Missing Microbes

How the Overuse of Antibiotics Is Fueling Our Modern Plagues

By: Martin J. Blaser

Narrated by: Patrick Lawlor

Length: 8 hrs and 43 mins

Publisher's summary

Tracing one scientist's journey toward understanding the crucial importance of the microbiome, this revolutionary book will take listeners to the forefront of trail-blazing research while revealing the damage that overuse of antibiotics is doing to our health: contributing to the rise of obesity, asthma, diabetes, and certain forms of cancer. 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 health and equilibrium of our body. Now this invisible eden is being irrevocably damaged by some of our most revered medical advances-antibiotics-threatening the extinction of our irreplaceable microbes with terrible health consequences. Taking us into both the lab and deep into the fields where these troubling effects can be witnessed firsthand, Blaser not only provides cutting-edge evidence for the adverse effects of antibiotics, he tells us what we can do to avoid even more catastrophic health problems in the future.

©2014 Martin Blaser (P)2014 Tantor

should be required reading.

This book should be required reading for all health professionals. All the answers to all the health problems myself and my family have endured seem to be in this book. Hopefully the information in this book will be common knowledge soon.

Fascinating evidence based perspective on Antibiotics

Initially, I imagined this book might keep my attention in short bursts. On the contrary, I found myself eager to continue listening to Dr. Blaser explain the overuse of antibiotics and the human biome. It was like attending a fascinating lecture.
Initially, my interest stemmed from my daughter’s diagnosis of IBS. As a mother, I found many practical applications and insights. The myriad possible side effects of antibiotic overuse were shocking and compelling. This information is well worth your time.

Had a hunch and was fully inspired

I had the thought of medications during pregnancy causing chronic illnesses as my hunch. this book was written to hint at examples of chronic illnesses concerning the gut such as Crohn's, ulcerative colitis, gurg, diabetes ,asthma etc. blBeing a Type 1 Diabetic I found it answering questions that have been lurking in my mind for years of how did I get this disease. Antibiotics make sense as I was severely ill multiple times before the age of 5 , measles, mumps , ear infections ,sore throats and even thought to be dead until I had tubes out in my ears at the age of 5. I questioned at first whether it was my mothers thyroid medication or illness she had while she was pregnant. I look forward to further research on this topic and this may have swayed my educational dissertation.

An amazing read

Such an amazing book. It is being added to my annual readings list. The performance was likewise very enjoyable.

Silent Spring for Microfauna!

This ingenious book covers theories about microbes that I have never heard of. From feedback loops that cause early puberty in women to the way that drugs are selecting out MRSA this book dives deep into every aspect of biology. I was especially surprised by his stance on probiotics.
This is not just another "biotruth" book, definitely worth the time at normal speed.

Doctors stop giving us antibiotics for everything!

The title basically says it all and I agree with the book. Everytime I have taken antibiotics afterwards I have felt even worse before feeling better. I probably would have gotten better even if I did not take the aforementioned antibiotic. Now I tell my family to avoid them unless absolutely necessary.

Interesting!

Great book about microbes. I am a non-medical degreed person and I was looking for more information that was applicable to my specific conditions and was slightly disappointed about that. But overall I thought it was a very fact based, research based book.

Interesting & Understandable

A truly excellent book on a subject that can be confusing - the Microbiome, and confusing mainly because it is often made so by other authors on the subject. Mr. Blazer makes the topic interesting and understandable by cutting through the typical medical (Latin name) jargon and describing matters in familiar terms and metaphors.

Highly recommend!

Why allergies and weight gain are getting worse.

So much good research on how important our microbiome is, and how damaging antibiotics can be to this vital organ. The reader is excellent. Blaser has a wide variety of things to explain, all interesting and understandable by lay people. You need to hear this!

The First Generalized Half is Worth It Alone

The first half of the book covers a lot of general background behind the issue, which was very interesting. Later the author gets down to related issues and details, some a bit distant, and which are difficult to follow and grasp for the layman. He makes his case, however - that the wholesale slaughter of our microbiome is not a wise thing to be doing, nor is relying on a limited number of antibiotics that will grow more ineffective with use (and over-use), nor are eating foods branded as probiotic and end-all, since such foods only offer only a rowboat of microbes to an ocean of microbes. He explores various potential solutions to the problem.