“I contain multitudes” by Ed Yong

Vacuuming and mopping the house every day and disinfecting every kitchen surface after each use (so at least three times a day), my mom sure kept (keeps) a pretty tidy place for us all. She also reacts pretty proudly to it each time a friend calls her on her microbes paranoia. I don’t know how I turned out to be such a mess!

I’m also surprised I’m not prone to more diseases or allergies. Although I always played a lot outside and we always had a dog around – two things that this book explains how apparently are way better than we already knew. It is not just for the fun, love, and company of pups, but they’re also great microbiological companions!

We’re all zombies already

I’ve read Ed Yong’s columns on The Atlantic over the years and every now and then I see his name on some science magazines. He’s one of the most entertaining science journalists, I dare say. With his book “I Contain Multitudes”, Ed Yong forever changes the way we see the world.

Back in 2012, when I took my first Microbiology lecture, I got a preview of the good, the bad, and the ugly of the microscopic world. However, we did focus a lot on the bad and ugly microbes. Yong not only brings out the positive side of the teeny-tiny and the scientists that study them, but also delivers story after story of how we actually don’t “rule” the microbiomes, but they rule over us in so many ways.

Microbes rule our guts

Partnerships. Lots of partnerships. We don’t really eat food for ourselves. The microbes in our gut need some nutrients that they cannot get on their own, so they give us cravings. We feed these microbes. Later, when they’re done processing what they need, they give us some by-products (microbe-poo?) that our tummy cells enjoy and need to keep maintaining ourselves and our microbial communities.

That is just one example. The amount of zombie-like relationships in this world keeps surprising scientists year after year. From benefits in agriculture, entertainment, technology, nutrition, diseases, wildlife…this book drops your jaw constantly. We don’t even know it all yet! But this book will give you a broad yet detailed picture of the inescapable life we cannot always perceive.

Stop trying to get rid of all the microworld and learn to embrace it! Be cautious, of course, but know that microorganisms are mostly necessary for us. I cannot recommend this book enough, and there’s a specific group of people I think should definitely read this: architects. Let me know if you know why!