This textbook is designed and written for biology and/or science majors who are enrolled in an upper level microbiology course. It is not meant for courses that focus primarily on medical microbiology, as this textbook really provides, instead, a nice survey of the many roles that microorganisms play in the world. While many microbiology texts have numerous chapters on the lists of microorganisms that cause various diseases (either listed by disease or microbial taxonomy), this text takes a broader perspective. I was impressed with the amount of ecological examples provided throughout the text and the coverage within each chapter focusing on microbial ecology.
The textbook is arranged in a similar fashion to most upper-level textbooks. The first section focuses on basic cell structure of microbes (specifically bacteria and viruses), with a chapter on microbial control. The next section delves into microbial genetics, with a section on genomics and even a brief introduction to metagenomics. I was also happy to see a discussion of bioinformatics. The third section focuses on metabolism/biochemistry. The fourth section describes the diversity of different microbial groups (bacteria, archaea, and eukaryotes), as well as an introduction to microbial ecology. The final section focuses on medicine with an emphasis on immunology, the process of disease, an introduction to epidemiology and public health, and antimicrobials. The text, in addition to including a large amount of detail on these subjects, provides examples and very nice introductory stories to engage students in the material. I appreciate the “atypical” examples that are chosen. Many examples are not medically related, and use current topics to help provide a broad overview of the role of microorganisms on the planet.
The first edition of this text was published in 2009. As the publisher states, most of the changes are in the examples provided throughout the text. There are special topics embedded in each chapter and, although some are the same, most are different. The new examples are meant to reflect current research in microbiology. Aside from these changes, the structure and even the page numbers are identical. Should an instructor require the first or the second edition, the changes are minimal and both could likely be used simultaneously, aside from the examples. In response to questions about the use of this text last year in my microbiology course, the majority of the students would recommend using it in future courses.
One of the greatest strengths of this text is the story that it tells. While many upper-level graduate textbooks carry much of the same detailed information, Slonzcweski and Foster do a terrific job explaining the relevance behind the concepts. By means of good examples and writing style, concepts are commonly given a context that help students understand the material. In addition, the authors include current and relevant research and concepts to provide an up-to-date perspective on today’s microbiology.