“Listen to your microbes is a book we need to shout out about!”

Dr Chris Luke

“Listen To Your Microbes is one of those rare volumes (possibly the first of a series) which leaves one marvelling at the manner in which vast erudition (courtesy of Professor Fergus Shanahan, one of Ireland’s truly worldfamous clinician-scientists) is distilled into the sort of word count that one finds in the most memorable children’s books, accompanied by the sort of unforgettable drawings to be found in books about Gruffalos, Alfie and Annie Rose or Maisie from Morningside.”

Dr Chris Luke

“The illustrations are exquisite and charming, the historical references (to Joyce, Burkitt, Tolstoy and van Leeuwenhoek etc) are fascinating, and the sense of having found a brilliantly illuminated and fresh perspective by the end is profound.”

Dr Chris Luke

“As a form of (hugely readable and enjoyable) medical or scientific education, for young and old, pupil or professional, I have seldom seen its equal. It’s always potentially embarrassing to predict the future. But here goes: Listen To Your Microbes is going to be a classic.”

Dr Chris Luke

“Listen to Your Microbes’ has been delightfully illustrated by a graphic designer with a particular interest in communicating complex scientific information in the form of accessible health messages to broad audiences. What they have produced here is a fun but never dumbed down explanation of the microbial world so vital to the human body. It is informative but also effortlessly engaging – quite a feat given the subject matter being dealt with… The illustrations bring to life the microscopic companions that, if treated well, provide necessary health promoting benefits.”

Jackie Law

“Beautifully illustrated, ‘Listen to Your Microbes’ takes a complex topic and makes it accessible and interesting to the lay reader… The speed of information is gentle and never overwhelming. The illustrations alternate between helping to explain the information and providing light breaks, with smatterings of humour…. The illustrations are definitely a highlight. The use of colour – a predominance of bright and primary colours, with duller shades for threats to microbes – is excellent and sets the tone for the book. The same microbes pop up throughout, like friends to guide you through it. Most of the illustrations are simple, matching the content, but sketched with undeniable talent. Many of them bring a smile to the reader’s face.”

Robyn

“Listen to Your Microbes’ – A Unique Blend of Science and Art! The book, infused with humor and adorned with expressive drawings, aims to be as engaging as it is informative. A notable feature is the inclusion of QR codes that lead to expert interviews, providing readers with a comprehensive understanding of the topic. ‘Listen to Your Microbes’ is more than a mere book—it’s a call to action, a plea for understanding, and a testament to the incredible world of microbes.”

Geeta Pillai 

“In this marvellous book, Fergus Shanahan and Laura Gowers take us on a fantastic journey to the microbiome within us – the microbes that live in our bodies and are so crucial for our health and well-being. Spanning everything from breastmilk to dietary fibre to probiotics, to how we share each other’s microbiome and on to how our microbiome changes with age, what we have is a highly accessible account of this most important areas of biomedicine. Written by a true world expert in this area, and wonderfully illustrated by Laura Gowers, ‘Listen to Your Microbes’ is the best account yet of the microbial world within us, an area critical for the effort to prevent or treat the many diseases that afflict us.”

Prof. Luke O’Neill, School of Biochemistry, Trinity College Dublin

“This beautifully illustrated book brings to life the complexity and importance of our microbiome. Although cutting-edge scientific ideas are introduced, the visual presentation brings audiences of all ages along, while extra resources are provided (via QR) for those who want more information. For microbiologists trying to connect with the general public, this provides a rare positive viewpoint, introducing and promoting the amazing, unseen and often misunderstood microbial world.”

Prof. Joy Watts, Associate Dean (Research and Innovation), Faculty of Science and Health, University of Portsmouth

“Fergus Shanahan and Laura Gowers combine humor, clarity and graphic detail to elucidate the complex interplay between ourselves and the microbes with which we coexist. Just like graphic illustration has been used to unlock the complexity of Joyce – himself a potential victim of microbes run awry – so does Gowers’ artistry interweave with Shanahan’s science to reveal to all of us how the bugs in our gut may be the seat of our souls.”

Garret A. Fitzgerald, Professor of Translational Medicine and Therapeutics and Chair of the Department of Pharmacology at the Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania

“Listen to Your Microbes’ is a fresh approach to public health communication. Using humour, wit and charm, it succeeds in presenting complex ideas about the microbiome not only with clarity but with beauty too.”

Dame Caroline Dinenage DBE, MP

“This is a truly exceptional book providing an account of the human microbiome, the story of the hidden world we used to ignore, and its key impact on life in the universe. Employing a short but highly informative text, the importance of microbial life is demonstrated in a series of clever, humorous line-drawings which never fail to bring a smile. Wonderful!”

Conleth Feighery, Professor Emeritus of Immunology, Trinity College Dublin

“Listen to Your Microbes’ is a wonderful blend of science and graphic design that makes very complex ideas accessible to everyone. We sort of knew that we should be listening to our gut, but Shanahan and Gowers’ collaboration makes it a lot easier: the microbes find their voices (and a loudhailer) and swiftly put paid to any idea of the mind-body split. The impact of things like ultra-processed foods, antibiotics and lifestyle factors are addressed simply and amusingly, but without losing sight of wha t’s going on in the gut. Beneath the fun and effortless storytelling, this book does the important job of making hard science comprehensible to nonspecialists of all ages – something we could do with across the disciplines. Never before has your stool been analysed with more charm and humour.”

Dr Vincent Adams, Senior Lecturer in Higher Education and Performing Arts, University of Portsmouth

“Listen to Your Microbes’ is a highly enjoyable and informative book suitable for all ages, particularly the young – where it matters most. It describes the role of the microbiota in health and in disease and is illustrated by simple but charming illustrations and interspersed with references to the pioneers who led the way in this field. Unlike previous books aimed at educating the public about our microbiomes, it is visually more attractive, easier to follow and does not contain the overly prescriptive and sometimes dramatic prose that characterised previous books. It engages the reader in a simpler yet persuasive manner, yet the messages are clear. I would strongly recommend this book to readers of all ages who are trying to navigate this complex world of mixed messaging.”

Stephen Collins, Director, Farncombe Family Digestive Health Research Institute, McMaster University, Canada

“The microbiome is a complex and evolving entity; intimidating to all but the cognoscenti. This beautifully presented book allows us all to enter this world unencumbered by technical jargon, actively and entertainingly engage with its key questions, and leave, not only informed, but giddily enthused about this miraculous field of biomedical science.”

Eamonn M. M. Quigley, Professor of Medicine, Institute of Academic Medicine, Houston Methodist

“Employing a short but highly informative text, the importance of
microbial life is demonstrated in a series of clever, humorous line-drawings which
never fail to bring a smile. Wonderful!”

Conleth Feighery, Professor Emeritus of Immunology, Trinity College Dublin

“Fergus Shanahan and Laura Gowers combine humor, clarity and graphic
detail to elucidate the complex interplay between ourselves and the microbes
with which we coexist. Just like graphic illustration has been used to unlock
the complexity of Joyce – himself a potential victim of microbes run awry – so
does Gowers’ artistry interweave with Shanahan’s science to reveal to all of us
how the bugs in our gut may be the seat of our souls.”

Garret A. Fitzgerald, Professor of Translational Medicine and Therapeutics
and Chair of the Department of Pharmacology