B. Brett Finlay

I had higher expectations when I started reading this. Over and over the authors state that we've ruined our guts which has now led to many disorders like asthma and allergies to name a few, with a list of do's and don'ts after each. Yet, many of the studies need more research and are inconclusive. Not only that, I hoped that I could learn about what I can do now to help myself and my kids. What should I eat? What should I drink? Supplements? Should we take a daily probiotic? No information was given on that, but I'm guessing it's a must.

The book does however explain all the things we're doing wrong. The importance of breastfeeding, playing outside, healthy diet and exercise etc. is emphasized. Overall, a book worth reading, but glad I didn't purchase it because it's a lot of reiterating known facts.… (més)

Modern germ theory and medicial practices would easily have us believe that microbes are nothing but detrimental to human health. So it would surprise many to know that bacteria can be, not only beneficial, but also vital to health and well-being especially in the area of the human digestive tract. Think of it as a party - you want a group that is interesting and diverse while leaving out mooches and serial killers. Authors B. Brett Finlay and Marie-Claire Arrieta set out to change our minds on the role of bacteria and our microbiome while also showing us what can be done to correct some of the imbalances that oversanitizing our environment has done.

From asthma to diabetes to mood disorders, the number of health issues that the microbiome affects is surprising. While this book focuses mainly on children, there is much here that an adult interested in health and well-being will find useful. The depth and breadth of the research was outstanding and I found the book to be a most enjoyable and informative read. I particularly liked the chapter explaining the health benefits of dogs as pets (and could imagine a number of children using the plea of "We need a dog - they're healthy"). I also appreciated the 'aside' information boxes at the end of many chapters - I found them to be quite enlightening.

I have to admit that there was a chapter in the book that I found less than enjoyable which I call the vaccine scolding chapter. Regardless of one's views on vaccines, the connection between vaccines and the human microbiome have not been strongly established (which the authors admitted) and I found the tone of the chapter to be stringent and harsh. As Dr. Finlay is one of the developers of the SARS vaccine I understand his strong feelings on the topic but I felt it was not the time or the place for what I felt was a lecture. It marred a book that I would consider to be some of the most cutting edge and important information in the area of human health.… (més)