"Inspired by an exhibition at the American Museum of Natural History in New York, explores microbes and their implications for modern science and medicine. DeSalle and Perkins illuminate the long, intertwined evolution of humans and microbes. They discuss how novel DNA sequencing has shed entirely new light on the complexity of microbe-human interactions, and they examine the potential benefits to human health: amazing possibilities for pinpoint treatment of infections and other illnesses without upsetting the vital balance of an individual microbiome." -- dust jacket