Missing Microbes: How Killing Bacteria Creates Modern Plagues Paperback

good book, good shipping. pretty alarming stuff, especially since in the last couple of years there have been papers published on the economics of vaccinating newborns against these h. pylori. not that such a vaccine exists but still. at the least, this book gives good reasons to wait until some more research gets done on the human microbiome and the potential side effects of permanently altering it.

Yeah, it was great. Some stuff on how bacterial microbes have partner microbes ie. that are symbiotic. One of them is eliminated by an antibiotic, leaving the other without it's essential needs, thereby rendering it useless, too. These missing microbes Can't be replaced by thus called probiotics that you get at the health food store. There are just too many different specific microbes to replace them all.

Excellent book, very progressive thinking by an expert in the field. Hope the physicians of this country all read it.This is an easy read by both profession and non-professional people concerned about health.

The book is fascinating and an easy read for the non-clinical person. It chronicles how we have created a monster with overuse of antibiotics. I deal with effects of the missing microbes with C. difficile infection on a daily basis and the negative impact on people's lives. People create the problem by requesting antibiotics when they are not needed. 50% of antibiotics prescribed today are not needed or the incorrect for the infection. Think twice before taking an antibiotic. We need to stop disturbing nature's delicate balance of microbes.

Blaser presents a compelling case for his position on microbes and the hands of antibiotics. A must read for every health consumer. Should be required reading for all health providers.

Great editing and extremely important message to the public and health care providers. Leonard Hoffman MD

Excellent read. Really makes you question the unnessary overuse of antibiotics, and how it can be damaging to our health.

Important work for clinical practice...I'm making it required reading for all of my residents!

I could not put this book down. Very interesting and informative. We have been told in recent years that the over use of antibiotics is making bacteria resistant to them. This book goes into more detail on why this is happening and would recommend it to anyone who thinks taking antibiotics is the be all and end all for minor infections.The author has done much research in his career and goes into great depth to explaining microbes and their benefits - as opposed to trying to live in a virtually sterile world. It only goes to confirm my belief that we are using far too many antibacterial agents in our day to day life, in the form of sprays, gels and soaps, as well as using too many antibiotics.We owe it to ourselves and future generations to be armed with as much information as possible, so we don't make the same mistakes born from fear of 'germs'. It affects every part of our lives, from birth (or in fact from before birth) onwards, including many modern illnesses and diseases. As a Coeliac, I sat up and took special note in one particular chapter, but this book is engrossing from start to finish.Thoroughly recommend this book!

Absolutely excellent book. I was so impressed by the depth of research in this book. The chapters relating to antibiotic resistance predict a possible catastrophic scenario if we continue to use antibiotics so indescrimately and it really is a frightening possibility. The author also makes significant connections with all the diseases of the western world including autoimmune disorders, obesity, diabetes and allergic responses with the culling of our internal microbes, setting off a complete imbalance in our own ecosystem. I cannot recommend this book highly enough. It is a humbly thought that just when humans think we have worked out the mechanisms of our own bodies, nature has a way of biting back.

For anyone that is interested in human ecology, this is a must read. It’s very rare to read such an easily readable ‘popular science’ book written by such an experienced researcher, who uses his observations and knowledge not only to form theories, but to then go ahead to research them. Bravo Martin, you and your wife are so important for creating such desperately needed shift in our thinking, which is so terribly important to the state of our health as a species, and as a planet.

Postulates that antibiotics used as growth promoters and therapeutics interferes with natural microbiota and induces a variety of contemporary health problems. The evidence for this is often thin and this is not always clearly stated

This is a most important book not only exposing the blatant abuse of antibiotics leading to resistance to every antibiotic now, but the damage done to the microbiome (the mass of gut organisms that are part of the 'self'').This part of ourselves is vital in the development of immunity and weight control. Every responsible parent and individual must read it.