Brock Biology of Microorganisms, 9th ed

The first edition of Biology of microorganisms (BOM), by Thomas D. Brock, was published in 1970. It was a textbook for introductory courses on microbiology, but it was not “another” textbook on the subject. Its novelty lay in the approach given by Brock by emphasizing the functional, ecological, evolutionary relationships of microorganisms and the activities of interests to humans that microbes undertake. I had the privilege of “discovering” and translating into Spanish (Biología de los microorganismos, Ed. Omega, Barcelona, 1973) that first edition of by then so “obscure” textbook, just after finishing my Ph.D. Although previously Brock himself had published Milestones in Microbiology (editor, 1961), Microbial Ecology (1966) and many significant scientific papers and reviews, he was practically unknown in Spain, not to mention the subject of that book. In Microbial Ecology’s preface, Brock wrote: “the field of microbiology has undergone revolutionary changes in recent years due to the impact of new developments in cell and molecular biology. Microbes make excellent research tools for the study of many fundamental biological problems, and work along these lines is now being vigorously pursued. [. ] The task of microbial ecology is to provide an understanding of the place of microorganisms in nature and in human society. In the past, microbial ecology has been fragmented into a number of subfields, such as soil microbiology, food microbiology, marine microbiology, medical microbiology, etc. I believe it is now possible, and desirable, to integrate these fields. ” Since the 4th edition of BOM (1984), other authors joined Brock in his venture, and in the 8th and 9th editions he passed the torch to Madigan, Martinko and Parker, co-authors in the 7th edition, sure that they would maintain the authority, clarity and wide coverage which were characteristic of the book. Although Brock’s name was no longer among the authors, it was incorporated to the title, and is now definitely linked to the textbook. Each new edition of the BOM / BBOM has been thoroughly revised and updated following the pace of microbiological advances. Although BBOM covers different fields of applied microbiology, emphasizing topics such as medical microbiology and biotechnology, microorganisms have always been the main characters of the book, not for what they do, but for what they are. Some changes in the two latest editions as well as the new organization of the 9th edition follow the recommendations of the Education Division of the American Society for Microbiology (ASM) for teaching introductory courses. Setting up a companion website was an innovation of the 8th edition of BBOM, which turned out to be a most helpful pedagogical aid. This website (www.prenhall.com/brock), which includes complementary material for each chapter, has been now reviewed and expanded with new learning aids, such as the “Testing Center”, which allows students to assess their own knowledge by taking “virtual exams” on all units of material. Thousands of on-line questions are available, taken from authentic examinations in universities that use BBOM as a textbook resource. The bibliography for each chapter has been expanded, and it is possible to gain direct access to many bibliographic sources through the Internet. The lists of references at the end of each chapter, however, has been removed, and they are available only at the BBOM website. Probably this is not an inconvenience for American students and for those in other developed countries, who have easy access to the www. Several supplements are also available to the instructors. I especially recommend the set of full color transparencies, whose number has increased from 250 in the 8th edition to 275 in the 9th. Instructors whose classrooms are wired for the use of laptop computers can also take advantage of the CD-ROM, which contains practically all the figures and tables of the book. A final complement of the BBOM 9th edition (Appendix 2) may be overlooked by young students not acquainted with microbial taxonomy. It includes the contents of the Bergey’s Manual of Systematic Bacteriology, 2nd ed., which had not yet been released when BBOM was published. (BBOM’s authors acknowledge George Garrity, Bergey’s Manual Trust Editor-in-Chief, for having provided the contents prior to publication.) All the genera of Archaea and Bacteria—both having been given the taxonomical category of Kingdom—that had been recognized at the moment of preparation of the Bergey’s Manual are listed in this appendix, along with the number of species recognized. Bacterial taxonomy has changed dramatically over the 1990s, mainly due to the advances in molecular biology, and this listing can be very useful to situate taxonomically—provided this practice has any meaning in prokaryotes— even the least widely known genera in the current bacterial classification. The BBOM may seem to exceed the needs for a single introductory course on general microbiology. In fact, the book not only contains the fundamental knowledge which must be taught and learnt—regardless of the contents and extent of the subject in the curriculum—, but it also includes information for those students who may wish to expand their knowledge in the topics covered. With its frequent editions, BBOM is always an updated text. Anybody who wishes to have a complete, recent work containing the fundamentals of the biology of microorganisms, be they researchers, instructors, students or professionals, must know, use and have this excellent, comprehensive textbook of microbiological science.