A lively guide to the fast-moving and fascinating debates on what is going on with the trillions of microorganisms that live on and around us, and what we need to know to keep ourselves healthy. There are microbiomes--communities of microbes--everywhere we can imagine: in every environment, on every surface, and in every creature, including us. They are an inevitable, if largely invisible, part of life, and understanding how our microbiome works can improve our health. In The Microbiome: What Everyone Needs to Know®, Dr. Berenice Langdon provides a foundational understanding of the microbiome and what it does--and does not--do. Tracing the history of microbiome research, up to the most recent scientific advancements, she dispels common misunderstandings to better acquaint readers with the form and function of the human body's microbial community. In an accessible style, Dr. Langdon covers the microbiomes of the human body--from the skin to the gut-brain axis, the growing microbiome industry, the creation of the microbiome on newborns, the effects of microbiome changes, and even the possibilities for microbiome evolution into the future. In a fast-moving and oft-overhyped area of research, The Microbiome is a timely and significant contribution to the What Everyone Needs to Know® series.