I Contain Multitudes
The Microbes Within Us and a Grander View of Life
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Narrated by:
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Charlie Anson
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Written by:
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Ed Yong
About this listen
Joining the ranks of popular science classics like The Botany of Desire and The Selfish Gene, a groundbreaking, wondrously informative, and vastly entertaining examination of the most significant revolution in biology since Darwin - a "microbe's-eye view" of the world that reveals a marvelous, radically reconceived picture of life on Earth.
Every animal, whether human, squid, or wasp, is home to millions of bacteria and other microbes. Ed Yong, whose humor is as evident as his erudition, prompts us to look at ourselves and our animal companions in a new light - less as individuals and more as the interconnected, interdependent multitudes we assuredly are.
The microbes in our bodies are part of our immune systems and protect us from disease. In the deep oceans, mysterious creatures without mouths or guts depend on microbes for all their energy. Bacteria provide squid with invisibility cloaks, help beetles to bring down forests, and allow worms to cause diseases that afflict millions of people.
Many people think of microbes as germs to be eradicated, but those that live with us - the microbiome - build our bodies, protect our health, shape our identities, and grant us incredible abilities. In this astonishing book, Ed Yong takes us on a grand tour through our microbial partners and introduces us to the scientists on the front lines of discovery. It will change both our view of nature and our sense of where we belong in it.
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Immigration Perspective
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What the critics say
What listeners say about I Contain Multitudes
Average Customer RatingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
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- Kindle Customer
- 2021-08-17
Interesting and Insightful
A very interesting and easily understood look at microbiomes and the people researching them, with excellent narration. It covers a lot of ground and everyone will probably find some parts slow, but I think that it's very worth a listen overall. The author is sometimes overconfident in ideas that are still uncertain, but all science writing should be taken with a grain of salt and this is not egregious in that sense. Overall a great listen.
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- Edward Telfer
- 2021-04-06
calling all microbiology lovers
easy to listen to and understand. wish I could've listened faster lol. highly recommend this book
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- Kiffer Card
- 2018-04-26
Finished Strong
I wasn't really into it for the first chapter or two -- felt a little condescending to read through the narratives and imagery. But the book eventually won me over with the intriguing examples and excellent scientific balance. I've been won over to team microbe.
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- Jamie Levine
- 2021-06-15
Fascinating material
There is lots to learn in this topic and this book covered a lot of it. Comprehensive without detailing reams of studies. It is more of an involved overview.
I enjoyed how he individualized some of the data.
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- Ash
- 2020-02-15
Knowledgeable but easy to understand
Has a great amount of history to new research ratio, uses enough layman's speak for easy comprehension
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- Avid
- 2020-04-04
Excellent and eye-opening
Excellent pandemic reading: almost every moment I learned something new. Once you get a glimpse of all living things — including us — as hosts of ecosystems of microbes, you will never look at the world the same way. Disturbing yet oddly hopeful.
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- Amazon Customer
- 2023-07-12
Author’s infectious passion
Tong’s obvious passion for microbes and microbiomes can bring even this poor prepared social scientist sing for a wild ride through the world of bacteria. Great intro, though at times pretty heavy on the science.
Loved the reader; one of the best I have listened to.
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