Why Dirt Is Good: 5 Ways To Make Germs Your Friends

Why Dirt Is Good: 5 Ways to Make Germs Your Friends

""The archetypal link between dirt and guilt, and cleanliness and innocence is built into our language,"" says journalist Katherine Ashenburg. But Dr. Mary Ruebush counters that with the fact that Western civilization's obsession with antibacterial soaps and our quest to be clean all the time is actually making us sick.Why Dirt is Good is a fun look at the plus side of dirt and germs. Complete with cartoons, the book features irreverant yet medically sound advice that illustrates how we can become healthier by exposing ourselves to a bit of dirt and germs. Divided into four parts, the book will explore through text and cartoons:Part 1Dirt = good, antibiotics = badPart 2 How your immune system really works How the immune system develops in childrenPart 3 What a germ or bug is trying to do to prolong its life in the presence of antibacterials and antibioticsPart 4 What you can do to make your immune system healthierFrom Publishers WeeklyIn her first book, microbiology and immunology teacher Ruebush demonstrates a lively mastery of her subject, providing a better education in immunology than a convincing case for the idea that "the most delightful sights for a parent should be a young child covered in dirt from an active afternoon of outdoor play." Her thesis, reiterated throughout, is that obsessive cleanliness is counterproductive: a "young, na