J. R. Postgate (1922–2014)

The rate at which science progresses makes reading a twenty-year-old science book generally inadvisable, but Microbes and Man (3rd edition) seems to have survived the past two decades remarkably (though not completely) intact; or at least it appears so to this layman. The key to its survival is its superficiality – Postgate presents a very general overview of the subject without venturing anywhere near its intricate depths, but no insult is intended here; in fact I was rather relieved, as I find many introductory texts assume far too much prior knowledge.

The title of the book purports to offer an introduction to microbiology, however it should be noted that it focusses almost exclusively on bacteria; those interested in microfungi, viruses, etc. will certainly be disappointed as they receive only the most cursory acknowledgement. It should also be noted that this really is an introduction – the reader already moderately well-read in biology will gain very little from this work aside from an easygoing revision of basic bacteriological knowledge. I realise this sounds like a negative review so far, but in fact even as one moderately well-read in biology myself I nonetheless enjoyed Microbes and Man very much; for those familiar with the most basic scientific concepts it is an easy and enjoyable read, and although I would generally advise one to read the most recent of two science books (all else being equal), this nonetheless provides a well-written and still-relevant introduction to the complex relationship between Microbe and Man.… (mais)

Truth is, I was very disappointed by this compared to a previous Postgate book, The Outer Reaches of Life, which I read a few years ago. That book was quite fascinating, but not sufficiently detailed in its coverage of the chemistry involved, and recommended this book as appropriate for those who want more.

However this book is just as disappointing in its chemistry coverage. Yes, there are a few chemical reactions scattered through the book, but there's no larger discussion of them --- which of these reactions generate rather than require energy, which function to transport electrons from here to there, and so on.

Beyond this disappointing chemistry coverage, the book felt scattershot, like ten different essays glued together into a book.
Not bad, and certainly very interesting if you've never read this stuff before, but not worth the time if you're generally biologically literate.… (mais)