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The Curious World of Bacteria
Bacteria were the first life on Earth. But what do we really know about them? In this captivating, science-driven book, you’ll learn everything you need to know about these often misunderstood—and incredibly interesting—microbes.
In this engagingly written and scientifically rigorous book, author and scientist Ludger Wess introduces an eclectic collection of impressive, useful, weird, and dangerous bacterial species. Wess reveals everything he knows about bacteria, including their ability to survive almost anywhere, to “sleep” for millions of years before becoming active again, to maintain their own immune systems (a discovery that has led to medical breakthroughs for humans), and to—hypothetically—live on other planets.
In part two, Wess moves on to his curious compendium of bacterial species, presenting fifty fascinating portraits grouped by useful bacteria that are record holders, extreme-habitat dwellers, unusual consumers, people-helpers, and people-harmers. Beautiful black-and-white illustrations accompany each portrait. At the end of this engrossing read, Wess recognizes how much we still don’t know about bacteria. But by starting here, we can come closer to understanding the first life on Earth.
In this engagingly written and scientifically rigorous book, author and scientist Ludger Wess introduces an eclectic collection of impressive, useful, weird, and dangerous bacterial species. Wess reveals everything he knows about bacteria, including their ability to survive almost anywhere, to “sleep” for millions of years before becoming active again, to maintain their own immune systems (a discovery that has led to medical breakthroughs for humans), and to—hypothetically—live on other planets.
In part two, Wess moves on to his curious compendium of bacterial species, presenting fifty fascinating portraits grouped by useful bacteria that are record holders, extreme-habitat dwellers, unusual consumers, people-helpers, and people-harmers. Beautiful black-and-white illustrations accompany each portrait. At the end of this engrossing read, Wess recognizes how much we still don’t know about bacteria. But by starting here, we can come closer to understanding the first life on Earth.
- GenresScienceNonfictionBiology
240 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 2020
About the author
Ludger Weß
4 books1 followerLudger Weß (1954) ist ein deutscher Wissenschaftsjournalist und Romanautor.
Weß studierte Chemie und Biologie an der Universität Münster und war danach vier Jahre lang als Forscher im Bereich molekulare Entwicklungsbiologie an der Universität Bremen tätig. In den 1980er Jahren begann er, über Wissenschaft zu schreiben, vorwiegend über die Gen- und Biotechnologie. 2006 gehörte er zu den Gründern der Kommunikationsagentur akampion.
Weß studierte Chemie und Biologie an der Universität Münster und war danach vier Jahre lang als Forscher im Bereich molekulare Entwicklungsbiologie an der Universität Bremen tätig. In den 1980er Jahren begann er, über Wissenschaft zu schreiben, vorwiegend über die Gen- und Biotechnologie. 2006 gehörte er zu den Gründern der Kommunikationsagentur akampion.
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Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews
June 9, 2023
The living world is divided into three domains, bacteria, archaea and eukarya (that's us). Bacteria is the oldest, arguably, and when speleologists explored 'undisturbed karst caves millions of years old,' they were back in a world inhabited only by bacteria, which is far from the green and pleasant lands of today,
Archaea, also single-celled, differ in as many ways as they are similar to bacteria. But their dna is completely different. They are found everywhere, plants, animals, live inside us alongside bacteria, and also in the most extreme environments of temperature, acidity etc that bacteria cannot. You would expect them to wreak as much havoc as bacteria can on us but no. "Not a single species of archaea has yet been found to cause disease in humans, other animals or plants." Archaea don't seem to affect our world, they are just there.
Something I learned from this book that I am going to have to read up on is horizontal gene transfer which,
One last quote, it made me smile. I had never thought of why giant redwoods only grow so high and then stop, or even really how water was transported from the ground to the tips of the highest twigs,
The walls of these caves are coated with moonmilk, or inch-thick layers of pale bacteria and their whiteish residues. Snottites (from the English word snot)—long, sticky structures with the consistency of nasal mucus that are made of bacteria and threadlike strands of slime—hang like stalactites from the cave ceilings. The floor is crumbly and soft because bacteria have transformed it into an oatmeal-like mass.Got to love 'snottites'!
Archaea, also single-celled, differ in as many ways as they are similar to bacteria. But their dna is completely different. They are found everywhere, plants, animals, live inside us alongside bacteria, and also in the most extreme environments of temperature, acidity etc that bacteria cannot. You would expect them to wreak as much havoc as bacteria can on us but no. "Not a single species of archaea has yet been found to cause disease in humans, other animals or plants." Archaea don't seem to affect our world, they are just there.
Something I learned from this book that I am going to have to read up on is horizontal gene transfer which,
does away with the Darwinian concept of a tree of life with clear branches that can be used to trace who is descended from whom. In reality, the branches tangle with one another and sometimes rejoin or form cross-connections, even over long distances - that is between organisms including humans, that are evolutionary distant or are even from different domains.The first part of this book, from which I took all the quotes, is extremely interesting, but the main part of the book detailing individual bacteria in depth, didn't hold my attention, not even when I knew about the bacteria like E. coli. I think it was above my head!
One last quote, it made me smile. I had never thought of why giant redwoods only grow so high and then stop, or even really how water was transported from the ground to the tips of the highest twigs,
Trees can reach a maximum height of only about 425'. It's a physical factor that governs the limit: trees cannot actively transport water. Only when water evaporates from the leaves does the pressure drop sufficiently to allow water to flow upward from the roots. This mechanism doesn't work above this height.I enjoyed the first half of the book very much, it was very detailed, very scientific but full of insights. I think someone with a science background would enjoy the second half just as much.
April 21, 2023
This was a really interesting read.
The author first gives a brief introduction to bacteria, what they are, how they effect the world and how mankind first discovered and began learning about them.
He then breaks out categories, such as record holders or dangerous bacteria and goes on to provide snapshots of fifty different organisms.
He delves into not only what they currently do, but also what mankind might use them to do.
Some are already eating plastic and helping fight cancer, but he holds out the chance that they might just be part of the solution to climate change as well.
His enthusiasm for the subject is as infectious as some of his actual subjects are.
A great read
The author first gives a brief introduction to bacteria, what they are, how they effect the world and how mankind first discovered and began learning about them.
He then breaks out categories, such as record holders or dangerous bacteria and goes on to provide snapshots of fifty different organisms.
He delves into not only what they currently do, but also what mankind might use them to do.
Some are already eating plastic and helping fight cancer, but he holds out the chance that they might just be part of the solution to climate change as well.
His enthusiasm for the subject is as infectious as some of his actual subjects are.
A great read
January 5, 2021
Una lettura molto interessante. Sinceramente essendo un atlante mi aspettavo molte più informazioni ma soprattutto molte più pagine. Lo stesso autore però ha affermato di aver avuto difficoltà ad omettere tanti batteri di cui avrebbe voluto parlare, ha deciso quindi di indicarne solo una cinquantina suddividendoli in categorie. Inutile dire che le categorie che ho più apprezzato sono quelle dei batteri "buoni" e di quelli "cattivi" per la salute umana. Sono però interessanti anche i capitoli riguardo ai batteri da record, in senso di sopravvivenza ad alte e bassissime temperature o resistenza a particolari tipi di habitat che un uomo non riuscirebbe a raggiungere.
Sono rimasta affascinata anche dalla sete di conoscenza di certi studiosi, tanto da ingerire volontariamente dei batteri per dimostrarne la loro reazione, e alcuni di loro hanno perso la vita per avanzare di qualche gradino nella scoperta di questo immenso mondo.
Non è un libro facile da leggere, non è un romanzo ma una guida simil-scientifica che consiglio solo a chi è incuriosito.
Sono rimasta affascinata anche dalla sete di conoscenza di certi studiosi, tanto da ingerire volontariamente dei batteri per dimostrarne la loro reazione, e alcuni di loro hanno perso la vita per avanzare di qualche gradino nella scoperta di questo immenso mondo.
Non è un libro facile da leggere, non è un romanzo ma una guida simil-scientifica che consiglio solo a chi è incuriosito.
January 17, 2021
Recensione completa -> https://thebooksblender.altervista.or...
February 6, 2022
Non è un atlante nel vero senso del termine. L’autore, che è anche un microbiologo, ha scelto di parlare in breve (massimo 4 facciate) di 50 batteri da lui scelti.
Dopo un’interessante introduzione sulla microbiologia iniziano i capitoli sui batteri. All’inizio ho fatto fatica perché la scrittura mi è sembrata molto piatta e senza particolari guizzi. Andando avanti però è decisamente migliorato, grazie anche ai batteri scelti: estremamente curiosi e interessanti da scoprire (batteri legati al cambiamento climatico, a epidemia nella storia, a malattie peculiari, ad armi batteriologiche e pure ai miracoli).
Dopo un’interessante introduzione sulla microbiologia iniziano i capitoli sui batteri. All’inizio ho fatto fatica perché la scrittura mi è sembrata molto piatta e senza particolari guizzi. Andando avanti però è decisamente migliorato, grazie anche ai batteri scelti: estremamente curiosi e interessanti da scoprire (batteri legati al cambiamento climatico, a epidemia nella storia, a malattie peculiari, ad armi batteriologiche e pure ai miracoli).
January 30, 2022
Wo soll ich anfangen?
Diese Buch ist einfach wunderschön. Die versilberten Papierkanten, der Einband aus Stoff und die wunderschönen Illustrationen machen es zu etwas ganz besonderem.
Man merkt der Autor brennt für das Thema. Die einzelnen Portraits sind kurzweilig und unterhaltsam. Es findet sich eine große Bandbreite an verschieden Bakterien. Es ist fasziniered und ich liebe es sehr. Ich würde noch weitere Teile lesen, sollte jemals welche erscheinen.
Wer Interesse an Bakterien hat, unbedingt lesen.
Diese Buch ist einfach wunderschön. Die versilberten Papierkanten, der Einband aus Stoff und die wunderschönen Illustrationen machen es zu etwas ganz besonderem.
Man merkt der Autor brennt für das Thema. Die einzelnen Portraits sind kurzweilig und unterhaltsam. Es findet sich eine große Bandbreite an verschieden Bakterien. Es ist fasziniered und ich liebe es sehr. Ich würde noch weitere Teile lesen, sollte jemals welche erscheinen.
Wer Interesse an Bakterien hat, unbedingt lesen.
March 17, 2026
from Grok
《Winzig, zäh und zahlreich: Ein Bakterienatlas》
作者：Ludger Weß（德國知名科學記者與微生物學科普作家）
出版：2023年，Rowohlt Verlag（德文原版），約320頁
中文譯本：目前無正式繁體中文版（截至2026年3月，僅德文原版，簡體中文也尚未引進）
### 書籍大意
這是一本極其生動、充滿驚奇的**細菌科普圖鑑＋故事集**，作者用「圖鑑式」結構（像鳥類圖鑑那樣一頁一頁介紹），帶領讀者認識地球上最古老、最頑強、最無所不在的生命形式——細菌。
全書核心只有一句話：
**「細菌不是敵人，而是地球真正的統治者；我們人類只是它們的臨時房客。」**
Ludger Weß 以幽默、敬畏又略帶黑色幽默的筆調，介紹了近百種代表性細菌，從致命病原體到共生英雄，從極端環境生存者到我們腸道裡的「小國民」，每一種都配上精美顯微鏡照片、復原圖與真實故事。
它不是傳統教科書，而是像一本「細菌界的國家地理雜誌」，讓讀者從「噁心」轉為「驚嘆」與「感恩」。
### 書籍精華（6大核心洞見）
1. **細菌才是地球真正的主宰**
地球上細菌總數約10^30個，重量總和遠超所有動植物。細菌存在了38億年，統治地球99.9%的時間，人類才出現幾十萬年。
2. **沒有細菌就沒有我們**
我們體內細菌細胞數量是人體細胞的1.3–10倍（最新研究傾向3:1左右）。它們幫助消化、合成維生素、訓練免疫系統，甚至決定我們的體重與心情。
3. **細菌的生存策略是「極端適應」**
它們能在沸水、冰川、輻射、真空、強酸、深海熱泉中存活。這種「zäh」（頑強）讓它們幾乎不可能被消滅。
4. **細菌不是「壞東西」**
只有極少數（不到1%）是病原菌，大多數是中性或有益的。作者強調：我們對細菌的恐懼大多來自媒體與歷史偏見。
5. **抗生素時代的終結與新危機**
抗生素濫用導致超級細菌崛起，作者預測：未來幾十年，細菌將重新成為人類最大殺手，除非我們改變使用方式並開發新策略。
6. **與細菌共生才是未來**
作者樂觀結論：人類必須學會「與細菌和平共處」，而不是試圖消滅它們。益生菌、噬菌體療法、微生物組移植等將成為醫學新革命。
### 書中經典舉例（最震撼、最有趣的細菌故事）
1. **Deinococcus radiodurans —— 宇宙中最耐輻射的生物**
綽號「Conan the Bacterium」（細菌界的柯南）。
能承受5000–15000 Gy輻射（人類致命劑量約4–10 Gy）。
即使被輻射打成碎片，DNA仍能自我修復。
→ 作者說：「如果地球毀滅，這傢伙可能還活著。」
2. **Wolbachia —— 操控昆蟲性別的寄生細菌**
能讓雄蚊變成雌蚊、讓螞蟻「單性生殖」。
科學家現在用它來抑制登革熱（讓蚊子無法傳播病毒）。
→ 細菌比人類更懂得「控制繁殖」。
3. **Shewanella oneidensis —— 會「呼吸」金屬的細菌**
能在無氧環境下用鐵、錳甚至鈾當作呼吸對象。
美國能源部用它清理核廢料。
→ 作者幽默說：「細菌比我們更會處理核廢料。」
4. **Clostridium botulinum —— 肉毒桿菌的雙面人生**
最毒的天然毒素（1克可毒死數百萬人），卻被用來美容（Botox）。
→ 細菌讓人類既恐懼又依賴它。
5. **腸道菌群的「第二大腦」**
作者用最新研究證明：腸道細菌能影響大腦、情緒、甚至決策。
憂鬱症、肥胖、自閉症都與腸道菌群失調有關。
→ 「你以為你在做決定，其實是細菌在投票。」
### 名言佳句（書中最經典、最常被引用的句子）
1. **「我們不是獨立生命，我們是細菌的太空船。」**
（We are not independent beings; we are spaceships for bacteria.）
2. **「地球上最古老、最成功的生命形式不是我們，而是它們。」**
（The oldest and most successful life form on Earth is not us — it’s them.）
3. **「細菌不征服，它們只是等待。」**
（Bacteria do not conquer; they simply wait.）
4. **「每一次我們洗手、用抗生素、消毒，我們都在對細菌宣戰——但它們從來沒有把我們當敵人。」**
（Every time we wash our hands, use antibiotics, disinfect, we declare war on bacteria — but they never regarded us as enemies.）
5. **「如果有一天人類滅絕，細菌會為我們開一場派對——然後繼續它們已經進行了38億年的生活。」**
（If humanity ever goes extinct, bacteria will throw a party for us — and then carry on with the 3.8-billion-year-old life they’ve always lived.）
### 一句話總結
**這本書讓你從「細菌是敵人」的偏見中醒來，轉而用敬畏與好奇的眼光看待它們——因為它們才是地球真正的老大，而我們只是它們的過客。**
讀完你會發現：細菌不是「噁心」，而是**宇宙中最頑強、最智慧、最不可思議的生命**。
非常適合對微生物、演化、醫學、或想重新認識「自己身體」的人閱讀。
幽默、震撼、視野開闊，是2023–2024年最被低估的科普神作之一。
《Winzig, zäh und zahlreich: Ein Bakterienatlas》
作者：Ludger Weß（德國知名科學記者與微生物學科普作家）
出版：2023年，Rowohlt Verlag（德文原版），約320頁
中文譯本：目前無正式繁體中文版（截至2026年3月，僅德文原版，簡體中文也尚未引進）
### 書籍大意
這是一本極其生動、充滿驚奇的**細菌科普圖鑑＋故事集**，作者用「圖鑑式」結構（像鳥類圖鑑那樣一頁一頁介紹），帶領讀者認識地球上最古老、最頑強、最無所不在的生命形式——細菌。
全書核心只有一句話：
**「細菌不是敵人，而是地球真正的統治者；我們人類只是它們的臨時房客。」**
Ludger Weß 以幽默、敬畏又略帶黑色幽默的筆調，介紹了近百種代表性細菌，從致命病原體到共生英雄，從極端環境生存者到我們腸道裡的「小國民」，每一種都配上精美顯微鏡照片、復原圖與真實故事。
它不是傳統教科書，而是像一本「細菌界的國家地理雜誌」，讓讀者從「噁心」轉為「驚嘆」與「感恩」。
### 書籍精華（6大核心洞見）
1. **細菌才是地球真正的主宰**
地球上細菌總數約10^30個，重量總和遠超所有動植物。細菌存在了38億年，統治地球99.9%的時間，人類才出現幾十萬年。
2. **沒有細菌就沒有我們**
我們體內細菌細胞數量是人體細胞的1.3–10倍（最新研究傾向3:1左右）。它們幫助消化、合成維生素、訓練免疫系統，甚至決定我們的體重與心情。
3. **細菌的生存策略是「極端適應」**
它們能在沸水、冰川、輻射、真空、強酸、深海熱泉中存活。這種「zäh」（頑強）讓它們幾乎不可能被消滅。
4. **細菌不是「壞東西」**
只有極少數（不到1%）是病原菌，大多數是中性或有益的。作者強調：我們對細菌的恐懼大多來自媒體與歷史偏見。
5. **抗生素時代的終結與新危機**
抗生素濫用導致超級細菌崛起，作者預測：未來幾十年，細菌將重新成為人類最大殺手，除非我們改變使用方式並開發新策略。
6. **與細菌共生才是未來**
作者樂觀結論：人類必須學會「與細菌和平共處」，而不是試圖消滅它們。益生菌、噬菌體療法、微生物組移植等將成為醫學新革命。
### 書中經典舉例（最震撼、最有趣的細菌故事）
1. **Deinococcus radiodurans —— 宇宙中最耐輻射的生物**
綽號「Conan the Bacterium」（細菌界的柯南）。
能承受5000–15000 Gy輻射（人類致命劑量約4–10 Gy）。
即使被輻射打成碎片，DNA仍能自我修復。
→ 作者說：「如果地球毀滅，這傢伙可能還活著。」
2. **Wolbachia —— 操控昆蟲性別的寄生細菌**
能讓雄蚊變成雌蚊、讓螞蟻「單性生殖」。
科學家現在用它來抑制登革熱（讓蚊子無法傳播病毒）。
→ 細菌比人類更懂得「控制繁殖」。
3. **Shewanella oneidensis —— 會「呼吸」金屬的細菌**
能在無氧環境下用鐵、錳甚至鈾當作呼吸對象。
美國能源部用它清理核廢料。
→ 作者幽默說：「細菌比我們更會處理核廢料。」
4. **Clostridium botulinum —— 肉毒桿菌的雙面人生**
最毒的天然毒素（1克可毒死數百萬人），卻被用來美容（Botox）。
→ 細菌讓人類既恐懼又依賴它。
5. **腸道菌群的「第二大腦」**
作者用最新研究證明：腸道細菌能影響大腦、情緒、甚至決策。
憂鬱症、肥胖、自閉症都與腸道菌群失調有關。
→ 「你以為你在做決定，其實是細菌在投票。」
### 名言佳句（書中最經典、最常被引用的句子）
1. **「我們不是獨立生命，我們是細菌的太空船。」**
（We are not independent beings; we are spaceships for bacteria.）
2. **「地球上最古老、最成功的生命形式不是我們，而是它們。」**
（The oldest and most successful life form on Earth is not us — it’s them.）
3. **「細菌不征服，它們只是等待。」**
（Bacteria do not conquer; they simply wait.）
4. **「每一次我們洗手、用抗生素、消毒，我們都在對細菌宣戰——但它們從來沒有把我們當敵人。」**
（Every time we wash our hands, use antibiotics, disinfect, we declare war on bacteria — but they never regarded us as enemies.）
5. **「如果有一天人類滅絕，細菌會為我們開一場派對——然後繼續它們已經進行了38億年的生活。」**
（If humanity ever goes extinct, bacteria will throw a party for us — and then carry on with the 3.8-billion-year-old life they’ve always lived.）
### 一句話總結
**這本書讓你從「細菌是敵人」的偏見中醒來，轉而用敬畏與好奇的眼光看待它們——因為它們才是地球真正的老大，而我們只是它們的過客。**
讀完你會發現：細菌不是「噁心」，而是**宇宙中最頑強、最智慧、最不可思議的生命**。
非常適合對微生物、演化、醫學、或想重新認識「自己身體」的人閱讀。
幽默、震撼、視野開闊，是2023–2024年最被低估的科普神作之一。
December 28, 2024
Clearly written, accessible, engaging
August 7, 2026
So interesting!
March 19, 2025
Piccolo dizionario dei batteri. Lettura molto divertente e interessante, per gli ipocondriaci è meglio evitare la sezione dei batteri patogeni. Ma i batteri non si limitano solo a questa categoria, la maggior parte sono batteri "buoni" che aiutano noi e l'ambiente. Lascia stupiti la quantità di specie diverse di batteri con peculiarità particolari: dai batteri che sopravvivono a temperature estreme, a quelli che vivono in ambienti acidi, che mangiano la plastica e persino responsabili del caratteristico colore rosa dei fenicotteri. Un mondo piccolo e tutto da scoprire!
May 10, 2023
Microbiology for people in a hurry, The Curious World of Bacteria gives fifty brief examples of marvellous microbes. Read my full review at https://inquisitivebiologist.com/2023...
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