mikecross's review
4.0
Very interesting with long side trips in related topics. Wish a little more on what we can really do to improve, but overall quite enjoyable.
jodihannah's review against another edition
informative
3.0
I really had high expectations for this book, and I think part of that had to do with the overall marketing of the book. Between the cover art, the subtitle, and the summary on the back, I expected much of this book to talk about the insects in your home. As an entomologist myself, that was what I wanted it to talk about! Sure, I thought maybe a chapter on the bacteria in your home might be interesting, but I expected the majority of it to talk about the visible insects that create your home ecosystem. Instead, this was more on bacteria, algae, and other unicellular organisms. The problem with that is there are a lot of books on the small worlds that surround us right now, many much more interesting to read. For example, I Contain Multitudes was an amazing book on the diversity of bacteria in the world. It was also more engaging.
I'm not saying there isn't necessarily a place in the world for this book. Anyone who doesn't want to tackle Multitudes would find this book to be an excellent, shorter substitute. Still, this book really wasn't what I wanted, hoped, or was lead to believe it was.
I'm not saying there isn't necessarily a place in the world for this book. Anyone who doesn't want to tackle Multitudes would find this book to be an excellent, shorter substitute. Still, this book really wasn't what I wanted, hoped, or was lead to believe it was.
leasummer's review against another edition
4.0
I’ve had this awhile but was worried it might make my anxiety latch onto things in the book. But that didn’t happen. It’s presented in a matter of fact, this is so interesting, storytelling way that even the parts on pets (of which I have a cat and dog and have had a Guinea pig) didn’t even make me cringe. It’s all so fascinating. And a reminder of how little we know about our environments and how we really understand so little about our home (our house and the Earth).
renlou's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
funny
hopeful
informative
inspiring
lighthearted
reflective
slow-paced
4.0
katpiercefield's review
5.0
I loved this book, which gives a fascinating glimpse at the complex web of mostly unnoticed creatures that live with us, on us, and in our spaces, both indoor and out. One scientific team's survey of living organisms in an average home showed that the number of species was not, as the team expected, in the thousands, but exceeded 200,000. A relatively small number of these can be a danger to us, causing disease, triggering allergies, doing damage to crops and dwellings -- but the surprise is that a vast majority are not only harmless but may be beneficial to us, part of a healthy environmental ambiance that surrounds us and sometimes even assists us in fighting off pathogens. Only a few have been studied in any depth. The author makes a strong case for preserving the biodiversity of our environment, since we've only barely scratched the surface of potential knowledge about how the presence of other species contributes to our well-being.
lunar_reader8273's review
informative
medium-paced
3.0
Book- Never Home Alone: From Microbes to Millipedes, Camel Crickets, and Honeybees, the Natural History of Where We Live
Author: Rob Dunn
Genre: Nonfiction
Date Finished:Oct 3rd 2023
Star Review (1-5):3
Description: A book about microorganisms and animals that live and used to live in our homes
Review (censor all spoilers): The subject matter and how it was explained was extremely interesting. Although, the notes were not formatted well at all, they were all at the back of the book instead of on the page. He went deep enough to make it interesting but didn’t make it too complex for beginners. The chapters were split up well too. Overall, I enjoyed this book!
Author: Rob Dunn
Genre: Nonfiction
Date Finished:Oct 3rd 2023
Star Review (1-5):3
Description: A book about microorganisms and animals that live and used to live in our homes
Review (censor all spoilers): The subject matter and how it was explained was extremely interesting. Although, the notes were not formatted well at all, they were all at the back of the book instead of on the page. He went deep enough to make it interesting but didn’t make it too complex for beginners. The chapters were split up well too. Overall, I enjoyed this book!
jdauer5's review
4.0
- Let your kids play in dirt and open your window so theyre less likely to develop allergies
- Don't shower daily
- Stop being obsessed with being clean and disinfecting
- Do not get drywall wet or it will grow black mold that's already present in it
- We are inadvertently causing cockroaches to evolve to be resistant to the ways we want to kill them
- Spider bites are usually actually MRSA
- All of your different sourdough starters actually have different bacteria and fungi growing in them that give your breads different flavors
- Don't shower daily
- Stop being obsessed with being clean and disinfecting
- Do not get drywall wet or it will grow black mold that's already present in it
- We are inadvertently causing cockroaches to evolve to be resistant to the ways we want to kill them
- Spider bites are usually actually MRSA
- All of your different sourdough starters actually have different bacteria and fungi growing in them that give your breads different flavors