"Missing Microbes presents a surprisingly clear perspective on a complex problem."--The Philadelphia Inquirer

In Missing Microbes, Dr. Martin J. Blaser invites us into the wilds of the human microbiome, where for hundreds of thousands of years bacterial and human cells have existed in a peaceful symbiosis that is responsible for the equilibrium and health of our bodies. Now this invisible Eden is under assault from our overreliance on medical advances including antibiotics and caesarian sections, threatening the extinction of our irreplaceable microbes and leading to severe health consequences. Taking us into the lab to recount his groundbreaking studies, Blaser not only provides elegant support for his theory, he guides us to what we can do to avoid even more catastrophic health problems in the future.

1. Modern Plagues 1?
2. Our Microbial Planet 12?
3. The Human Microbiome 22?
4. The Rise of Pathogens 40?
5. The Wonder Drugs 50?
6. The Overuse of Antibiotics 64?
7. The Modern Farmer 79?
8. Mother and Child 87?
9. A Forgotten World 104?
10. Heartburn 123?
11. Trouble Breathing 130?
12. Taller 144?
13. ... and Fatter 152?
14. Modern Plagues Revisited 167?
15. Antibiotic Winter 185?
16. Solutions 199

Epilogue 218?
Notes 221?
Acknowledgments 257?
Index 261