Antibiotics have been dispensed as if they have no downsides (other than the rare allergy) but Blaser makes a strong case that they have serious negative effects that are just now being understood. Interesting ideas and a nice quick read. If you're a parent you should definitely take heed of its message.My only complaint is that in the later chapters summarizing his lab's research, he really dumbs it down and I would've preferred for him to introduce terms and then use them as if the reader understood, rather than constructing silly metaphors and reusing them. But, hey, it's pop science after all. fascinating and scary! I certainly learned a lot about our intimate relationship with our resident microbes... not the least of which was the fact that we carry on/in us over 23 MILLION bacterial genes! And as we have been wiping these bugs out with antibiotics over the last half-century, we don't even have a clue what most of them have been up to.The linking of this decimation of our internal microbiome with antibiotics to a host of modern "plagues" as the author calls them veers into speculation a bit as there is still much research to be done. I think the author makes a pretty compelling case though that we need to do much more research to understand how antibiotics and other modern practices are affecting our health. I was a bit disappointed by the latter half of the book as I had hoped for more discussion of potential solutions. I find myself hoping there's an update or "sequel" in a few years when more studies have been done and we have more concrete knowledge on which to base changes in practice and policy.still... fascinating reading for anyone even a bit curious about our silent evolutionary partners.
Good read, interesting take on height, cesarian sections, and early exposure to antibiotics.
—107joker
I heard this on npr. Sounds like a good read.
—Tippy
Disappointing. Not great science writing.
—Avengingangel88
615.7922 B6443 2014
—Hey
