Missing Microbes Summary

In the book Missing Microbes, the author, Dr. Martin J. Blaser discusses different types where the mysterious microbes are to be found. Dr. Martin also discusses his hypothesis in which talks about how over use of antibiotics has permanently changed the microbiome that humans live in, causing an increase in more modern diseases. The way Blaser lays the book is more like a journey; he traces his footsteps, and has the readers following the lead anxiously waiting on what he will inform them. There are a lot of doors in Science. Dr. Blaser chose to enter the door where facts and stories are to be learned everyday, in which there is no end, making that the beauty of science. Dr. Blaser starts the book by describing how much humans have been using antibiotics, describing the use as more of an addiction. Dr. Blaser talks about how individuals use antibiotics in order for them to fight against bacterial infections. Also discusses using antibiotics as an agricultural input for industrial farming operations. In the text, Dr. Martin J. Blaser does argue against antibiotics. Dr. Martin Claims the reason in a clear thoughtful

Martin J Blaser has the book formatted by him saying stories to the readers, while the stories connect to the topic that he is talking about. Personally, the favorite chapter in the book is chapter 6, called The Overuse of Antibiotics. Blaser starts out that chapter by talking about life after World War II. The reason why he introduced the readers into that era is because that is when the author was born, recalling being one of the “baby boomers.” Also described that era as the era where everything started to change and develop. Part of what was the overuse of antibiotics, Blaser states that doctors were handing antibiotics left and right, strongly believing that this type of medicine would cure any disease that would run into the hospitals. Blaser renamed antibiotics as the “wonder drugs,” because that is truly what people thought antibiotics