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The Secret Life of Germs

What They Are, Why We Need Them, and How We Can Protect Ourselves Against Them

By: Philip M. Tierno

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Paperback | 6 January 2004 | Edition Number 1

At a Glance

Paperback
320 Pages

Dimensions(cm)
21.43 x 13.97 x 2.29

Paperback

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Despite the remarkable advances of medical science, despite the fact that diseases that once decimated entire populations are themselves extinct, germs and microbes are challenging medicine in ways that were unimaginable only a decade ago. Germs are now being linked to a host of ailments, and every year some new horror story on killer germs surfaces. Suddenly it seems that there is an explosion of infections never before reported in modern history, all caused by arcane germs. In THE SECRET LIFE OF GERMS, Dr. Philip Tierno explains what kinds of threats actually exist by revealing the mechanisms behind some 150 recent germ ''events''. He dismantles sensationalist media scares to offer a glimpse of the underlying principles of the miracle of life, and takes the reader into the elegantly ordered world of microbes. He discusses pioneers of the ''Germ Century'', such as Louis Pasteur, examines the ''germ factory'' that is the human body, and scrutinizes a typical home. Yet with all this potentially terrifying information, Dr. Tierno is at heart an optimist. The recycling of matter, he explains, is the key to the perpetuation of life as we know it. Were it not for the action of germs, the earth would be uninhabitable. This incredible book is both a practical home resource and a fascinating guide to the hidden mysteries of the world around us, an engaging account that will keep readers mesmerized while helping them stay healthy.

Industry Reviews

Booklist A fascinating, informative book on the good as well as the bad features of germs.

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You Can Find This Book In

Non-Fiction Science Science in General Popular Science Family & Health Popular Medicine & Health Biology, Life Sciences Microbiology excluding Medical Medicine Medicine in General Public Health & Preventive Medicine Epidemiology & Medical Statistics

Coping with / Advice about Personal, Social & Health Topics Coping with / Advice about Illness & Specific Health Conditions

Acknowledgments
The Animalcules
Seeds of Disease, Seeds of Life
How We Make Each Other Sick
The Germ Domain
The Germ Factory
The Enemy Within
The Seeds of Disease
Person to Person
Common Ground
In Thin Air
On the Wing and on Eight Little Legs
The New Age
Not the Usual Suspects
The Germ Revolt
Germ Warfare and Terrorism
Germs for Life
Index
Table of Contents provided by Publisher. All Rights Reserved.

The Secret Life of Germs

What They Are, Why We Need Them, and How We Can Protect Ourselves Against Them

At a Glance

Paperback

Industry Reviews

Shipping

How to return your order

Defective items

You Can Find This Book In

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