Microbes and Society: An Introduction to Microbiology

Microbes and Society: An Introduction to Microbiology is designed for liberal arts students as a foundation course in life science. This timely text emphasizes the relevance of microbes and their role in the everyday lives of humans -- microbes in food production and agriculture, in biotechnology and industry, and in ecology and the environment. It also discusses some of the negative impacts of microbes on our world, such as their role in disease and bioterrorism, but the primary focus is on how microbes, in their incredible variety, are essential to human life. Microbes and Society presents the many ways in which we intentionally (and sometimes, unintentionally) utilize microbes to improve our lives and enhance our life experience.