In this classic bestseller, Paul de Kruif dramatizes the pioneering bacteriological work of such scientists as Leeuwenhoek, Spallanzani, Koch, Pasteur, Reed, and Ehrlich. This seventieth anniversary edition features a new introduction by F. Gonzalez-Crussi. Index.
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In this classic bestseller, Paul de Kruif dramatizes the pioneering bacteriological work of such scientists as Leeuwenhoek, Spallanzani, Koch, Pasteur, Reed, and Ehrlich. This seventieth anniversary edition features a new introduction by F. Gonzalez-Crussi. Index.
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This out-of-print book is a delight! It was assigned to my daughter as reading material for her high school Magnet science class and I happened to pick it up. It is a humorous (at times) historical account of the remarkable men who risked their lives to study and attempt to cure the bacterial diseases that have plagued mankind for thousands of years. The incredible stumbling and groping in the dark by these pioneering scientists to figure out what bacteria are and how they cause disease is a riveting story. I am in the medical field but I had no idea about how some of the knowlege that I use daily was discovered. It is a great book for anyone - not just for medical practitioners.
Peggy H
Aug 19, 2010
A should read
Paul De Kruif's book may be dated as to language, and certainly it is not especially politically correct language-wise; the book was published in the 1920's before such thing, but anyone interested in the men and women who contributed to unlocking the mysteries of microbes and disease needs to read it. De Kruif's study is fast-paced, fair-minded, and generally a joy to read. The men and women, the Microbe Hunters long dead, come alive with their passions, foibles, conceits, and joy.
