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Description of  Planet of Microbes: The Perils and Potential of Earth's Essential Life Forms

We live in a time of unprecedented scientific knowledge about the origins of life on Earth. But if we want to grasp the big picture, we have to start smallvery small. Thats because the real heroes of the story of life on Earth are microbes, the tiny living organisms we cannot see with the naked eye. Microbes were Earths first lifeforms, early anaerobic inhabitants that created the air we breathe. Today they live, invisible and seemingly invincible, in every corner of the planet, from Yellowstones scalding hot springs to Antarctic mountaintops to inside our very bodiesmore than a hundred trillion of them. Dont be alarmed though: many microbes are allies in achieving ourto say nothing of our planetshealth. In , Ted Anton takes readers through the most recent discoveries about microbes, revealing their unexpected potential to reshape the future of the planet. For years, we knew little about these invisible invaders, considering them as little more than our enemies in our fight against infectious disease. But the more we learn about microbes, the more its become clear that our very lives depend on them. They may also hold the answers to some of sciences most pressing problems, including how to combat a warming planet, clean up the environment, and help the body fight off a wide variety of diseases. Anton has spent years interviewing and working with the determined scientists who hope to harness the work of microbes, and he breaks down the science while also sharing incredible behind-the-scenes stories of the research taking place everywhere from microbreweries to Mars. The worlds tiniest organisms were here more than three billion years before us. We live in their world, and at last gives these unsung heroes the recognition they deserve. Read more