About this item
With the wit of Bill Bryson and the spirit of Natalie Angier, Idan Ben- Barak takes us on a fantastic voyage into the infinitesimal world of microbiology. In The Invisible Kingdom, he introduces us to the amazing lives and workings of genes, proteins, bacteria, and viruses, and the ways in which they interact to shape life on Earth. Exploring everything from radioactive waste and insect sex-change operations to the inner workings of antibiotics, Ben-Barak reveals how important these tiny critters are to all of us. He brings this largely unseen world to life with refreshing analogies and metaphors: cells "pop like bubbles" and bacteria "dream of rain." On the journey, we learn about the teamwork required to rot human teeth, the origins of diseases, what really goes on inside cow stomachs, and the ways in which microbes benefit human life. An infectious and informative scientific exploration, The Invisible Kingdom will change the way we see the world around us.
About the Author
I write science books, usually for children. My books have been translated into about twenty languages and won several awards. I live in Melbourne with my family. Sometimes, after they go to bed, I play my guitar a bit. I hold degrees in microbiology and in the history and philosophy of science, a diploma in library studies, and a day job that has very little to do with any of the aboveMy website is at http://www.idanbb.com/.
