By Lisa Boss, Grand Rapids Public Library, Main Branch

Ever wonder about all those anti-bacterial products that are everywhere now? How many microbes are out there anyways? If you are germ-phobic, you might be surprised (unpleasantly!) by Callahan’s book. I had not realized the extent to which microbes inhabit our bodies. According to the author, 90% of the cells in our bodies are not human cells, they are microbial!

“Because human cells, like those in our blood and skin and livers and hearts, are about one hundred to one thousand times larger than bacterial cells—by mass and volume—people appear mostly human. But they aren’t.” Who knew!

If you enjoy scientific writing for the non-scientist, Gerald Callahan, Ph.D., has an appointment in both pathology and English at Colorado State University. Which means he knows what he’s talking about, and he also presents it in an interesting way, peppered with colorful anecdotes. He covers many topics in this slim volume: one surprising chapter reviews the link between schizophrenia and infection. The really interesting part is his description of the different ways in which infections are linked to changes in thinking and behavior that will benefit the microbe.

“Toxoplasma gondii is a one-celled parasite found in several mammals, including humans.  But only inside of cats, most often domestic house cats, does T. gondii complete its life cycle and create newly infectious parasites to unleash on the rest of the world. T. gondii infects a high proportion of people with schizophrenia. The significance of that isn’t entirely clear, but it is clear that T. gondii infections can change the way mammals think, even the ways humans think.”

You’ll have to read the book to find out what happens to rats infected with T. gondii, and how this ties in with schizophrenia.