Microbiology: An Introduction

Book Description

Over the years, instructors at more than 1000 colleges and universities have made Microbiology:An Introduction, their #1 choice. The new sixth edition builds on the hallmark features of past editions-an accessible writing style, a systems approach to diseases, an exceptional art program-and adds new features and supplements that meet the needs of today's students. This new edition becomes an even better teaching and learning tool with a new Interactive Student Tutorial CD-ROM, expanded critical thinking opportunities, a new Taxonomic Guide to Diseases Appendix, a World Wide Web Site, enhanced step-by-step descriptions added to text and illustrations, expanded end-of-chapter learning materials, and additional coverage of hot topics such as emerging infectious diseases, antibiotic/multi-drug resistance, and rapid identification of microorganisms.

Customer Reviews:

recieved in great time but no cd rom.......2007-01-05

recieved quickly but no cd rom was attached I may have missed it in the description though but I don't believe it stated no cd

Microbiology text, It helped me........2006-06-22

I like this book. Microbiology is very fascinating to me. Parasites, etc are particularly interesting. If you are assigned this book for your Microbiology class, my advice is to read it and know the information. This book was very helpful.

I also used a study guide "Microbiology Study Guide Questions and Answers by Patrick Leonardi. This book has awesome questions for studying during the semester and really gets you ready for the exams.

A lot of information....disorganized.......2006-04-03

I taught a basic undergraduate microbiology class using this text book. The students were mostly pre-nursing so we had a clinical focus. My main problem with the text is it is trying to be all things to all people. It tries to present too much information that is scattered all over the text. Frequently, within chapters, students have to jump back and forth to material presented in other chapters and it simply becomes information overload. In addition, some of the study question, especially the clinically oriented ones, ask the students about areas that haven't been adequately covered in the text or assume knowledge that they don't have as yet. Finally, beware the Powerpoint slide presentations. These are also full of errors and need pretty extensive editing.

Great Service!.......2006-03-13

I ordered this book on a Friday for a class that started the following Monday and it was here first thing Monday morning. The book is in excellent condition. I would use this seller again!

Not enough information.......2006-03-10

I believe that the best way to learn science is to fully understand all the concepts. That way, it is easier to remember details and to apply your knowledge. For some reason, less advanced science courses focus on covering the same breadth of information less in-depth, rather than handling fewer topics and putting more effort into understanding. This book follows that trend. While some issues are explained, much more is left up to the reader to simply memorize. Not an ideal textbook, but sufficient.

Disease Evolution: Models, Concepts, and Data Analyses (Dimacs Series in Discrete Mathematics and Theoretical Computer Science)

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Disease Evolution: Models, Concepts, and Data Analyses (Dimacs Series in Discrete Mathematics and Theoretical Computer Science)

Manufacturer: American Mathematical Society
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 0821837532

Book Description

Infectious diseases are continuing to threaten humankind. While some diseases have been controlled, new diseases are constantly appearing. Others are now reappearing in forms that are resistant to drug treatments. A capacity for continual re-adaptation furnishes pathogens with the power to escape our control efforts through evolution. This makes it imperative to understand the complex selection pressures that are shaping and reshaping diseases. Modern models of evolutionary epidemiology provide powerful tools for creating, expressing, and testing such understanding.

Bringing together international leaders in the field, this volume offers a panoramic tour of topical developments in understanding the mechanisms of disease evolution. The volume's first part elucidates the general concepts underlying models of disease evolution. Methodological challenges addressed include those posed by spatial structure, stochastic dynamics, disease phases and classes, single- and multi-drug resistance, the heterogeneity of host populations and tissues, and the intricate coupling of disease evolution with between-host and within-host dynamics. The book's second part shows how these methods are utilized for investigating the dynamics and evolution of specific diseases, including HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis, SARS, malaria, and human rhinovirus infections.

This volume is particularly suited for introducing young scientists and established researchers with backgrounds in mathematics, computer science, or biology to the current techniques and challenges of mathematical evolutionary epidemiology.

Book Description

Findings from the field of evolutionary biology are yielding dramatic insights for health scientists, especially those involved in the fight against infectious diseases. This book is the first in-depth presentation of these insights. In detailing why the pathogens that cause malaria, smallpox, tuberculosis, and AIDS have their special kinds of deadliness, the book shows how efforts to control virtually all diseases would benefit from a more thorough application of evolutionary principles. When viewed from a Darwinian perspective, a pathogen is not simply a disease-causing agent, it is a self-replicating organism driven by evolutionary pressures to pass on as many copies of itself as possible. In this context, so-called "cultural vectors"--those aspects of human behavior and the human environment that allow spread of disease from immobilized people--become more important than ever. Interventions to control diseases don't simply hinder their spread but can cause pathogens and the diseases they engender to evolve into more benign forms. In fact, the union of health science with evolutionary biology offers an entirely new dimension to policy making, as the possibility of determining the future course of many diseases becomes a reality. By presenting the first detailed explanation of an evolutionary perspective on infectious disease, the author has achieved a genuine milestone in the synthesis of health science, epidemiology, and evolutionary biology. Written in a clear, accessible style, it is intended for a wide readership among professionals in these fields and general readers interested in science and health.

Customer Reviews:

Very well presented ideas. .......2007-06-07

As a book this is an excellent introduction with quite a bit of development, to the role of evolution in infectious disease. Since microorganisms reproduce so quickly, their evolutionary adaptations can occur very rapidly. With exchange of genes, it can be a matter of weeks or months. Dr. Ewald makes these points with excellent examples in a way that is very readable.

I would recommend this as a text for epidemiology, medical students and microbiologists.

Informative and Thought Provoking.......2003-01-01

If Plague Time can be considered to be "Evolutionary Epidemiology for Dummies", then Evolution of Infectious Disease is the technical foundation behind the ideas presented in that other work. Ewald builds this foundation by showing that evolutionary causes are behind many diseases plaguing mankind today. He also takes great care in pointing out how crafting treatment programs with evolutionary factors in mind would likely control these scourges. By presenting the information in this manner, Ewald gives his audience with a workable plan to control disease that bypasses many of the shortfalls associated with conventional medicine.

Evolution of Infectious Disease has already been called a milestone in the history of epidemiology. It is easy to understand why. The ideas presented in the book are revolutionary; the level of research to support them is impeccable; and they are conveyed in a manner which is both accessible and applicable. Given these qualities, it is no surprise that Evolution of Infectious Disease is now recognized as an essential text for understanding and combating disease.

A Pathogen's Survival Manual.......2002-05-25

Paul W. Ewald is a professor of biology at Amherst College. He was the first recipient of the George E. Burch Fellowship in Theoretic Medicine and Affiliated Sciences. He conceived a new discipline called 'evolutionary epidemiology,' and "Evolution of Infectious Disease (1994)" is widely acknowledged as the watershed event for the emergence of this discipline, although I haven't yet seen many references to it ("Parasite Rex" by Carl Zimmer is an exception). This is a shame, because "Evolution of Infectious Disease" explains many medical mysteries, such as why people with multiple sex partners tend to harbor a more virulent version of AIDS, and why the Great Flu Pandemic of 1918 killed so many people (20 to 100 million).

'Darwinian medicine' is the science of trying to find evolutionary explanations for vulnerabilities to disease. A pathogen can survive in a population, explains Ewald, only if it can easily transmit its progeny from one host to another. One way to do this is to take a long time to disable a host, giving him plenty of time to come into contact with other potential victims. This would cause selection for a beneficial form of the disease. If the disease can pass quickly from one host to another, it will select for virulence in order to infect more hosts. Therefore if host-to-host passage can be delayed (by screened windows in the case of malaria), the disease will select for longevity---it makes no evolutionary sense to kill a host before the disease can be passed on.

Some diseases such as Ebola Fever kill the host too quickly, which is why Ewald believes this particular infection will not become pandemic. On the other hand the HTLV (human T Cell leukemia/lymphoma) viruses might very well increase in virulence and cause another pandemic like AIDS, since they are hosted and transmitted very much like AIDS. Ewald turns many of my preconceptions about disease upside down in this book, which is one reason why it is so fascinating.

If you have any interest at all in epidemiology or any concern about our 'once and future' plagues, read this book!

This author has also written "Plague Time: How Stealth Infections Cause Cancers, Heart Disease, and Other Deadly Ailments."

Enormously Satisfying and Rich book............2001-12-11

This was one of the most intellectually exciting books I have read in a long time. Ewald covers biochemistry, history, social policy, medicine, and academic research in a wonderfully thoughtful, logical, innovative and exciting 'new' way of looking at germ theory.

I wholeheartedly and unreservedly recommend this book as an excellent contribution to scientific literacy, intelligent conversation, and global health policy. (...)

Happy Reading!

An excellent review of a timely subject.......1998-08-24

This is an excellent review of the application of evolution theory to understanding disease. Lacking the melodrama of Garrett's "The Coming Plague," it presents a comprehensive view of how to understand disease evolution. The analyses are clear and the data fascinating. A gold mine of dissertation subjects.

Adaptive Dynamics of Infectious Diseases: In Pursuit of Virulence Management

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Adaptive Dynamics of Infectious Diseases: In Pursuit of Virulence Management

Manufacturer: Cambridge University Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 0521781655

Book Description

This monograph takes stock of our current knowledge on the evolutionary ecology of infectious diseases, and sets out the goals for the management of virulent pathogens. Throughout the text, the fundamental concepts and techniques underlying the models are carefully explained in a unique series of integrated boxes.

Immunology and Evolution of Infectious Disease

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Excellent

Immunology and Evolution of Infectious Disease
Steven A. Frank
Manufacturer: Princeton University Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0691095957

Book Description

From HIV to influenza, the battle between infectious agents and the immune system is at the heart of disease. Knowledge of how and why parasites vary to escape recognition by the immune system is central to vaccine design, the control of epidemics, and our fundamental understanding of parasite ecology and evolution. As the first comprehensive synthesis of parasite variation at the molecular, population, and evolutionary levels, this book is essential reading for students and researchers throughout biology and biomedicine.

The author uses an evolutionary perspective to meld the terms and findings of molecular biology, immunology, pathogen biology, and population dynamics. This multidisciplinary approach offers newcomers a readable introduction while giving specialists an invaluable guide to allied subjects. Every aspect of the immune response is presented in the functional context of parasite recognition and defense--an emphasis that gives structure to a tremendous amount of data and brings into sharp focus the great complexity of immunology. The problems that end each chapter set the challenge for future research, and the text includes extensive discussion of HIV, influenza, foot-and-mouth disease, and many other pathogens.

This is the only book that treats in an integrated way all factors affecting variation in infectious disease. It is a superb teaching tool and a rich source of ideas for new and experienced researchers. For molecular biologists, immunologists, and evolutionary biologists, this book provides new insight into infectious agents, immunity, and the evolution of infectious disease.

Customer Reviews:

Excellent.......2006-06-20

I really like this book. It presents a wonderfully concise set of well written examples, with key literature cites. Some very interesting problems that illuminate the complexity.

Minor erratum on page 117. States that sum of squares of the two alleles is the incidence of the combined. Correctly, when squaring both sides it is:
(p+q)^2 = 1^2

p^2 + 2pq + q^2 = 1

2pq = 1- p^2 - q^2
pq = (1 - p^2 - q^2)/2

So properly speaking, it is one-half of 1 - sum of the 2 squares for the simple case of 2 alleles. i.e. about 27%

But, that is a minor technical error that is common to make. The book is very good and does an excellent job of bridging the gap between introductory material and advanced research questions.

Classification and Nomenclature of Viruses: 5th Report of the International Committee on Taxonomy of Viruses (Archives of Virology, Supplementum 2)

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Classification and Nomenclature of Viruses: 5th Report of the International Committee on Taxonomy of Viruses (Archives of Virology, Supplementum 2)
R.I.B. Francki , C. Fauquet , and D. Knudson
Manufacturer: Springer
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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Immuno-Gold Electron Microscopy in Virus Diagnosis and Research

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Immuno-Gold Electron Microscopy in Virus Diagnosis and Research
Alexander D. Hyatt , and Bryan Eaton
Manufacturer: CRC
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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Book Description

This book presents a wide variety of immuno-gold techniques for use in virus diagnosis and research. Protocols are presented for state-of-the-art techniques, including in situ hybridization, freeze substitution, and the utilization of ultra-small probes and replicas for use by virologists and electron microscopists identifying and studying viruses, their components, and replication in cells. The procedures are described by eminent scientists and are pertinent to both experienced researchers and newcomers to this field who are interested in the localization of low antigenic mass structures.

Battle of the Genomes: The Struggle for Survival in a Microbial World

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Battle of the Genomes: The Struggle for Survival in a Microbial World
H. M. Lachman
Manufacturer: Science Publishers
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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Book Description

This book is an account of some of the most malignant infectious microbes encountered by humans and the genetic disorders they spawned. It's also a tale of how scientific progress over the past 150 years is giving man the tools to fight back.

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Diseases and Human Evolution
Evolution of Human Disease: How the Microbes Got Us

Diseases and Human Evolution
Ethne Barnes
Manufacturer: University of New Mexico Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 0826330657

Book Description

Recent interest in new diseases, such as HIV/AIDS and Ebola, and the resurgence of older diseases like tuberculosis has fostered questions about the history of human infectious diseases. How did they evolve? Where did they originate? What natural factors have stalled the progression of diseases or made them possible? How does a microorganism become a pathogen? How have infectious diseases changed through time? What can we do to control their occurrence?

Ethne Barnes offers answers to these questions, using information from history and medicine as well as from anthropology. She focuses on changes in the patterns of human behavior through cultural evolution and how they have affected the development of human diseases.

Writing in a clear, lively style, Barnes offers general overviews of every variety of disease and their carriers, from insects and worms through rodent vectors to household pets and farm animals. She devotes whole chapters to major infectious diseases such as leprosy, syphilis, smallpox, and influenza. Other chapters concentrate on categories of diseases ("gut bugs," for example, including cholera, typhus, and salmonella). The final chapters cover diseases that have made headlines in recent years, among them mad cow disease, West Nile virus, and Lyme disease.

In the tradition of Berton Roueché, Hans Zinsser, and Sherwin Nuland, Ethne Barnes answers questions you never knew you had about the germs that have threatened us throughout human history.

Barnes, a paleopathologist, offers general overviews of specific diseases (West Nile virus, Lyme disease, Ebola, HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis, cholera, etc.) and their carriers.

Customer Reviews:

Diseases and Human Evolution.......2007-07-04

It is exacty what I need, in fact I got this book for my father, he really enjoyed it.

Evolution of Human Disease: How the Microbes Got Us.......2006-03-09

This is a often fascinating catalogue of human diseases and how the viruses and bacteria evolved to successfully attack humans. It includes good histories of major epidemics. It also covers how the evolution of human society provided new ooportunities for our microbial foes.

Mathematics for Life Science and Medicine (Biological and Medical Physics, Biomedical Engineering)

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Mathematics for Life Science and Medicine (Biological and Medical Physics, Biomedical Engineering)

Manufacturer: Springer
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 354034425X

Book Description

Dynamical systems theory in mathematical biology has attracted much attention from many scientific directions. The purpose of this volume is to present and discuss the many rich properties of the dynamical systems that appear in life science and medicine. The main topics include cancer treatment, dynamics of paroxysmal tachycardia, vector disease model, epidemic diseases and metapopulations, immune systems, pathogen competition and coexistence and the evolution of virulence and the rapid evolution of viruses within a host. Each chapter will serve to introduce students and scholars to the state-of-the-art in an exciting area, to present new results, and to inspire future contributions to mathematical modeling in life science and medicine.

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