For graduate students and academic researchers in microbiology, Ogilvie (biomedical and health science research, U. of Brighton, UK) and Hirsch, a researcher in microbial ecology in the UK, bring together viewpoints and knowledge on microbial ecological theory in six essays contributed by scientists working in ecology and microbiology in the US, Europe, China, and Brazil. They explore the main ideas of macro-ecological theory with a microbial perspective and consider whether microbes are everywhere, whether a microbial species exists, and how high-resolution molecular data informs and underpins the evolution of microbial ecological theory. They specifically discuss genome-based and functional differentiation; the human-microbe coevolutionary continuum, with a focus on mutualism and antagonism; plant-microorganism mutualism; theories related to microbial community dynamics; the species-time relationship for bacteria; and microbial biogeography. Distributed in the US by ISBS. Annotation 2012 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)
