Abstract
Those of you who are familiar with the blog Small Things Considered will immediately recognize this as a collection of blog entries from the previous 10 years. The blog entries are arranged generally according to topic and range from detailed discussions of emerging science, to abstract theoretical concepts, to reminisces on the history of microbiology. All aspects of microbes are covered; bacteria (of course), viruses, and protists are all fully represented in these pages. While many of the entries were written by the editor himself, over half were contributed by other authors.
Each entry stands fully on its own, and the entries can be read in any order. Some entries are multiple pages long, while others are only 1 page. Often there are “Talmudic questions” (questions that cannot be answered by a Google search) after the entries. Subjects range from the history of microbiology to emerging techniques and touch on all aspects of the field. The entries are thought-provoking while also being enjoyable reads.
The design of this book does not lend itself to becoming a textbook, but because the topics are so wide ranging, anyone with a microbiology background will find something in its pages to enjoy. Whether it is learning about an area outside of your expertise, reexamining a philosophy that you thought you knew, or simply realizing the breadth of the profession, there is an entry that will appeal to any reader. As someone with a bacteriology background but whose parent considered bacteria more suitable as food for fascinating protists, I was pleased to see the wide variety of subjects. This book may never serve as a reference manual, but it has a place in a teaching setting, providing short essays that will encourage students to broaden their thinking. Its highest value, in my opinion, is as a book that can be taken along to meetings, to be enjoyed on the plane or in the hotel room. It provides a refreshing break while still requiring you to think about the subject of the article.
The book is charmingly illustrated with sketches of various single-celled organisms, in a style very reminiscent of the first microbiologists. The introduction suggests that they are imaginary, and yet they are clearly inspired by personal experience of peering down a microscope eyepiece, fascinated by the organisms found in pondwater.