10% Human: How Your Body's Microbes Hold the Key to Health and Happiness

I've read a couple books now on the human biome, and this book is by far the best one of the lot, particularly for a lay reader such as myself. Alanna Collen is a science writer with a PhD in evolutionary biology. That has given her the rare gift of fully understanding and knowing the science and at the same time being able to explain it to the nonscientist. The material in each chapter is backed up by plenty of peer-reviewed scientific papers. There is no pseudo-science or hype here. The facts are presented as accurately as can be. There is plenty here to sink your mind into, assuming of course that you have control over your own mind. As Ms. Collen shows in the book, however, there is evidence that our gut biome influences our minds and our actions. It's compelling information. And that's just one small part of what is in the book. There's the question of obesity being caused by the microbes in our gut. There's the point made about not only how we were born but also whether or not we were breast fed influencing our lives because of the microbes that we may or may not have gotten in the first few months of our lives. And of course, there's much much more. I highly recommend this book to anyone interested in learning about their human biome. It covers the subject well in layman terms while at the same time, it never talks down to the reader. This book is very well done and the author did an excellent job in putting it together.

I couldn't stop reading this book. I can't say that a book has changed my life very often, but this one did. It made me think of things I've never even considered, and opened my eyes to a world inside of myself I never knew existed. When I read that microbes play such an amazing role in our bodies that they should be classified as an organ - well, that was ground-breaking stuff. Each chapter brought a new revelation, covering everything from how we are brought into the world to how antibiotics can wipe out our microbes as bad as a tsunami can wipe out a coral reef - and once they are wiped out, the body can go downhill very quickly - no matter how many probiotics we ingest thinking we'll re-populate our microbes. It simply won't happen because they only give us the garden variety microbes, not the ones that are uniquely 'US' and have taken us a lifetime to develop. The question "Why did God put the 'playground' next to the 'sewer' in our bodies" was answered - it's all about childbirth and populating our newborns with important microbes. Wow... what a revelation! I bought 2 more copies of this book and sent them to my son and his wife who just had a baby, and to my daughter-in-law's' mother so they could also learn the things I learned from this book. Autism, allergies, chronic tummy troubles, and so much more are all addressed in this amazing book. This book is written in simple, every day words that anyone can understand. Stick with the book, it gets better with every chapter. I feel like my eyes have been opened to the miracle that is living inside my body. Thank you Alanna Collen!

This was one of the most engaging popular science books I remember reading. Who'd have thought a book about the microbiome could be a page-turner. But this one is. I thought several times that books like this one ought to be given to high-school students, to stoke their curiosity and appreciation for science. The author frames the book with personal experience but with a light touch. Her story is only to set the direction. She then presents a history of our understanding of the human microbiome in a narrative as engaging as a good novel. I won't go over the contents as other reviews already have. I came to this book as I've been trying to better understand my wife's auto-immune disease and why autoimmunity is increasing around the planet. So it had particular interest to me. But it goes far beyond autoimmunity to include the epidemiological evidence that connects auto-immune disease, obesity, mood disorders, autism and the chronic illnesses of the modern era. The author is not prescriptive and isn't selling a diet or supplements - she's a researcher. I'll read whatever her next books are, whatever the topic - she's that good. (And I finally know what the appendix is for and am sorry mine is gone.)

10% Human is a book that focuses on the intricate relationship between microorganisms and the human body. The author provides a good background into the body’s dependence on a healthy microbiome. The author reminds us that we have evolved together for thousands of years, pointing out that it is the diversity of these microorganisms in and on our bodies that complete us as humans. There is numerous scientific research documented and personal experiences as well to further enhance your understanding. Each chapter is a different topic of an illness or health conditioned such as autism, obesity, autoimmune diseases, or gastrointestinal health issues, and how they linked to our microbes. The author poses questions as to why, with our clean improved standard of life, are new diseases and conditions on the rise. Obesity, autoimmune diseases, and allergies are explained as the new epidemics of the western world. For example, the author points out the correlation between the increase of people with allergies and the advancement of developed countries and hygiene practices. The idea is that people who grew up in the most developed parts of the world and therefore have access to the best medical care have fewer infections, but more severe allergies to things like pollen, gluten, and peanuts. People who have had more infections such as measles or chicken pox have little to no allergies. In people with allergies it is thought that the immune system, with no constant invader to fight off, becomes over reactive to anything in the body that is foreign. Of course there is the modern day gastrointestinal health issues more and more people are experiencing today. We have forgotten to take care of our friends in the gut that help us digest and absorb nutrients from our food. Perhaps the gut plays a bigger role in mental and physical health than previously thought in the medical world. The book goes into depth about obesity and certain species living in our guts that either promote lean body mass or obesity. There are examples of severe issues that arise from overuse of antibiotics that eventually cause worse health issues. For people in dire straits, some physicians are working to put fecal donor banks together, where people who are screened to donate healthy stools can donate a poop sample. People in need of a healthy gut can sign up to get a donation. Maybe this will be a common health service in the future. The vaginal birth versus the Caesarean (C-section) is mentioned in lengthy detail. The author points out numerous studies and correlations between 21st century illnesses and C-section babies. While informing the readers that it is the natural passage of the baby through the birth canal where the inoculation occurs. There the baby will receive the important species of microorganisms that it will need to grow and survive outside the mother’s body. The importance of natural breast milk is also mentioned, and that there is no formula on the market that will provide the essential microorganisms that we need to have passed down from our mothers. The main idea to take away is that we should be paying a lot more attention to the state of our natural microbiome to prevent illness and acquire better health. It is quite an eye opener to see that microbes have a larger impact on our health than what is generally thought to be. We know this to be true with animals such as cows, horses, bats, and insects. Why not humans? After reading this book, you will come away with a different perspective about your health and how your body functions.

After borrowing 10% Human from the library and reading it, I bought two copies -- one to have and re-read, one to lend to friends. Everybody should read this book, but especially anyone who has young children or expects to have children and is concerned about modern-day scourges like asthma, allergies, autism, obesity and digestive disorders. The subject -- the human microbiome -- may sound forbiddingly technical, but in fact the book is extremely readable and, if not entertaining (too scary for that) definitely gripping. It's based on solid science -- and the author is careful to make clear what the current limits of that science are. She doesn't pretend to offer any easy miracle cures for anything, but she provides a lot of very useful information that's of real practical value in helping us think about how we treat our bodies.

I’m going to give this book 5 stars due to its content. The paper it’s printed on is less than a one! I like to highlight important passages in the book and it bleeds right through to the other side. That’s frustrating. I have to highlight very lightly and even then, it bleeds through. I would rather pay a little extra for a better quality book, then a really good book (which this one is) printed on really crappy paper. Now that I have vented, let me tell you about the book. It’s super informative, very easy to read, and understandable for those people who have no prior knowledge of the subject matter. For those of you that are interested in all the trillions of microbes that inhabit your inside as well as your outside, this book is for you.

Read this 3 times. Excellent read, with excellent content and great research to back it all up. I have bought several copies to share with others and recommend it dozens of times.

This is a really solidly written book. It is easy to read and flows exceptionally well with concise and important content. I do not like to think about microbes much, but they are a part of our lives and influence our well-being. There is too much to discuss about the diverse content of this book in such a short space, but I enjoy the in-depth, thorough, and accurate approach that it takes. I have an extensive scientific background and can honestly say I learned a lot of new things by reading this book. Highly recommended for those who want to understand the whys, wherefores and evolution of the causes of many of today's modern maladies.

Loved this book. Revolutionized the way I see my gut health and literally improved my health and life. So grateful.

Excellent and well documented book, with a science based rationale, well informed, going to the roots of knowledge and societal implications.

This is a wonderful book which is easy to read and understand. It is extremely important for the basic understanding of health, ill health, and the environment, especially at the present time and for the future.

I like this book very much. I wish the type font was a bit larger for easier reading. I have the paperback version. I like the appendix of her book very much too - About the Author, About writing the book, Interviews and Dr. Collen's favourite books, as well as an excerpt from her next book which I am looking forward to very much. He next book is called Fatology: Why Obesity Is Not Just About Eating and Exercise. Microbiome research is very exciting. I'm looking for the research on how to reverse obesity in humans by correctly feeding our gut microbiome.

この本の言いたいことは、人間は一つの生態系であり、その生態系の多数を占めているのが腸内細菌であるということだ。 そしてその生態系を壊すものとして、抗生物質の乱用があげられている。破壊の結果が、自閉症の発生と結びついているかもしれない、との指摘には驚くばかりであるが、因果関係が認められるような実例がいくつかあげられている。また肥満症の原因としても興味深い例がひかれ、その肥満症を引き起こすので間接的に様々な癌の原因になるのではないかと述べられている。 次の表現「We are what they eat.」（私たちはかれら（腸内細菌が）食べているものでできている、がとても実感された。良い本だと思う。