Kindle Unlimited
Unlimited reading. Over 4 million titles. Learn more
OR
Kindle Price: $2.99

Save $21.96 (88%)

These promotions will be applied to this item:

Some promotions may be combined; others are not eligible to be combined with other offers. For details, please see the Terms & Conditions associated with these promotions.

Audiobook Price: $21.88

Save: $14.39 (66%)

You've subscribed to ! We will preorder your items within 24 hours of when they become available. When new books are released, we'll charge your default payment method for the lowest price available during the pre-order period.
Update your device or payment method, cancel individual pre-orders or your subscription at
Your Memberships & Subscriptions

Buy for others

Give as a gift or purchase for a team or group.
Learn more

Buying and sending eBooks to others

  1. Select quantity
  2. Buy and send eBooks
  3. Recipients can read on any device

These ebooks can only be redeemed by recipients in the US. Redemption links and eBooks cannot be resold.

Kindle app logo image

Download the free Kindle app and start reading Kindle books instantly on your smartphone, tablet, or computer - no Kindle device required.

Read instantly on your browser with Kindle for Web.

Using your mobile phone camera - scan the code below and download the Kindle app.

QR code to download the Kindle App

Something went wrong. Please try your request again later.

The Whole-Body Microbiome: How to Harness Microbes—Inside and Out—for Lifelong Health Kindle Edition

4.5 4.5 out of 5 stars 119 ratings

From a microbiologist and gerontologist, “scientifically accurate consumer health information on the microbiome’s relationship to adult health and aging.” —Library Journal

Science has allowed us to prolong and improve life in astonishing ways, often by fending off germs and other invisible foes. But there’s no “immunity” to the inevitable signs of aging . . . or is there?

In 
The Whole-Body Microbiome, the father-daughter team of Dr. Brett Finlay, a microbiologist, and Dr. Jessica Finlay, a specialist on aging, offers a different—and truly revolutionary—take on the quest for the fountain of youth. While much has been written about bacteria in the gut, exciting new research shows that there are millions of microbes both inside our bodies—supporting our brain, teeth, heart, lungs, bones, immune system, and more—and on our bodies, coming from the air we breathe and the things we touch all day long: cell phones and kitchen sponges, pets and doorknobs, and even other humans. These microbial “lifelong companions” have an immense impact on our daily health—and, as groundbreaking research is showing, they have the potential to help prevent and reverse the most common age-related diseases.

This eye-opening new take on the significance of the microbiome offers empowering knowledge, counters common myths, and provides simple, effective daily tips to help you 
and your microbes live long—and prosper.

“[An] excitedly optimistic and research-grounded look at the microbiome’s implications for the health of the aging body . . . make[s] a strong case for the microbiome as an exciting new frontier in health research, with myriad possibilities for the diagnosis and treatment of various diseases.”
 Publishers Weekly
Read more Read less

Add a debit or credit card to save time when you check out
Convenient and secure with 2 clicks. Add your card

From the Publisher

the whole body microbiome

Editorial Reviews

Review

“Brett and Jessica Finlay offer extraordinary new insight into the significance of the microbiome in any number of age-related conditions—from cancer to oral health, Alzheimer’s to heart and lung function. The takeaway is that we need to look beyond gut bacteria.”—Foreword Reviews

“Chapters address the function of microbes in various conditions and body systems, with health strategies and lifestyle tips intended to be widely applicable to adults of all ages. . . .Recommended for readers seeking scientifically accurate consumer health information on the microbiome’s relationship to adult health and aging.”—
Library Journal

“[An] excitedly optimistic and research-grounded look at the microbiome’s implications for the health of the aging body. . . . The Finlays . . . make a strong case for the microbiome as an exciting new frontier in health research, with myriad possibilities for the diagnosis and treatment of various diseases.”
Publishers Weekly

“With its upbeat approach and valuable diet and lifestyle recommendations,
The Whole-Body Microbiome will empower readers to invest in the lifelong process of aging well.”—Shelf Awareness

“According to the authors, the beneficial and diverse residents of the human microbiome—the trillions of specific microbes that are associated with different parts of the body, including but not limited to the mouth, gastrointestinal tract, skin, and lungs—may eventually be harnessed to delay aging and to prevent and treat disease. . . . Recommended. All levels.”
—Choice

“Whether you are seeking to address a specific health concern, such as IBS, or just want to decelerate the aging process, this book is filled with tips and actionable lifestyle advice. The fountain of youth, it turns out, may actually be burbling with microbes.”
—Spirituality & Health

“A fascinating must-read, this well-researched book presents a groundbreaking new perspective to living long and living well through our microbes. Trailblazing microbiology and gerontology researchers Brett and Jessica Finlay insightfully present the latest science on microbes behind health and longevity, and offer easy-to-follow principles and strategies to age better. Who knew, the fountain of youth is full of microbes!”—
Dan Buettner, author of The Blue Zones, National Geographic fellow, and founder of Blue Zones

“Revolutionary . . . The Finlays offer practical, thorough, and sometimes shocking solutions that all of us can implement today, no matter what our age. . . . By helping our microbes flourish inside our bodies and in our environments, we can find preventative and curative care all in one.
”—Dr. Mark Hyman, author of The UltraMind Solution and Food: What the Heck Should I Eat?

About the Author

B. Brett Finlay, PhD, is the Peter Wall Distinguished Professor in the Michael Smith Laboratories at the University of British Columbia. A leading researcher on bacterial infection, he has been studying microbes for over thirty years and published over five hundred scientific articles. A cofounder of the biotech companies Commense, Vedanta, and Microbiome Insights, Dr. Finlay is an Officer of the Order of Canada, the highest Canadian civilian recognition. He is a coauthor of Let Them Eat Dirt: How Microbes Can Make Your Child Healthier.

Jessica Finlay, PhD, is a University of Michigan postdoctoral research fellow who specializes in environmental gerontology and health geography. With degrees from Queen's University and the University of Minnesota, she has won awards for her work and authored publications in leading health, geography, and gerontology journals.

Product details

  • ASIN ‏ : ‎ B079VTC1ZF
  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ The Experiment; 1st edition (January 22, 2019)
  • Publication date ‏ : ‎ January 22, 2019
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • File size ‏ : ‎ 2228 KB
  • Text-to-Speech ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Screen Reader ‏ : ‎ Supported
  • Enhanced typesetting ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • X-Ray ‏ : ‎ Not Enabled
  • Word Wise ‏ : ‎ Not Enabled
  • Sticky notes ‏ : ‎ On Kindle Scribe
  • Print length ‏ : ‎ 436 pages
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.5 4.5 out of 5 stars 119 ratings

About the author

Follow authors to get new release updates, plus improved recommendations.
B. brett Finley
Brief content visible, double tap to read full content.
Full content visible, double tap to read brief content.

Discover more of the author’s books, see similar authors, read author blogs and more

Customer reviews

4.5 out of 5 stars
4.5 out of 5
119 global ratings

Top reviews from the United States

Reviewed in the United States on February 11, 2024
A wealth of detailed information as to how our microbes impact every aspect of our bodies. Useful, specific recommendations included.
Reviewed in the United States on October 22, 2021
This is an engaging and well-researched study of the amazing human micro biome. I gained a new appreciation for the microorganisms that coexist with me on this journey of life. Great book!
One person found this helpful
Report
Reviewed in the United States on July 20, 2019
An eye-opening, accessible read about new insights that will revolutionize health and medicine. I wish every doctor and patient would read this and look forward to seeing this knowledge expressed through new approaches to health care in coming years. After reading a copy from our library, I purchased one for my parents and asked my daughter to read it when they're done.
5 people found this helpful
Report
Reviewed in the United States on June 2, 2019
This book is a very good wide ranging survey of the topic. The authors cite studies (often on germ free rats) that lend scientific support to very interesting concepts related to the human microbiome . The book is easy to read. The authors are careful to warn that correlation is not necessarily causation. I did not give the book five stars because the first edition was not proofed as well as it should have been. For example. on page 109 the gut is divided into "the stomach, the small intestine, the large intestine, and the colon." On page 273, an entire line of type is missing the spaces between words.
6 people found this helpful
Report
Reviewed in the United States on May 16, 2021
I wanted a list of all cooties on me
3 people found this helpful
Report
Reviewed in the United States on June 16, 2020
Love this book. All of the research you need on your microbiome is in here. Great read.
One person found this helpful
Report
Reviewed in the United States on February 22, 2019
This book provides a broad overview of research on the human microbiome and how it affects health and aging. It gets a bit technical at times, but is well organized, interesting, and easy to understand. I appreciated that the authors are clear about what we know, what we suspect, and what remains unknown.

Each chapter discusses the microbiome of a different organ or system, summarizing results from current research, discussing areas where future research might be most helpful, and providing helpful suggestions for how to make use of this knowledge. Each chapter ends with a section of quick tips summarizing their recommended actions and a list of selected references. There is an index at the end, which I have not had a chance to review.

Many of the health recommendations are going to sound familiar, but I appreciated getting a new understanding of why these recommendations are so important. For example, after reading about the oral microbiome, I am feeling a lot more urgency to brush and floss my teeth more often and to pay attention to what is in my toothpaste.

I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys reading about medical research. If you don’t think you would enjoy reading about studies conducted on germ-free mice or learning about how bacteria influence the levels of cytokines that affect inflammation and the immune response, then this may not be the book for you.

I was provided an unproofed ARC through NetGalley that I volunteered to review. Because I have not seen the final published version, I cannot comment on the final editing and formatting.
9 people found this helpful
Report
Reviewed in the United States on July 31, 2019
To be honest, I'm still reading it. I like where she is going with this but I've read other books along these lines about our microbiome and they were more, hmm not sure what word I could use. I just felt other books were more into the positive than a stance of "we know this, maybe." LOL If that makes sense. I just feel other authors came to the table with more confidence that we can change our health by changing our microbiome. Other authors were more hopeful.
12 people found this helpful
Report

Top reviews from other countries

Heather E. Miller
5.0 out of 5 stars This is a Must Read!
Reviewed in Canada on August 5, 2021
This book is a must read for anyone looking for ways to improve their health. It's very informative and offers information on how to make long-lasting changes in your life that will positively impact your health. I am not a believer in any quick fixes, but there are a few changes I have made that have already increased my quality of life. I suffer from a variety of different maladies, so any change for the positive, regardless of how small it is, is a win for me.
One person found this helpful
Report
George
5.0 out of 5 stars Great book
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on February 26, 2020
A very good book, arrived on time in perfect condition.
CC
3.0 out of 5 stars Pro vax book
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on October 25, 2020
I wanted to love this book but it’s Pro vaccination stance means the authors have no understanding of the body and makes me question all their research.
5 people found this helpful
Report
deb
5.0 out of 5 stars Life changing
Reviewed in Canada on March 31, 2019
This is a life changing book. I read science papers every day. The microbiome is the coolest area in health science right now. Hard to believe that this science is only in it’s first decade. Read it and surf on the face of this wave!
JJBratt
5.0 out of 5 stars Need to know.
Reviewed in Canada on June 17, 2019
Great book. Informative and useful. Recommend for anyone interested in knowing how our bodies are supposed to work.
Report an issue

Does this item contain inappropriate content?
Do you believe that this item violates a copyright?
Does this item contain quality or formatting issues?