Ed Yong

Perhaps it should be no surprise that Yong, who chose to invoke Walt Whitman in his book's title, writes in energetic, generous, and visceral prose. I Contain Multitudes is a deeply researched book—nerdy and technical, with a Notes section that is its own odd pleasure to read—but Yong's words also pulse and glow with carnality and wonder. He deftly places human evolution in a larger, more complex context of microbial and animal life, which will alter your perspective on your place in the world, as well as within your own body. But the book might also offer a revolutionary perspective on our society and our individual places within the body politic. "Microbes matter," Yong insists. "We have ignored them. We have feared and hated them. Now, it is time to appreciate them, for our grasp of our own biology is greatly impoverished if we don't." He could easily be writing about black and brown lives in America. ANGELA GARBES