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kalliegrace's review against another edition
informative
lighthearted
medium-paced
4.0
I love creepy crawlies, and despite this book being all about them I was disappointed there weren't more discussed. A large portion of the creatures covered are microbes, which are cool, but I just accept their existence. In a house full of muddy kids and animals they're bound to be bountiful. I wanted more "there's five species of spiders in your bathroom" stuff and less "your water is pure, not sterile". Still a very fun book, and full of ideas for things to casually study :)
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).
eduncan1121's review against another edition
4.0
3.5 ⭐️
I love learning about microbiology, especially. My biggest problem with this book was the repetitiveness of it. Certain details would be retold several times unnecessarily.
The other problem I have with this book was that there were bits of information about particular species that wasn’t mentioned that would’ve been interesting/helpful to include, but weren’t, and other areas of the book that felt boring because if you have taken a basic biology or intro to microbiology class, you’ve likely covered and are familiar with. I found that to be true particularly of the first half of the book.
What I liked about the book was the second half. I really favor medical related learning and loved the chapter about gardening babies. I also enjoyed the last chapter about fermented foods and would’ve been fine with an entire book about that. I also felt like the author came into his voice more towards the second half of the book, offering more insights into how experiments were run, and funny quips were added here and there that didn’t seem as present earlier on.
Overall I would recommend the book, but I do think some people with a more science heavy education and background may find parts of it boring, or at least lacking in new information.
I love learning about microbiology, especially. My biggest problem with this book was the repetitiveness of it. Certain details would be retold several times unnecessarily.
The other problem I have with this book was that there were bits of information about particular species that wasn’t mentioned that would’ve been interesting/helpful to include, but weren’t, and other areas of the book that felt boring because if you have taken a basic biology or intro to microbiology class, you’ve likely covered and are familiar with. I found that to be true particularly of the first half of the book.
What I liked about the book was the second half. I really favor medical related learning and loved the chapter about gardening babies. I also enjoyed the last chapter about fermented foods and would’ve been fine with an entire book about that. I also felt like the author came into his voice more towards the second half of the book, offering more insights into how experiments were run, and funny quips were added here and there that didn’t seem as present earlier on.
Overall I would recommend the book, but I do think some people with a more science heavy education and background may find parts of it boring, or at least lacking in new information.
cutcamera's review against another edition
5.0
A microscopic look into your home that'll change the way you view the world.
Alt title recommendation: Please Become a Microbiologist. The author spends a significant amount of time outlining opportunities in the field -- kind of makes you want to switch careers.
Alt title recommendation: Please Become a Microbiologist. The author spends a significant amount of time outlining opportunities in the field -- kind of makes you want to switch careers.
witchywilds's review against another edition
4.0
Really interesting read (or I guess listen)! I don't typically read nonfiction, so this was one of the first ones I've gotten my feet wet with.
That being said, this book had some really interesting information regarding microbes, bacteria, household insects, and more. I don't want to list anything specific because that defeats the purpose of reading, but I found several chapters thought provoking such as the one that mentioned a correlation between biodiversity in the environment and home and lower frequency of chronic inflammatory diseases in children or the one that touches on fermented foods and the "hand taste" that could be responsible for my homemade bread tasting different from yours!
All in all, I really enjoyed this and recommend you give it a chance if you're interested in the subject matter! I didn't find it dry or sluggish in any specific parts and think it's pretty easy to digest.
That being said, this book had some really interesting information regarding microbes, bacteria, household insects, and more. I don't want to list anything specific because that defeats the purpose of reading, but I found several chapters thought provoking such as the one that mentioned a correlation between biodiversity in the environment and home and lower frequency of chronic inflammatory diseases in children or the one that touches on fermented foods and the "hand taste" that could be responsible for my homemade bread tasting different from yours!
All in all, I really enjoyed this and recommend you give it a chance if you're interested in the subject matter! I didn't find it dry or sluggish in any specific parts and think it's pretty easy to digest.