"Although most people are aware that bacteria are all around us, few would guess that they produce such distinctive and accessible signs. Whether you're walking on the beach, visiting a zoo or aquarium, buying groceries, looking for fossils, drinking beer, traipsing through a swamp, or cleaning scum from beneath a dripping outdoor faucet, you're surrounded by bacterial field marks. You don't need a laboratory or fancy equipment to find out what kind of bacteria are there-this guide will tell you how."-from the Introduction

Bacteria are an integral aspect of every habitat in which they occur and affect the lives of humans, other animals, and plants in many ways. Too often, we equate "bacterium" with "pathogen" and think of bacteria as things to avoid. In a fascinating guide perfect for naturalists, students, teachers, and tourists alike, Betsey Dexter Dyer lets the reader know that it is possible to observe bacteria with all the senses. Many groups of bacteria can be easily identified in the field (or in the refrigerator) without a microscope. Written for curious souls of all ages, A Field Guide to Bacteria opens our eyes-and noses and ears-to this hidden (or neglected) world around us. Useful illustrations, including 120 color photographs, accompany Dyer's lively text throughout.

About the Author

Betsey Dexter Dyer is Professor of Biology at Wheaton College. She is coauthor of Tracing the History of Eukaryotic Cells and coeditor of The Origin of Eukaryotic Cells, both with Robert Obar.

Reviews

A wonderful addition to any amateur naturalist's library. It is a witty and comprehensive look at a neglected subject by someone who is very knowledgeable and enthusiastic about the material.... I can recommend this book without hesitation to amateur naturalists, educators, and parents as a key to unlocking the door to better understanding the world around them.

-- Jerry W. Kram * Society of Amateur Scientists E-Bulletin *

Despite being the most abundant and diverse organisms on Earth, bacteria are easily overlooked, cryptic, and challenging to identify.... To open the door to simple study and appreciation of bacteria, Dyer describes macroscopic attributes that allow the field identification of nearly every major group.... The book includes ideas for field trips to explore bacterial assemblages in their natural environments (from hot springs to kitchens, urban settings to tropical forests).

* Science *

This isn't a book on how to avoid E. coli and other nefarious bacteria that invade our food and homes, but an amateur naturalist's guide to all sorts of bacteria that can be seen (and smelled) without a microscope, from their habitats (hot springs, marine mud flats, even urban areas), to how to recognize and identify them in all their remarkable diversity. After all, the author reminds us, bacteria are 'the most predominant organisms on Earth,' and she even recommends taking a 'bacteriocentric' point of view in order to understand them. All the major groupings are covered, along with information on how to culture bacteria, use a microscope, and practice good safety precautions. More than 100 color illustrations will assist the happy bacteria hunter as well.

* Publishers Weekly *


Awards
Winner of A 2003 Choice Magazine "Outstanding Academic Title.



Book Information
ISBN 9780801488542
Author Betsey Dexter Dyer
Format Paperback
Page Count 366
Imprint Comstock Publishing Associates
Publisher Cornell University Press
Weight(grams) 907g
Dimensions(mm) 216mm * 140mm * 22mm