The Puswhisperer

H1N1. Staph aureus. Traveler's diarrhea. All examples of human interaction with the microbial world, which counts viruses, bacteria, and parasites too numerous to mention. Infectious Disease doctor Mark Crislip has a strange relationship with this world—he spends most of his time trying to kill it, even as he appreciates the vital role microorganisms play in the Earth's ecosystems.

Puswhisperer is a collection of infectious disease anecdotes created from a year's worth of clinical blog posts from the Medscape blog "Rubor, Dolor, Calor, Tumor." Originally intended for residents and fellows, the posts have been compiled, edited, and revised for a non-specialist audience. The tales cover a wide range of diagnostic dilemmas and treatment quandaries. Which infection smells like buttered popcorn? Are some antibiotics "stronger" than others? Is it OK to eat the oysters?

Along with clinical insight, the book provides a good dose of humor and insightful, microbe-centered philosophy. The author speculates on what the Earth might look like in five billion years, when animals and plants are gone, but bacteria remain. He also draws attention to the staggering rate of evolution in bacteria, made possible by short generation times and passing of genetic material from one bug to another. Finding a 60-year-old Staph strain in an old wound, Crislip tells us, is like looking out your window and seeing a Neanderthal shuffle by.

Recommended for anyone interested in infectious disease and the microorganisms that run our planet.

Mark Crislip of Portland, OR

Mark Crislip has been practicing Infectious Diseases in Portland, Oregon since 1990. He writes for Medscape, with a popular blog entitled "Rubor, Dolor, Calor, Tumor." He is an editor and writer for the Science-Based Medicine blog averaging over a million page views a month. He edited a 12 volume e-book collection of the SBM blog entries, available on Amazon, Nook and iTunes. He produces three highly rated medical podcasts, the "Puscast," "Gobbet o' Pus," and the "Quackcast" which won the People's Choice Podcast Award for best Health and Fitness podcast three years in a row. He produces the The ID Compendium, a popular Infectious Disease iPhone/Android reference application. He is also the President of the Society for Science-Based Medicine.