Group Non-Fiction Read - I Contain Multitudes - Jan & Feb 2017 - SPOILERS ALLOWED

[Paul]

The discussion thread is now open. Spoilers are allowed on this thread. Don't read on if you haven't finished the book. Can you also unclick the 'Add to my update feed' people don't see your comments in their home screen. Things to consider:

1. Did you like the book?
2. Do you think that the author covers the subject adequately?
3. Do you like the tone and language of the book?
4. Was there any part of the book that was important or significant to you?
5. Have you learnt anything from the book?
6. Has reading this encouraged you to look for other books on the subject?

[JoJo]

just bought my copy of this ready for next month. really looking forward to this one

[Ericka]

1. Did you like the book? Yes, but also no. I originally though the topic was interesting but I didn't like the organization of the book.

2. Do you think that the author covers the subject adequately? I suppose it's pretty thorough.

3. Do you like the tone and language of the book? Sure?

4. Was there any part of the book that was important or significant to you? Yes, but mostly the parts I already knew about "good bacteria."

5. Have you learned anything from the book? I probably learned a lot about insects I wasn't looking to learn.

6. Has reading this encouraged you to look for other books on the subject? Yes, I'd be interested in a more organized book on this topic that focuses more on human bacteria (and/or viruses).

My actual review was: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

[Anetq]

I'm really liking this one so far!
I re-read the more popularly account of the system: Gut: The Inside Story of Our Body’s Most Underrated Organ by Giulia Enders - and Ed Yong's book is a nice follow-up: More in-depth and technical...

[JoJo]

Liking it so far although only read first couple of chapters. If I remember rightly he refers to the Earth's timescale as to that of a calendar year with humans appearing only in the very last few seconds of the year. He quotes Attenborough as using this analogy but I'm pretty sure it was Carl Sagan who described it so eloquently in 'Cosmos'.

[Anetq]

I finished it. Still liking it a lot - I did have a crisis in the middle technical bit about bacteria & animal symbiosis (it felt long or I just kept falling asleep?) Anyway I got some sleep and it picked up and finished really good. My review here:
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

[Pamela]

I don't read many books about science, and I found this surprisingly accessible overall. I would have liked a glossary for the terms used as I did get confused at first - that lessened after about half way as I began to get familiar with the arguments.
I thought Yong covered the subject thoroughly, and the notes were extensive. I found the section about the probiotics 'industry' very useful and balanced - it helped to debunk the sensational claims from both supporters and critics.
I learned a lot from this, it's a good wide ranging overview of the subject, and I would read something more specific around the topic of pathogens or viruses.

[Paul]

I really enjoyed this book, even though it was occasionally unsavory! Yong manages to convey his subject really well and mixes the level between the really complex and the straightforward. There are hints of wit too manking it enjoyable to read. My review is here

[Catherine]

Just finished this one. Took me a long time to read, but that was personal circumstances, not the fault of the book, which I thought was excellent. Entertaining, informative and witty.
Like Pamela, I was interested in the section about probiotics, although their lack of efficacy was not a surprise because the BBC had done a good science series on foods for health about 4 or 5 years ago and found in there, no difference between the stomach bacteria of people who took probiotics and those who did not.

I had not realised the plight of frogs and other amphibians worldwide and was very worried to hear about the fungus that is destroying them.

There was one nagging thought that pestered me throughout the book though and that was that it was on the whole, so upbeat about what some microbes could do to cancel the undesirable effects of what other microbes could do that I felt a little suspicious. I am always wary of adulation of a new wonder drug, environmental fix etc because so often down the line it transpires the the new wonder has some unpleasant side effects that cause equal or greater problems than the original did.
The talk about importing microbes into people to fix problems sounds wonderful, but I could not help thinking about other introductions that have created greater problems than those they were supposed to fix, such as the cane toad in Australia and the american signal crayfish in the UK.

[Patricia]

I enjoyed this book because it wasn't overly scientific, but had enough science-based info to give it some credibility. I felt the subject was adequately covered and would lead me to seek more specific information on narrower topics. The tone wasn't preachy, judgmental, or condescending, but had an approachable tone and language that was easy to follow and understand.
The book was interesting to me partly because my facebook page is flooded with "friends" using their personal pages to hawk all kinds of probiotics and "gut-health" products. I liked getting some non-product-related, science-based information in these areas. I feel like I learned a little bit about a lot of areas related to the microbiome, and I liked how it connected with some other non-fiction I've read in the last year or two on completely different topics. Connecting those dots!
Interesting side note: After Multitudes, I read The War of the Worlds because I found it on a shelf at school. The Martians are killed off at the end, "slain by the putrefactive and disease bacteria against which their systems were unprepared". I love it when books fit together this way without any forethought or planning on my part!