The Five-Second Rule and Other Myths about Germs: What Everyone Should Know about Bacteria, Viruses, Mold, and Mildew
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For the closet germaphobe in all of us, a fun, easy-to-understand resource for everything you ever wanted to know about bacteria, viruses, algae, yeasts, mold, and mildew but were afraid to ask Publishers Weekly The five-second rule, told to children by generations of mothers, says that if you drop a cookie on the floor, you have five seconds to snatch it up before germs swarm over it and render it unsafe to eat. Microbiologist Maczulak uses this bit of home-spun wisdom to introduce readers to the world of bacteria, viruses and fungi. As the author reminds us, many of the manifold creatures in the microscopic world are needed for our bodies to function normally; only a relatively small number are pathogens. Maczulak reveals the current thinking on how long you're contagious when you have a cold, what's the dirtiest room in the house (not the bathroom) and why your doctor is right in refusing to prescribe antibiotics for the flu. Maczulak's writing can be repetitious and unfocused. Nevertheless, addressing such questions as whether or not to use disinfectants, and with sidebars listing food-borne microbes and antimicrobial essential oils, this may prove a helpful home companion. As to that cookie: as grandma always said, just brush it off. (Nov. 6)Copyright 2007 Reed Business Information
Introduction: The Microbes in Your Life viiWhat is Microbiology? A Few Basics 1Microbes in the News 21We All Live In a Microbial World 47Eat, Drink, and Be Microbial 85Clean It Like You Mean It 125Infections and Disease 153These Are Microbial Times 195On the Horizon 221The Five-Second Finale 243Twenty-five Frequently Asked Questions 245Glossary 257Microbiology Resources 267Bibliography 269Acknowledgments 277Index 279About the Author 295
