistry. Great book and easy to understand difficult scientific concepts.

[Linda Isakson · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed her science discussions and found her descriptions flowing and beautiful. However, her tortured inner turmoil about being the oldest student in the class quickly became tiresome. It would have made the book much better if she deleted the whole memoir portion and stuck with the science.

[Jen R · Rating 4 out of 5]

I personally identified with the author on struggling to return to school years after finishing college. I also loved her approachable way of presenting the material for everyday folks who aren’t used to scientific journal speak.

[Michael · Rating 4 out of 5]

Could have done with a little less of the back-to-school stuff, but I enjoyed the weaving in and out of microbiology and its day-to-day life connections. Overall a great high-level introduction and a book that generates more interest in microbiology as a result of reading it.

[Christine · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was so disappointed to reach the end. I want to hear more!