What do you think?
Rate this book
Microbiology: An Introduction
With this Ninth Edition, the “Number One” best-selling non-majors microbiology text extends its trusted and reliable approach with improved disease chapters that feature efficient new “Disease in Focus” boxes, a thoroughly revised immunity chapter (17), new options for the Microbiology Place website/CD-Rom, and a new Media Manager instructor presentation package with 30 multi-step animations. Fundamentals of The Microbial World and You, Chemical Principles, Observing Microorganisms Through a Microscope, Functional Anatomy of Prokaryotic and Eukaryotic Cells, Microbial Metabolism, Microbial Growth, The Control of Microbial Growth, Microbial Genetics, Biotechnology and Recombinant DNA. A Survey of the Microbial Classification of Microorganisms, The Domains Bacteria and Archaea, The Fungi, Algae, Protozoa, and Helminths, Viruses, Viroids, and Prions. Interaction Between Microbe and Principles of Disease and Epidemiology, Microbial Mechanisms of Pathogenicity, Innate Nonspecific Defenses of the Host, Adaptive Specific Defenses of the Host, Practical Applications of Immunology, Disorders Associated with the Immune System, Antimicrobial Drugs. Microorganisms and Human Microbial Diseases of the Skin and Eyes, Microbial Diseases of the Nervous System, Microbial Diseases of the Cardiovascular and Lymphatic Systems, Microbial Diseases of the Respiratory System, Microbial Diseases of the Digestive System, Microbial Diseases of the Urinary and Reproductive Systems. Environmental and Applied Environmental Microbiology, Applied and Industrial Microbiology. For all readers interested in microbiology concepts and applications.
960 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 1986
95 people are currently reading
972 people want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 34 reviews
December 15, 2010
I am very unfortunately deeply engrossed and obsessed with this book right now. The sad story of a nursing student.
December 10, 2009
A very good textbook on Microbiology at the 200-300 college level. The chapter on DNA Replication and Protein Synthesis is especially well-written and presents a complex process in an easily-comprehensible, keenly-illustrated, and methodical manner. The chapter (and a couple others) are actually better than similar chapters in a Human Anatomy & Physiology textbook to which I awarded 5 stars earlier this year. The information in a book like this is so informative that I wish more people read textbooks about subjects they're unfamiliar with, and read them as seriously and closely as they would a favorite novel.
Instead of buying the newly published (and course-required) 10th edition textbook for $179.99, I searched on Amazon and got the International Student Edition for $60.00, including tax. It was made in Cambodia, was a soft cover, and had different cover pictures; however it arrived in 3 days and was a very professional copy that stood up to my repeated abuse. I planned to keep the textbook for reference, and since I would've received less than $60 for selling it used, the International Edition was a victory.
I award 4-stars only because of one consistent pet peeve. There were too many references in early chapters to subsequent chapters, appendicies, tables, pictures, and charts. Too many times the text said, "discussed in chapter XX," "see page XX," "for more info see Appendix XX," "see additional table in following chapter," "...which will be covered later," etc. It occurred so often in the early chapter that it was distracting. It occurred less in the later chapters, but they did refer to previous chapters.
Instead of buying the newly published (and course-required) 10th edition textbook for $179.99, I searched on Amazon and got the International Student Edition for $60.00, including tax. It was made in Cambodia, was a soft cover, and had different cover pictures; however it arrived in 3 days and was a very professional copy that stood up to my repeated abuse. I planned to keep the textbook for reference, and since I would've received less than $60 for selling it used, the International Edition was a victory.
I award 4-stars only because of one consistent pet peeve. There were too many references in early chapters to subsequent chapters, appendicies, tables, pictures, and charts. Too many times the text said, "discussed in chapter XX," "see page XX," "for more info see Appendix XX," "see additional table in following chapter," "...which will be covered later," etc. It occurred so often in the early chapter that it was distracting. It occurred less in the later chapters, but they did refer to previous chapters.
December 19, 2012
While technically adding a textbook to Goodreads is bad form... I definitely read this entire book for my Microbiology class. I thought it was an excellent book to use for students in nursing school as it didn't go into TOO much detail but was detailed enough I actually learned something.
June 20, 2020
No longer using this website, but I'm leaving up old reviews. Fuck Jeff Bezos. Find me on LibraryThing: https://www.librarything.com/profile/...
This was a well organized textbook that was not difficult to read. Sometimes, the text would go from painfully obvious generalization in one paragraph to minute frivolous detail in the next. This was often frustrating, as the tests and learning objectives in the class for which I read this book tended to be more specific than the former an more general than the latter. I suppose this could be a review for the class overall, given the extensive overlap between the learning objectives for the class and the questions given at the beginning of each chapter and subject. Textbook conventions were used well. If there was a new word or concept, it was bold and the definition followed. Further, the most important concepts were always the first sentence in the section. This made the text easy to skim or quickly glean answers to learning objectives.
Unfortunately I am very unlikely to ever thumb through this book again, as it is on looseleaf paper in a binder, with no bound version offered at my campus bookstore. This is disgraceful. I would have happily traded in the full color photos for a binding and hardcover. The book was still outrageously expensive, AND IT WASN'T EVEN BOUND!
This was a well organized textbook that was not difficult to read. Sometimes, the text would go from painfully obvious generalization in one paragraph to minute frivolous detail in the next. This was often frustrating, as the tests and learning objectives in the class for which I read this book tended to be more specific than the former an more general than the latter. I suppose this could be a review for the class overall, given the extensive overlap between the learning objectives for the class and the questions given at the beginning of each chapter and subject. Textbook conventions were used well. If there was a new word or concept, it was bold and the definition followed. Further, the most important concepts were always the first sentence in the section. This made the text easy to skim or quickly glean answers to learning objectives.
Unfortunately I am very unlikely to ever thumb through this book again, as it is on looseleaf paper in a binder, with no bound version offered at my campus bookstore. This is disgraceful. I would have happily traded in the full color photos for a binding and hardcover. The book was still outrageously expensive, AND IT WASN'T EVEN BOUND!
September 30, 2011
Normally, I would never add a textbook to my "goodreads" list but I'll make an exception for this. This book is well written, visually detailed, and easy to understand. The concepts in this text follow me throughout my educational career.
May 6, 2019
Everything you needed to know about the basics of microbiology was in this book. It's well laid out, succinct and the information was conveyed clearly. If you need to quickly learn about microbiology in a short period of time, then this is your book of choice.
December 19, 2017
There's a boatload of good information in this book but at some point it degenerates into a sort of glossary of microbes instead of anything that I could read and hope to retain.
December 19, 2023
Honestly a very engaging textbook. I enjoyed it.
August 20, 2025
could be a bit clearer. Great pics tho.
January 30, 2013
Straightforward and has tons of great illustrations which often aided me in understanding more complex concepts. I'm confused that there are so many whiny reviews of this book about how it made "everything" seem gross and ruined their lives. It's actually pretty awesome for a textbook and one of the better ones available on the subject. Shut up and learn to study.
The book does go into more detail than necessary for some people's college programs at the molecular level but these types of books are written for a range of audiences at different levels of academia. It also does an excellent job of explaining that most microbes are NOT harmful--the harmful ones are the exceptions. Info is clear and up to date.
The book does go into more detail than necessary for some people's college programs at the molecular level but these types of books are written for a range of audiences at different levels of academia. It also does an excellent job of explaining that most microbes are NOT harmful--the harmful ones are the exceptions. Info is clear and up to date.
December 22, 2009
I suppose this was as engrossing as a microbio textbook could be.
On the plus side, I finally found a book about the subject that didn't condescend to me. It had gross photos of disease signs and microbes, and beautiful images from electron microscopes.
And for the bad: this book hates anyone who isn't completely germ-phobic. Namely, it hates people who have sex and do drugs, and it does a fine job of attempting to scare people out of those activities.
I'm so glad I can read something besides this book for once. The last four months of my life have been consumed by this thing. Now it's over. Ahhhhh.
On the plus side, I finally found a book about the subject that didn't condescend to me. It had gross photos of disease signs and microbes, and beautiful images from electron microscopes.
And for the bad: this book hates anyone who isn't completely germ-phobic. Namely, it hates people who have sex and do drugs, and it does a fine job of attempting to scare people out of those activities.
I'm so glad I can read something besides this book for once. The last four months of my life have been consumed by this thing. Now it's over. Ahhhhh.
December 23, 2016
Textbook. Has the necessary information. What more can you ask?
Well, I would've preferred more concision at times, with more itemized paragraphs in place of the sometimes excessively detailed descriptions, or just brief paragraphs to supplement the figures and tables. Particularly in this sort of field; in many cases one shouldn't need to wade through the mire to find relevant diagnostic criteria, etiology/epidemiology and treatments, etc.
Well, I would've preferred more concision at times, with more itemized paragraphs in place of the sometimes excessively detailed descriptions, or just brief paragraphs to supplement the figures and tables. Particularly in this sort of field; in many cases one shouldn't need to wade through the mire to find relevant diagnostic criteria, etiology/epidemiology and treatments, etc.
March 6, 2009
I personally think this textbook is quite straight forward - wonderful illustrations, descriptions. There could be more information in both the glossary and the index, you can generally find what you need in a pinch. Although I am excited to be done with this class, I am also grateful to have access to a book that is a better teacher than my actual (human) teacher.
June 2, 2008
I am reading this book for a Microbiology class I am taking. It is very intense and technical...LOL. I sometimes have to read over pages several times to understand it!!! It is definitely a text book and not easy reading!!
July 29, 2008
I find myself looking things up in this text book months after my Microbiology class wrapped up. It has some great pictures and contains great information on microbiology. My children love looking at this text as well....they are intrigued by the photos of funky skin diseases caused by microbes.
June 4, 2011
I went into this book/class with a lot of interest in the subject. They sure took care of that! Wish I had kept this text. The full-color photos are amazing and the information was... well, there was a lot of it.
December 29, 2015
dan memang, mikroskop yang dipakai dan cara menampilkan morfologi mikroba ke dalam bukunya bikin "ngiler" aja. Pengenalan ilmu yang emang bener-bener lengkap (untuk intro) dan pembagian bab dalam buku masih kebayang untuk punya buku fisiknya (one day).
#Recommended
#Recommended
Read
March 29, 2008bout fungies, protozoas, bacterias, etc. causative agents of different diseases and illnesses.microorganisms na di makikita ng naked eye!!ahooo!
August 30, 2008
Gee I don't know can you give negative stars!!!!!!!!!!
December 31, 2009
I'm only on chapter 3 right now
December 21, 2009
not the best laid out textbook I've encountered, but for the subject I guess this was the best they could do.
Currently reading
February 4, 2010mandatory for my class
May 19, 2011
for BIO 275
August 20, 2011
Don't care. Don't have to... I'm done.
June 24, 2013
Woohoo, I am soooo done!!! This book was obviously for my Microbiology class. Nonetheless, it was fun to read and very informative(especially for the tests, haha.)
September 2, 2013
im looking forward to it..
March 16, 2015
Probably the best chapter summaries of any textbook I've ever read.
May 8, 2016
As far as a text book goes, I can honestly say this one never put me to sleep. Good reference material. Great illustrations and pictures.
April 4, 2016
Best textbook EVERRR to the point that I read chapters that were not assigned
July 21, 2008
This was a good compilation of microbiology, it was helpful in the class.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 34 reviews