Amazon review:

Bacteria are the most overlooked organisms on your nature walk. You see birds, trees, and wildflowers. You may even examine fungi, rock formations, mosses, lichens, nests, tracks, and insects. However, it is likely that you are not seeing bacteria even though you may know they are there in countless numbers, far outnumbering the other organisms, and that their influence on the environment is vast and profound.Professor Betsey Dexter Dyer of Wheaton College examines the ro More...

I picked this up on one of Audible's super sales (I think I got it for $5) and I absolutely loved it. Yes, I'm a science geek, and your average person is not going to appreciate this but, if you're at all curious about microbes and the history of science, I can assure you this is an excellent course. The professor obviously loves her subject and communicates well. It is aimed at the curious, not the wanna-be microbiologist so it's not TOO technical.

This 14-lecture course provides an introduction to bacteria, explaining how many bacteria are all around us and inside us, and explaining why the vast majority of bacteria are harmless and not pathogenic. Given the recent "anti-bacteria" craze, it's a useful attitude correction. Betsey Dexter Dyer uses analogies well and simplifies the subject without dumbing it down. It seems to be a companion to her book A Field Guide to Bacteria.

This lecture is very remedial. Anyone who has taken a high school biology class will learn very little from it. The author is redundant, and the pace of the lecture is teasingly slow. However, if you want to learn how to identify bacteria by their field marks, it may be worth a listen. Some of the digressions in the lecture are comically out of place, such as the art history of Johannes Vermeer.

really enjoyable survey of bacteria.
Learned a bunch of interesting stuff, and while there was material I already knew, put in context of the whole course it really emphasized the amazing role bacteria plays in the world. the amount of activities that bacteria are responsible for that allow for life as we know it to exist is staggering.

Excellent lecture series on bacteria. I have a much greater appreciation and understanding of bacteria because of this. She talks about the history of microbiology and discusses the many uses of bacteria and the effects that they have on our daily lives. Recommended for anyone who wants to know more about bacteria.

I've taking some microbiology courses in college and rather enjoyed this audiobook. Given I was working in the garden most of the time while listening to this book it seemed rather appropriate.

changed the way I view the world