Jake M. Robinson is a microbial ecologist based in the UK. In 2021, he received a PhD from the University of Sheffield. He is passionate about researching microbes, ecosystems, social equity issues and the connections between them, and at the same time is keen to develop ways to conserve and restore nature. Invisible Friends is his first book.
Description
Introduction 1 The microbiome and humans as walking ecosystems 2 Rekindling old friendships in new landscapes 3 Antibiotic resistant landscapes 4 Microbes and social equity 5 The Psychobiotic Revolution 6 The Lovebug Effect 7 The Holobiont Blindspot 8 The glue that holds our ecosystems together 9 Microbes and trees 10 Rewild. Regenerate. Restore 11 Biointegrated design 12 Microbiome-Inspired Green Infrastructure (MIGI) 13 To catch a thief: forensic microbiology 14 Microbes in outer space 15 You are what your microbes eat 16 Nature connectedness Conclusion Microbes 101 Notes Glossary Bibliography
Reviews
A fascinating exploration of the possibility of the microscopic world...This is not a book written to shock the reader, or to make the reader aghast at the number of microbes on their eyelashes, or in every breath they take. Rather, it is a book to prompt the restoration of the symbiotic relationship between the visible and invisible worlds, as well as the awareness and appreciation of what is contained within our microbiomes. -- Brian McHugh, Climate Thoughts with Brian Invisible Friends by Jake Robinson is just COOL. A journey through an ever changing understanding of the microscopic world. -- Charlie Bingham, nature and travel writer This is an enthusiastic and hopeful romp through microbiology that encourages readers to rethink their relationship with nature and see themselves as embedded in it. -- The Inquisitive Biologist Refreshing... This book is a must for students of microbiology. -- Arindam Mitra, Microbiology Today This volume is an excellent introduction to the microbial world... The text is accessible to a lay audience, and it has a useful appendix with further scientific explanations and reading suggestions. Robinson uses storytelling and integrated interviews with scientists to make each point. This book could be used as a text in a general education science course as a way to introduce diverse topics such as ecology, environmental science, evolution, human health, and psychology as well as the obvious microbiology. -- D. Schulman, CHOICE