Preface 



Microbes and You has been written as a text for an introductory, 

 terminal, survey course in microbiology for students with little or 

 no background in science. The book should fill a need in schools— 

 both large universities and small liberal arts colleges— where 

 students are required to complete at least one course in a biological 

 science as part of their general education. 



This text is not intended primarily for those planning to pursue 

 microbiology as their major field of interest, nor for those individ- 

 uals preparing for a career in medicine. 



Because Microbes and You is designed for use in a cultural 

 course in science, it is written in a style which should help to hold 

 the interest of the reader. Practical everyday applications of 

 microbiology are incorporated into the text, and the instructor can 

 supplement the reading material with lectures and laboratory exer- 

 cises slanted toward his particular course objectives. This text is 

 more concise than other similar presentations, and students are 

 likely to read it more thoroughly than longer textbooks. 



Stanley E. Wedberg 

 Storrs, Connecticut 



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