The question “Why did God create viruses, bacteria, pathogens, venomous creatures and poisonous chemicals is usually asked by irreligious skeptics to challenge God’s authority, design, and goodness. It is also asked by those of faith, either out of innocent ignorance or curiosity. Life per se is a balance of life-forms co-existing because they were created by God by means of obvious intelligent design. The authors show the vast majority of bacteria, viruses, and insects are beneficial. The reason some pathogens are harmful is discussed in some detail. Furthermore, the role of toxic chemicals, which are beneficial and even essential to human and animal life at low to moderate concentrations is also covered. The authors’ conclusions are well-documented by several hundred peer-reviewed scholarly articles and books. if you have ever wondered about why in God’s creation there are “parasites and pathogens,” “ticks and toxins,” “maladies and mosquitoes,” then you owe it to yourself to consider the scholarly explanations that set the record straight—the professional perspective of Bergman and Hoff. If you are looking for sound scientific answers to the question “Why did God create life-forms that have harmful side-effects to other organisms?,” this is the book to read.

An in-depth look at microbes and diseases.

The enormous amount of literature on the Scopes Trial focuses on the religious elements of the trial. It almost totally ignored the importance of racism as taught in the text that Scopes used to teach biology. Bryan was not concerned about evolution in general, but specifically human evolution. He believed that Darwin's theory, as applied to humans, encouraged the oppression of certain oppressed groups. Taking evolution's philosophy to its logical conclusion meant justifying "survival of the fittest" in social matters. This philosophy he learned from his extensive reading about WWI was a major factor influencing the Germans to fight in the first World War. Furthermore, Bryan believed the citizens of Tennessee had a right to determine what their children were taught in the public schools. Another fact that is rarely mentioned is the main fossil evidence cited in the trial documents, and the press, in support of human evolution has been discredited by evolutionists including Neanderthal man, Piltdown man, Java man, and Nebraska man. Scopes was not a biology teacher, but rather taught math. His college degree was not in biology, but law. He was not put on the stand to testify in his trial, probably because he never taught evolution and could not honestly answer questions about teaching it. This book covers the so-called trial of the century, telling the real story of a sham brought on by the ACLU to further their political and anti-Christian goals.

From two of the world’s top scientists and one of the world’s top science writers (all parents), Dirt Is Good is a q&a-based guide to everything you need to know about kids & germs. “Is it OK for my child to eat dirt?” That’s just one of the many questions authors Jack Gilbert and Rob Knight are bombarded with every week from parents all over the world. They've heard everything from “My two-year-old gets constant ear infections. Should I give her antibiotics? Or probiotics?” to “I heard that my son’s asthma was caused by a lack of microbial exposure. Is this true, and if so what can I do about it now?” Google these questions, and you’ll be overwhelmed with answers. The internet is rife with speculation and misinformation about the risks and benefits of what most parents think of as simply germs, but which scientists now call the microbiome: the combined activity of all the tiny organisms inside our bodies and the surrounding environment that have an enormous impact on our health and well-being. Who better to turn to for answers than Drs. Gilbert and Knight, two of the top scientists leading the investigation into the microbiome—an investigation that is producing fascinating discoveries and bringing answers to parents who want to do the best for their young children. Dirt Is Good is a comprehensive, authoritative, accessible guide you've been searching for.

Everything readers ever wanted to know about deadly viruses, killer parasites, flesh-eating microbes, and other lifethreatening beasties but were afraid to ask What disease, known as "the White Death" has killed 2 billion people, and counting? What fatal disease lurks undetected in air conditioners and shower heads, waiting to become airborne? How lethal is the Ebola virus, and will there ever be a cure for it? How do you catch flesh-eating bacteria? Killer Germs takes readers on a fascinating (sometimes horrifying) journey into the amazing world of viruses, bacteria, protozoa, fungi, and worms and explores the roles they have played in shaping the course of human history. From biblical plagues, to the AIDS crisis, to supergerms of the future, this updated and revised edition of the original covers the whole gamut of diseases that have threatened humanity since its origins. It also includes a new chapter on the history of bioterrorism and the deplorable role it has played and is likely to play in the phenomenal diversity of diseases.

A noted medical historian places recent outbreaks of deadly diseases in historical perspective, with accounts of other alarming and recurring diseases throughout history and of the ways in which humans have adapted. Reprint. 17,500 first printing.

This book provides an evidence-based, practical approach to the diagnosis and treatment of the most frequent fungal infections in a general hospital. It offers a comprehensive overview of the basic medical and scientific background of fungal infections and carefully explains and discusses epidemiology, pathogenesis, and clinical presentation. Readers will acquire a good and clear perception of invasive fungal infections, including diagnosis and treatment. This user-friendly resource not only serves as a valuable tool in clinical management, but also provides the basis for further research questions and studies in this particular field. It will be a useful companion for midwives as well as for doctors, medical and pharmacy students, nurses and other healthcare professionals.