New Book: "Antibiotics: What Everyone Needs to Know"

"Antibiotics: What Everyone Needs to Know," by Mary E. Wilson

Should you use antibiotics? What's antibiotic resistance? Can the medication really interfere with the gut and other systems of the body?

If you have questions about antibiotics, you're not alone — and Wilson, a Harvard University professor and infectious disease expert, probably answers those questions. The book is like a mega-FAQ about all things antibiotics, from how they were discovered to what we'll do if they lose their ability to kill bacteria.

They didn't become widely available until the end of World War II. Overprescribed for much of their history, antibiotics are in danger of becoming moot because of the evolution of bacteria that can resist them.

Wilson breaks down the science, the social aspects and future fears without scaremongering. Thick and meaty, her book is nonetheless written for nonscientific readers, in a Q&A format. 

Wilson examines not only the possibility of a post-antibiotic world, but also the research that could reveal a new generation of viable antibiotics or creative alternatives. The result is a book that finds hope among ever-morphing bacteria — and a seemingly ever-shrinking pool of alternatives.

— Erin Blakemore, The Washington Post