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The Secret Life of Germs

What They Are, Why We Need Them, and How We Can Protect Ourselves Against Them

About The Book

They're on everything we touch, eat, and breathe in -- on every inch of skin. And despite the advances of science, germs are challenging medicine in ways that were unimaginable ten years ago. No wonder the world is up in arms -- and using antibacterial soaps.
From the common cold, E. coli, and Lyme disease to encephalitis, mad cow disease, and flesh-eating bacteria, Tierno takes readers on a historical survey of the microscopic world. Rebuffing scare tactics behind recent "germ events" Tierno explains how the recycling of matter is the key to life. Yes, he'll tell you why it's a good idea to clean children's toys, why those fluffy towels may not be so clean, and why you never want to buy a second-hand mattress, but he also reveals that there is a lot we can do to prevent germ-induced suffering. You'll never look at anything the same way again.

About The Author

Product Details

  • Publisher: Atria Books (May 14, 2004)
  • Length: 320 pages
  • ISBN13: 9780743421881

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Raves and Reviews

Booklist A fascinating, informative book on the good as well as the bad features of germs.

Publishers Weekly Field samplings from...pay phones, taxicabs, public restrooms...will startle readers, but the author is not an alarmist: His aim is disease prevention, and his method is education.

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More books from this author: Philip M. Tierno Jr.