The Invisible Kingdom

From the Tips of Our Fingers to the Tops of Our Trash, Inside the Curious World of Microbes

Contributors

By Idan Ben-Barak

On Sale
Aug 4, 2009
Page Count
216 pages
Publisher
Basic Books
ISBN-13
9780786749614

With the wit of Bill Bryson and the spirit of Natalie Angier, Idan Ben- Barak takes us on a fantastic voyage into the infinitesimal world of microbiology. In The Invisible Kingdom, he introduces us to the amazing lives and workings of genes, proteins, bacteria, and viruses, and the ways in which they interact to shape life on Earth. Exploring everything from radioactive waste and insect sex-change operations to the inner workings of antibiotics, Ben-Barak reveals how important these tiny critters are to all of us. He brings this largely unseen world to life with refreshing analogies and metaphors: cells “pop like bubbles” and bacteria “dream of rain.” On the journey, we learn about the teamwork required to rot human teeth, the origins of diseases, what really goes on inside cow stomachs, and the ways in which microbes benefit human life. An infectious and informative scientific exploration, The Invisible Kingdom will change the way we see the world around us.

Formats and Prices

Price

$15.99

Price

$20.99 CAD

Format

Format:

  1. ebook $15.99 $20.99 CAD
  2. Hardcover $24.00 $30.50 CAD

Idan Ben-Barak

About the Author

Idan Ben-Barak holds degrees in medical science and microbiology from the Hadassah School of Medicine at the University of Jerusalem. His writing has been featured in New Scientist. He lives in Melbourne, Australia. The Invisible Kingdom is his first book.

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