The Five-Second Rule and Other Myths About Germs: What Everyone Should Know About Bacteria, Viruses, Mold, and Mildew [Paperback]

Anne E. Maczulak (Author)

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

The five-second rule, told to children by generations of mothers, says that if you drop a cookie on the floor, you have five seconds to snatch it up before germs swarm over it and render it unsafe to eat. Microbiologist Maczulak uses this bit of home-spun wisdom to introduce readers to the world of bacteria, viruses and fungi. As the author reminds us, many of the manifold creatures in the microscopic world are needed for our bodies to function normally; only a relatively small number are pathogens. Maczulak reveals the current thinking on how long you're contagious when you have a cold, what's the dirtiest room in the house (not the bathroom) and why your doctor is right in refusing to prescribe antibiotics for the flu. Maczulak's writing can be repetitious and unfocused. Nevertheless, addressing such questions as whether or not to use disinfectants, and with sidebars listing food-borne microbes and antimicrobial essential oils, this may prove a helpful home companion. As to that cookie: as grandma always said, just brush it off. (Nov. 6)
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About the Author

Anne E. Maczulak, Ph.D. has been a microbiologist in industry and academia for 20 years. She currently consults in quality assurance for biotechnology, pharmaceutical, consumer product, and chemical companies. Maczulak’s career has covered research in a range of microbal environments, such as the skin and scalp, kitchen drains, and even the inside of a cow’s stomach. She lives in Novato, CA.

Product Details

• Paperback: 296 pages
• Publisher: Running Press (November 9, 2007)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1560259507
• ISBN-13: 978-1560259503
• Product Dimensions: 8.5 x 5.8 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 2.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,045,708 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars And Yet Here We Are, February 20, 2008

By 

G. Poirier (Orleans, ON, Canada) - See all my reviews
(TOP 1000 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Five-Second Rule and Other Myths About Germs: What Everyone Should Know About Bacteria, Viruses, Mold, and Mildew (Paperback)

From the title, one may assume that myths about germs comprise this book's main theme. In fact, there is much more that awaits the reader. This book can be viewed as a short course on microbiology aimed at the general public. It covers the nature, habitats and important characteristics of what we call germs, i.e., bacteria, viruses, fungi, molds, spores, etc. Prominent in the book is the matter of staying healthy; thus, recommendations are made on avoiding contact with unhealthy germs and decontaminating our bodies and our personal environments as efficiently as possible. After reading about how dangerous and numerous many of these germs are and knowing how filthy human living conditions have been during certain periods in history, one cannot help but wonder at how humans could still be around. Nevertheless, here we are. The writing style is authoritative yet quite accessible; though I found some passages to be a bit dry. Although I felt that the author was a bit overly cautious in her constant emphasis on rigorous cleanliness, I do agree that the book dispels many myths about germs. This book can be enjoyed by anyone, although readers who tend to be a bit germ-phobic may become even more so as they read this book.

2 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Disappointing, March 12, 2008

By 

John D (Olympia, WA USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Five-Second Rule and Other Myths About Germs: What Everyone Should Know About Bacteria, Viruses, Mold, and Mildew (Paperback)

I got this book at the library and was very disappointed. Yes, it has introductory information on microbiology but the illustrations were poor and the advice was very basic and limited. I couldn't find any mention of UV disinfection, for example.

1.0 out of 5 stars Disappointing - little reference to facts., June 1, 2011

By 

Dan Litov (San Diego, CA United States) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: The Five-Second Rule and Other Myths About Germs: What Everyone Should Know About Bacteria, Viruses, Mold, and Mildew (Paperback)

I was curious about this book because it promised to disabuse us of myths we were taught about bacteria, viruses, etc. However, it's unclear how she comes to even her own statement of 'fact,' one way or another, because she rarely provides any references, assuming the reader will simply take her on her word. I'm not suggesting she write a dry academic book, but a simple reference to a study in the text would go a long way (for example, "in 1997 researchers at Princeton (Pinel, 1997) studied how long bacteria survived if exposed to certain temperatures... they discovered that when the temperature X was reached, only % survived.).

I'm just saying, don't say you're going to bust myths, then replace them with your own.