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<rss xmlns:itunes="http://www.itunes.com/dtds/podcast-1.0.dtd" xmlns:atom="http://www.w3.org/2005/Atom" xmlns:podcast="https://podcastindex.org/namespace/1.0" xmlns:media="http://search.yahoo.com/mrss/" version="2.0"><channel><title>Microbe Hunters</title><link>https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/microbe-hunters--7102821</link><description><![CDATA[Microbe Hunters provides dramatized accounts of eleven early pioneers of microbiology and their important discoveries. Beginning in 1650 with the invention of the microscope and the first discovery of the microbial world, de Kruif chronicles how scientific knowledge builds upon itself with essays on Pasteur and Koch who demonstrated that microbes can cause disease; Metchnickoff’s discovery of an immune system that battles microbes, as well as further essays on viral and parasitic diseases such as yellow fever and malaria and the roles that specific insects play in microbial transmission. The book culminates in Ehrlich’s ca. 1910 discovery of a “magic bullet” – the first time that a drug was created that specifically targeted a microbial pathogen. de Kruif employs a style of writing that includes semi-fictionalized accounts of each scientist’s thoughts and rationale as they work through their respective scientific hypotheses. By keeping the reader in the scientist’s head in this manner, the reader experiences the “Ah-ha!” moment along with the scientist when the groundbreaking discovery is made. Importantly, the reader need not have any science background to understand and appreciate this book. Microbe Hunters was first published in 1926 and quickly became an international best seller. The fact that it remains in print today is a testament to its enduring appeal. Nonetheless, please be advised that there are some demeaning comments towards several racial and ethnic groups, reflecting the time period when the science was conducted or when the book was written, that would be considered racist by today’s standards. (Summary by Warren Kati)]]></description><atom:link href="https://www.spreaker.com/show/7102821/episodes/feed" rel="self" type="application/rss+xml"/><language>en</language><category>Books</category><copyright>Copyright Nature Genre</copyright><image><url>https://d3wo5wojvuv7l.cloudfront.net/t_rss_itunes_square_1400/images.spreaker.com/original/51c1ebc8f6b0fca0e060a43e626d9241.jpg</url><title>Microbe Hunters</title><link>https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/microbe-hunters--7102821</link></image><lastBuildDate>Sun, 06 Sep 2026 09:11:30 +0000</lastBuildDate><itunes:author>Paul de Kruif</itunes:author><itunes:owner><itunes:name>Nature Genre</itunes:name><itunes:email>spreaker69@podcastlibrary.org</itunes:email></itunes:owner><itunes:image href="https://d3wo5wojvuv7l.cloudfront.net/t_rss_itunes_square_1400/images.spreaker.com/original/51c1ebc8f6b0fca0e060a43e626d9241.jpg"/><itunes:subtitle>Microbe Hunters provides dramatized accounts of eleven early pioneers of microbiology and their important discoveries. Beginning in 1650 with the invention of the microscope and the first discovery of the microbial world, de Kruif chronicles how...</itunes:subtitle><itunes:summary><![CDATA[Microbe Hunters provides dramatized accounts of eleven early pioneers of microbiology and their important discoveries. Beginning in 1650 with the invention of the microscope and the first discovery of the microbial world, de Kruif chronicles how scientific knowledge builds upon itself with essays on Pasteur and Koch who demonstrated that microbes can cause disease; Metchnickoff’s discovery of an immune system that battles microbes, as well as further essays on viral and parasitic diseases such as yellow fever and malaria and the roles that specific insects play in microbial transmission. The book culminates in Ehrlich’s ca. 1910 discovery of a “magic bullet” – the first time that a drug was created that specifically targeted a microbial pathogen. de Kruif employs a style of writing that includes semi-fictionalized accounts of each scientist’s thoughts and rationale as they work through their respective scientific hypotheses. By keeping the reader in the scientist’s head in this manner, the reader experiences the “Ah-ha!” moment along with the scientist when the groundbreaking discovery is made. Importantly, the reader need not have any science background to understand and appreciate this book. Microbe Hunters was first published in 1926 and quickly became an international best seller. The fact that it remains in print today is a testament to its enduring appeal. Nonetheless, please be advised that there are some demeaning comments towards several racial and ethnic groups, reflecting the time period when the science was conducted or when the book was written, that would be considered racist by today’s standards. (Summary by Warren Kati)]]></itunes:summary><itunes:category text="Arts"><itunes:category text="Books"/></itunes:category><itunes:category text="Religion &amp; Spirituality"/><itunes:category text="Religion &amp; Spirituality"><itunes:category text="Christianity"/></itunes:category><itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit><podcast:guid>292103b4-1b0c-5e61-ae12-e345747c69fb</podcast:guid><itunes:type>episodic</itunes:type><item><title>Autobiography of Goethe Volume 2-Johann Wolfgang von Goethe</title><link>https://www.spreaker.com/episode/autobiography-of-goethe-volume-2-johann-wolfgang-von-goethe--74389094</link><description><![CDATA[Microbe Hunters provides dramatized accounts of eleven early pioneers of microbiology and their important discoveries. Beginning in 1650 with the invention of the microscope and the first discovery of the microbial world, de Kruif chronicles how scientific knowledge builds upon itself with essays on Pasteur and Koch who demonstrated that microbes can cause disease; Metchnickoff’s discovery of an immune system that battles microbes, as well as further essays on viral and parasitic diseases such as yellow fever and malaria and the roles that specific insects play in microbial transmission. The book culminates in Ehrlich’s ca. 1910 discovery of a “magic bullet” – the first time that a drug was created that specifically targeted a microbial pathogen. de Kruif employs a style of writing that includes semi-fictionalized accounts of each scientist’s thoughts and rationale as they work through their respective scientific hypotheses. By keeping the reader in the scientist’s head in this manner, the reader experiences the “Ah-ha!” moment along with the scientist when the groundbreaking discovery is made. Importantly, the reader need not have any science background to understand and appreciate this book. Microbe Hunters was first published in 1926 and quickly became an international best seller. The fact that it remains in print today is a testament to its enduring appeal. Nonetheless, please be advised that there are some demeaning comments towards several racial and ethnic groups, reflecting the time period when the science was conducted or when the book was written, that would be considered racist by today’s standards. (Summary by Warren Kati)]]></description><guid isPermaLink="false">https://api.spreaker.com/episode/74389094</guid><pubDate>Sun, 06 Sep 2026 09:01:13 +0000</pubDate><enclosure url="https://dts.podtrac.com/redirect.mp3/api.spreaker.com/download/episode/74389094/8949_autobiography_of_goethe_volume_2_johann_wolfgang_von_goethe.mp3" length="250804946" type="audio/mpeg"/><itunes:author>Paul de Kruif</itunes:author><itunes:subtitle>Microbe Hunters provides dramatized accounts of eleven early pioneers of microbiology and their important discoveries. Beginning in 1650 with the invention of the microscope and the first discovery of the microbial world, de Kruif chronicles how...</itunes:subtitle><itunes:summary><![CDATA[Microbe Hunters provides dramatized accounts of eleven early pioneers of microbiology and their important discoveries. Beginning in 1650 with the invention of the microscope and the first discovery of the microbial world, de Kruif chronicles how scientific knowledge builds upon itself with essays on Pasteur and Koch who demonstrated that microbes can cause disease; Metchnickoff’s discovery of an immune system that battles microbes, as well as further essays on viral and parasitic diseases such as yellow fever and malaria and the roles that specific insects play in microbial transmission. The book culminates in Ehrlich’s ca. 1910 discovery of a “magic bullet” – the first time that a drug was created that specifically targeted a microbial pathogen. de Kruif employs a style of writing that includes semi-fictionalized accounts of each scientist’s thoughts and rationale as they work through their respective scientific hypotheses. By keeping the reader in the scientist’s head in this manner, the reader experiences the “Ah-ha!” moment along with the scientist when the groundbreaking discovery is made. Importantly, the reader need not have any science background to understand and appreciate this book. Microbe Hunters was first published in 1926 and quickly became an international best seller. The fact that it remains in print today is a testament to its enduring appeal. Nonetheless, please be advised that there are some demeaning comments towards several racial and ethnic groups, reflecting the time period when the science was conducted or when the book was written, that would be considered racist by today’s standards. (Summary by Warren Kati)]]></itunes:summary><itunes:duration>31319</itunes:duration><itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit><itunes:image href="https://d3wo5wojvuv7l.cloudfront.net/t_rss_itunes_square_1400/images.spreaker.com/original/51c1ebc8f6b0fca0e060a43e626d9241.jpg"/><itunes:episodeType>full</itunes:episodeType></item><item><title>Anarchism and Other Essays-Emma Goldman</title><link>https://www.spreaker.com/episode/anarchism-and-other-essays-emma-goldman--74360709</link><description><![CDATA[Microbe Hunters provides dramatized accounts of eleven early pioneers of microbiology and their important discoveries. Beginning in 1650 with the invention of the microscope and the first discovery of the microbial world, de Kruif chronicles how scientific knowledge builds upon itself with essays on Pasteur and Koch who demonstrated that microbes can cause disease; Metchnickoff’s discovery of an immune system that battles microbes, as well as further essays on viral and parasitic diseases such as yellow fever and malaria and the roles that specific insects play in microbial transmission. The book culminates in Ehrlich’s ca. 1910 discovery of a “magic bullet” – the first time that a drug was created that specifically targeted a microbial pathogen. de Kruif employs a style of writing that includes semi-fictionalized accounts of each scientist’s thoughts and rationale as they work through their respective scientific hypotheses. By keeping the reader in the scientist’s head in this manner, the reader experiences the “Ah-ha!” moment along with the scientist when the groundbreaking discovery is made. Importantly, the reader need not have any science background to understand and appreciate this book. Microbe Hunters was first published in 1926 and quickly became an international best seller. The fact that it remains in print today is a testament to its enduring appeal. Nonetheless, please be advised that there are some demeaning comments towards several racial and ethnic groups, reflecting the time period when the science was conducted or when the book was written, that would be considered racist by today’s standards. (Summary by Warren Kati)]]></description><guid isPermaLink="false">https://api.spreaker.com/episode/74360709</guid><pubDate>Sat, 05 Sep 2026 09:00:57 +0000</pubDate><enclosure url="https://dts.podtrac.com/redirect.mp3/api.spreaker.com/download/episode/74360709/anarchism_and_other_essays_emma_goldman.mp3" length="200416576" type="audio/mpeg"/><itunes:author>Paul de Kruif</itunes:author><itunes:subtitle>Microbe Hunters provides dramatized accounts of eleven early pioneers of microbiology and their important discoveries. Beginning in 1650 with the invention of the microscope and the first discovery of the microbial world, de Kruif chronicles how...</itunes:subtitle><itunes:summary><![CDATA[Microbe Hunters provides dramatized accounts of eleven early pioneers of microbiology and their important discoveries. Beginning in 1650 with the invention of the microscope and the first discovery of the microbial world, de Kruif chronicles how scientific knowledge builds upon itself with essays on Pasteur and Koch who demonstrated that microbes can cause disease; Metchnickoff’s discovery of an immune system that battles microbes, as well as further essays on viral and parasitic diseases such as yellow fever and malaria and the roles that specific insects play in microbial transmission. The book culminates in Ehrlich’s ca. 1910 discovery of a “magic bullet” – the first time that a drug was created that specifically targeted a microbial pathogen. de Kruif employs a style of writing that includes semi-fictionalized accounts of each scientist’s thoughts and rationale as they work through their respective scientific hypotheses. By keeping the reader in the scientist’s head in this manner, the reader experiences the “Ah-ha!” moment along with the scientist when the groundbreaking discovery is made. Importantly, the reader need not have any science background to understand and appreciate this book. Microbe Hunters was first published in 1926 and quickly became an international best seller. The fact that it remains in print today is a testament to its enduring appeal. Nonetheless, please be advised that there are some demeaning comments towards several racial and ethnic groups, reflecting the time period when the science was conducted or when the book was written, that would be considered racist by today’s standards. (Summary by Warren Kati)]]></itunes:summary><itunes:duration>25027</itunes:duration><itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit><itunes:image href="https://d3wo5wojvuv7l.cloudfront.net/t_rss_itunes_square_1400/images.spreaker.com/original/51c1ebc8f6b0fca0e060a43e626d9241.jpg"/><itunes:episodeType>full</itunes:episodeType></item><item><title>Inspector French and the Cheyne Mystery-Freeman Wills Crofts</title><link>https://www.spreaker.com/episode/inspector-french-and-the-cheyne-mystery-freeman-wills-crofts--74339277</link><description><![CDATA[Microbe Hunters provides dramatized accounts of eleven early pioneers of microbiology and their important discoveries. Beginning in 1650 with the invention of the microscope and the first discovery of the microbial world, de Kruif chronicles how scientific knowledge builds upon itself with essays on Pasteur and Koch who demonstrated that microbes can cause disease; Metchnickoff’s discovery of an immune system that battles microbes, as well as further essays on viral and parasitic diseases such as yellow fever and malaria and the roles that specific insects play in microbial transmission. The book culminates in Ehrlich’s ca. 1910 discovery of a “magic bullet” – the first time that a drug was created that specifically targeted a microbial pathogen. de Kruif employs a style of writing that includes semi-fictionalized accounts of each scientist’s thoughts and rationale as they work through their respective scientific hypotheses. By keeping the reader in the scientist’s head in this manner, the reader experiences the “Ah-ha!” moment along with the scientist when the groundbreaking discovery is made. Importantly, the reader need not have any science background to understand and appreciate this book. Microbe Hunters was first published in 1926 and quickly became an international best seller. The fact that it remains in print today is a testament to its enduring appeal. Nonetheless, please be advised that there are some demeaning comments towards several racial and ethnic groups, reflecting the time period when the science was conducted or when the book was written, that would be considered racist by today’s standards. (Summary by Warren Kati)]]></description><guid isPermaLink="false">https://api.spreaker.com/episode/74339277</guid><pubDate>Fri, 04 Sep 2026 09:01:02 +0000</pubDate><enclosure url="https://dts.podtrac.com/redirect.mp3/api.spreaker.com/download/episode/74339277/inspector_french_and_the_cheyne_mystery_freeman_wills_crofts.mp3" length="256543233" type="audio/mpeg"/><itunes:author>Paul de Kruif</itunes:author><itunes:subtitle>Microbe Hunters provides dramatized accounts of eleven early pioneers of microbiology and their important discoveries. Beginning in 1650 with the invention of the microscope and the first discovery of the microbial world, de Kruif chronicles how...</itunes:subtitle><itunes:summary><![CDATA[Microbe Hunters provides dramatized accounts of eleven early pioneers of microbiology and their important discoveries. Beginning in 1650 with the invention of the microscope and the first discovery of the microbial world, de Kruif chronicles how scientific knowledge builds upon itself with essays on Pasteur and Koch who demonstrated that microbes can cause disease; Metchnickoff’s discovery of an immune system that battles microbes, as well as further essays on viral and parasitic diseases such as yellow fever and malaria and the roles that specific insects play in microbial transmission. The book culminates in Ehrlich’s ca. 1910 discovery of a “magic bullet” – the first time that a drug was created that specifically targeted a microbial pathogen. de Kruif employs a style of writing that includes semi-fictionalized accounts of each scientist’s thoughts and rationale as they work through their respective scientific hypotheses. By keeping the reader in the scientist’s head in this manner, the reader experiences the “Ah-ha!” moment along with the scientist when the groundbreaking discovery is made. Importantly, the reader need not have any science background to understand and appreciate this book. Microbe Hunters was first published in 1926 and quickly became an international best seller. The fact that it remains in print today is a testament to its enduring appeal. Nonetheless, please be advised that there are some demeaning comments towards several racial and ethnic groups, reflecting the time period when the science was conducted or when the book was written, that would be considered racist by today’s standards. (Summary by Warren Kati)]]></itunes:summary><itunes:duration>32036</itunes:duration><itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit><itunes:image href="https://d3wo5wojvuv7l.cloudfront.net/t_rss_itunes_square_1400/images.spreaker.com/original/51c1ebc8f6b0fca0e060a43e626d9241.jpg"/><itunes:episodeType>full</itunes:episodeType></item><item><title>Henry VI, Part 2-William Shakespeare</title><link>https://www.spreaker.com/episode/henry-vi-part-2-william-shakespeare--74312308</link><description><![CDATA[Microbe Hunters provides dramatized accounts of eleven early pioneers of microbiology and their important discoveries. Beginning in 1650 with the invention of the microscope and the first discovery of the microbial world, de Kruif chronicles how scientific knowledge builds upon itself with essays on Pasteur and Koch who demonstrated that microbes can cause disease; Metchnickoff’s discovery of an immune system that battles microbes, as well as further essays on viral and parasitic diseases such as yellow fever and malaria and the roles that specific insects play in microbial transmission. The book culminates in Ehrlich’s ca. 1910 discovery of a “magic bullet” – the first time that a drug was created that specifically targeted a microbial pathogen. de Kruif employs a style of writing that includes semi-fictionalized accounts of each scientist’s thoughts and rationale as they work through their respective scientific hypotheses. By keeping the reader in the scientist’s head in this manner, the reader experiences the “Ah-ha!” moment along with the scientist when the groundbreaking discovery is made. Importantly, the reader need not have any science background to understand and appreciate this book. Microbe Hunters was first published in 1926 and quickly became an international best seller. The fact that it remains in print today is a testament to its enduring appeal. Nonetheless, please be advised that there are some demeaning comments towards several racial and ethnic groups, reflecting the time period when the science was conducted or when the book was written, that would be considered racist by today’s standards. (Summary by Warren Kati)]]></description><guid isPermaLink="false">https://api.spreaker.com/episode/74312308</guid><pubDate>Thu, 03 Sep 2026 09:01:02 +0000</pubDate><enclosure url="https://dts.podtrac.com/redirect.mp3/api.spreaker.com/download/episode/74312308/henry_vi_part_2_william_shakespeare.mp3" length="91695721" type="audio/mpeg"/><itunes:author>Paul de Kruif</itunes:author><itunes:subtitle>Microbe Hunters provides dramatized accounts of eleven early pioneers of microbiology and their important discoveries. Beginning in 1650 with the invention of the microscope and the first discovery of the microbial world, de Kruif chronicles how...</itunes:subtitle><itunes:summary><![CDATA[Microbe Hunters provides dramatized accounts of eleven early pioneers of microbiology and their important discoveries. Beginning in 1650 with the invention of the microscope and the first discovery of the microbial world, de Kruif chronicles how scientific knowledge builds upon itself with essays on Pasteur and Koch who demonstrated that microbes can cause disease; Metchnickoff’s discovery of an immune system that battles microbes, as well as further essays on viral and parasitic diseases such as yellow fever and malaria and the roles that specific insects play in microbial transmission. The book culminates in Ehrlich’s ca. 1910 discovery of a “magic bullet” – the first time that a drug was created that specifically targeted a microbial pathogen. de Kruif employs a style of writing that includes semi-fictionalized accounts of each scientist’s thoughts and rationale as they work through their respective scientific hypotheses. By keeping the reader in the scientist’s head in this manner, the reader experiences the “Ah-ha!” moment along with the scientist when the groundbreaking discovery is made. Importantly, the reader need not have any science background to understand and appreciate this book. Microbe Hunters was first published in 1926 and quickly became an international best seller. The fact that it remains in print today is a testament to its enduring appeal. Nonetheless, please be advised that there are some demeaning comments towards several racial and ethnic groups, reflecting the time period when the science was conducted or when the book was written, that would be considered racist by today’s standards. (Summary by Warren Kati)]]></itunes:summary><itunes:duration>11450</itunes:duration><itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit><itunes:image href="https://d3wo5wojvuv7l.cloudfront.net/t_rss_itunes_square_1400/images.spreaker.com/original/51c1ebc8f6b0fca0e060a43e626d9241.jpg"/><itunes:episodeType>full</itunes:episodeType></item><item><title>Just So Stories (version 4)-Rudyard Kipling</title><link>https://www.spreaker.com/episode/just-so-stories-version-4-rudyard-kipling--74293146</link><description><![CDATA[Microbe Hunters provides dramatized accounts of eleven early pioneers of microbiology and their important discoveries. Beginning in 1650 with the invention of the microscope and the first discovery of the microbial world, de Kruif chronicles how scientific knowledge builds upon itself with essays on Pasteur and Koch who demonstrated that microbes can cause disease; Metchnickoff’s discovery of an immune system that battles microbes, as well as further essays on viral and parasitic diseases such as yellow fever and malaria and the roles that specific insects play in microbial transmission. The book culminates in Ehrlich’s ca. 1910 discovery of a “magic bullet” – the first time that a drug was created that specifically targeted a microbial pathogen. de Kruif employs a style of writing that includes semi-fictionalized accounts of each scientist’s thoughts and rationale as they work through their respective scientific hypotheses. By keeping the reader in the scientist’s head in this manner, the reader experiences the “Ah-ha!” moment along with the scientist when the groundbreaking discovery is made. Importantly, the reader need not have any science background to understand and appreciate this book. Microbe Hunters was first published in 1926 and quickly became an international best seller. The fact that it remains in print today is a testament to its enduring appeal. Nonetheless, please be advised that there are some demeaning comments towards several racial and ethnic groups, reflecting the time period when the science was conducted or when the book was written, that would be considered racist by today’s standards. (Summary by Warren Kati)]]></description><guid isPermaLink="false">https://api.spreaker.com/episode/74293146</guid><pubDate>Wed, 02 Sep 2026 09:01:12 +0000</pubDate><enclosure url="https://dts.podtrac.com/redirect.mp3/api.spreaker.com/download/episode/74293146/just_so_stories_version_4_rudyard_kipling.mp3" length="117109010" type="audio/mpeg"/><itunes:author>Paul de Kruif</itunes:author><itunes:subtitle>Microbe Hunters provides dramatized accounts of eleven early pioneers of microbiology and their important discoveries. Beginning in 1650 with the invention of the microscope and the first discovery of the microbial world, de Kruif chronicles how...</itunes:subtitle><itunes:summary><![CDATA[Microbe Hunters provides dramatized accounts of eleven early pioneers of microbiology and their important discoveries. Beginning in 1650 with the invention of the microscope and the first discovery of the microbial world, de Kruif chronicles how scientific knowledge builds upon itself with essays on Pasteur and Koch who demonstrated that microbes can cause disease; Metchnickoff’s discovery of an immune system that battles microbes, as well as further essays on viral and parasitic diseases such as yellow fever and malaria and the roles that specific insects play in microbial transmission. The book culminates in Ehrlich’s ca. 1910 discovery of a “magic bullet” – the first time that a drug was created that specifically targeted a microbial pathogen. de Kruif employs a style of writing that includes semi-fictionalized accounts of each scientist’s thoughts and rationale as they work through their respective scientific hypotheses. By keeping the reader in the scientist’s head in this manner, the reader experiences the “Ah-ha!” moment along with the scientist when the groundbreaking discovery is made. Importantly, the reader need not have any science background to understand and appreciate this book. Microbe Hunters was first published in 1926 and quickly became an international best seller. The fact that it remains in print today is a testament to its enduring appeal. Nonetheless, please be advised that there are some demeaning comments towards several racial and ethnic groups, reflecting the time period when the science was conducted or when the book was written, that would be considered racist by today’s standards. (Summary by Warren Kati)]]></itunes:summary><itunes:duration>14624</itunes:duration><itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit><itunes:image href="https://d3wo5wojvuv7l.cloudfront.net/t_rss_itunes_square_1400/images.spreaker.com/original/51c1ebc8f6b0fca0e060a43e626d9241.jpg"/><itunes:episodeType>full</itunes:episodeType></item><item><title>Modern Essays-Christopher Morley</title><link>https://www.spreaker.com/episode/modern-essays-christopher-morley--74270732</link><description><![CDATA[Microbe Hunters provides dramatized accounts of eleven early pioneers of microbiology and their important discoveries. Beginning in 1650 with the invention of the microscope and the first discovery of the microbial world, de Kruif chronicles how scientific knowledge builds upon itself with essays on Pasteur and Koch who demonstrated that microbes can cause disease; Metchnickoff’s discovery of an immune system that battles microbes, as well as further essays on viral and parasitic diseases such as yellow fever and malaria and the roles that specific insects play in microbial transmission. The book culminates in Ehrlich’s ca. 1910 discovery of a “magic bullet” – the first time that a drug was created that specifically targeted a microbial pathogen. de Kruif employs a style of writing that includes semi-fictionalized accounts of each scientist’s thoughts and rationale as they work through their respective scientific hypotheses. By keeping the reader in the scientist’s head in this manner, the reader experiences the “Ah-ha!” moment along with the scientist when the groundbreaking discovery is made. Importantly, the reader need not have any science background to understand and appreciate this book. Microbe Hunters was first published in 1926 and quickly became an international best seller. The fact that it remains in print today is a testament to its enduring appeal. Nonetheless, please be advised that there are some demeaning comments towards several racial and ethnic groups, reflecting the time period when the science was conducted or when the book was written, that would be considered racist by today’s standards. (Summary by Warren Kati)]]></description><guid isPermaLink="false">https://api.spreaker.com/episode/74270732</guid><pubDate>Tue, 01 Sep 2026 09:01:09 +0000</pubDate><enclosure url="https://dts.podtrac.com/redirect.mp3/api.spreaker.com/download/episode/74270732/modern_essays_christopher_morley.mp3" length="279315855" type="audio/mpeg"/><itunes:author>Paul de Kruif</itunes:author><itunes:subtitle>Microbe Hunters provides dramatized accounts of eleven early pioneers of microbiology and their important discoveries. Beginning in 1650 with the invention of the microscope and the first discovery of the microbial world, de Kruif chronicles how...</itunes:subtitle><itunes:summary><![CDATA[Microbe Hunters provides dramatized accounts of eleven early pioneers of microbiology and their important discoveries. Beginning in 1650 with the invention of the microscope and the first discovery of the microbial world, de Kruif chronicles how scientific knowledge builds upon itself with essays on Pasteur and Koch who demonstrated that microbes can cause disease; Metchnickoff’s discovery of an immune system that battles microbes, as well as further essays on viral and parasitic diseases such as yellow fever and malaria and the roles that specific insects play in microbial transmission. The book culminates in Ehrlich’s ca. 1910 discovery of a “magic bullet” – the first time that a drug was created that specifically targeted a microbial pathogen. de Kruif employs a style of writing that includes semi-fictionalized accounts of each scientist’s thoughts and rationale as they work through their respective scientific hypotheses. By keeping the reader in the scientist’s head in this manner, the reader experiences the “Ah-ha!” moment along with the scientist when the groundbreaking discovery is made. Importantly, the reader need not have any science background to understand and appreciate this book. Microbe Hunters was first published in 1926 and quickly became an international best seller. The fact that it remains in print today is a testament to its enduring appeal. Nonetheless, please be advised that there are some demeaning comments towards several racial and ethnic groups, reflecting the time period when the science was conducted or when the book was written, that would be considered racist by today’s standards. (Summary by Warren Kati)]]></itunes:summary><itunes:duration>34880</itunes:duration><itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit><itunes:image href="https://d3wo5wojvuv7l.cloudfront.net/t_rss_itunes_square_1400/images.spreaker.com/original/51c1ebc8f6b0fca0e060a43e626d9241.jpg"/><itunes:episodeType>full</itunes:episodeType></item><item><title>Last Galley, Impressions and Tales-Sir Arthur Conan Doyle</title><link>https://www.spreaker.com/episode/last-galley-impressions-and-tales-sir-arthur-conan-doyle--74253594</link><description><![CDATA[Microbe Hunters provides dramatized accounts of eleven early pioneers of microbiology and their important discoveries. Beginning in 1650 with the invention of the microscope and the first discovery of the microbial world, de Kruif chronicles how scientific knowledge builds upon itself with essays on Pasteur and Koch who demonstrated that microbes can cause disease; Metchnickoff’s discovery of an immune system that battles microbes, as well as further essays on viral and parasitic diseases such as yellow fever and malaria and the roles that specific insects play in microbial transmission. The book culminates in Ehrlich’s ca. 1910 discovery of a “magic bullet” – the first time that a drug was created that specifically targeted a microbial pathogen. de Kruif employs a style of writing that includes semi-fictionalized accounts of each scientist’s thoughts and rationale as they work through their respective scientific hypotheses. By keeping the reader in the scientist’s head in this manner, the reader experiences the “Ah-ha!” moment along with the scientist when the groundbreaking discovery is made. Importantly, the reader need not have any science background to understand and appreciate this book. Microbe Hunters was first published in 1926 and quickly became an international best seller. The fact that it remains in print today is a testament to its enduring appeal. Nonetheless, please be advised that there are some demeaning comments towards several racial and ethnic groups, reflecting the time period when the science was conducted or when the book was written, that would be considered racist by today’s standards. (Summary by Warren Kati)]]></description><guid isPermaLink="false">https://api.spreaker.com/episode/74253594</guid><pubDate>Mon, 31 Aug 2026 09:01:06 +0000</pubDate><enclosure url="https://dts.podtrac.com/redirect.mp3/api.spreaker.com/download/episode/74253594/last_galley_impressions_and_tales_sir_arthur_conan_doyle.mp3" length="226343672" type="audio/mpeg"/><itunes:author>Paul de Kruif</itunes:author><itunes:subtitle>Microbe Hunters provides dramatized accounts of eleven early pioneers of microbiology and their important discoveries. Beginning in 1650 with the invention of the microscope and the first discovery of the microbial world, de Kruif chronicles how...</itunes:subtitle><itunes:summary><![CDATA[Microbe Hunters provides dramatized accounts of eleven early pioneers of microbiology and their important discoveries. Beginning in 1650 with the invention of the microscope and the first discovery of the microbial world, de Kruif chronicles how scientific knowledge builds upon itself with essays on Pasteur and Koch who demonstrated that microbes can cause disease; Metchnickoff’s discovery of an immune system that battles microbes, as well as further essays on viral and parasitic diseases such as yellow fever and malaria and the roles that specific insects play in microbial transmission. The book culminates in Ehrlich’s ca. 1910 discovery of a “magic bullet” – the first time that a drug was created that specifically targeted a microbial pathogen. de Kruif employs a style of writing that includes semi-fictionalized accounts of each scientist’s thoughts and rationale as they work through their respective scientific hypotheses. By keeping the reader in the scientist’s head in this manner, the reader experiences the “Ah-ha!” moment along with the scientist when the groundbreaking discovery is made. Importantly, the reader need not have any science background to understand and appreciate this book. Microbe Hunters was first published in 1926 and quickly became an international best seller. The fact that it remains in print today is a testament to its enduring appeal. Nonetheless, please be advised that there are some demeaning comments towards several racial and ethnic groups, reflecting the time period when the science was conducted or when the book was written, that would be considered racist by today’s standards. (Summary by Warren Kati)]]></itunes:summary><itunes:duration>28265</itunes:duration><itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit><itunes:image href="https://d3wo5wojvuv7l.cloudfront.net/t_rss_itunes_square_1400/images.spreaker.com/original/51c1ebc8f6b0fca0e060a43e626d9241.jpg"/><itunes:episodeType>full</itunes:episodeType></item><item><title>Ginger-Snaps-Fanny Fern</title><link>https://www.spreaker.com/episode/ginger-snaps-fanny-fern--74236207</link><description><![CDATA[Microbe Hunters provides dramatized accounts of eleven early pioneers of microbiology and their important discoveries. Beginning in 1650 with the invention of the microscope and the first discovery of the microbial world, de Kruif chronicles how scientific knowledge builds upon itself with essays on Pasteur and Koch who demonstrated that microbes can cause disease; Metchnickoff’s discovery of an immune system that battles microbes, as well as further essays on viral and parasitic diseases such as yellow fever and malaria and the roles that specific insects play in microbial transmission. The book culminates in Ehrlich’s ca. 1910 discovery of a “magic bullet” – the first time that a drug was created that specifically targeted a microbial pathogen. de Kruif employs a style of writing that includes semi-fictionalized accounts of each scientist’s thoughts and rationale as they work through their respective scientific hypotheses. By keeping the reader in the scientist’s head in this manner, the reader experiences the “Ah-ha!” moment along with the scientist when the groundbreaking discovery is made. Importantly, the reader need not have any science background to understand and appreciate this book. Microbe Hunters was first published in 1926 and quickly became an international best seller. The fact that it remains in print today is a testament to its enduring appeal. Nonetheless, please be advised that there are some demeaning comments towards several racial and ethnic groups, reflecting the time period when the science was conducted or when the book was written, that would be considered racist by today’s standards. (Summary by Warren Kati)]]></description><guid isPermaLink="false">https://api.spreaker.com/episode/74236207</guid><pubDate>Sun, 30 Aug 2026 09:00:57 +0000</pubDate><enclosure url="https://dts.podtrac.com/redirect.mp3/api.spreaker.com/download/episode/74236207/ginger_snaps_fanny_fern.mp3" length="235396140" type="audio/mpeg"/><itunes:author>Paul de Kruif</itunes:author><itunes:subtitle>Microbe Hunters provides dramatized accounts of eleven early pioneers of microbiology and their important discoveries. Beginning in 1650 with the invention of the microscope and the first discovery of the microbial world, de Kruif chronicles how...</itunes:subtitle><itunes:summary><![CDATA[Microbe Hunters provides dramatized accounts of eleven early pioneers of microbiology and their important discoveries. Beginning in 1650 with the invention of the microscope and the first discovery of the microbial world, de Kruif chronicles how scientific knowledge builds upon itself with essays on Pasteur and Koch who demonstrated that microbes can cause disease; Metchnickoff’s discovery of an immune system that battles microbes, as well as further essays on viral and parasitic diseases such as yellow fever and malaria and the roles that specific insects play in microbial transmission. The book culminates in Ehrlich’s ca. 1910 discovery of a “magic bullet” – the first time that a drug was created that specifically targeted a microbial pathogen. de Kruif employs a style of writing that includes semi-fictionalized accounts of each scientist’s thoughts and rationale as they work through their respective scientific hypotheses. By keeping the reader in the scientist’s head in this manner, the reader experiences the “Ah-ha!” moment along with the scientist when the groundbreaking discovery is made. Importantly, the reader need not have any science background to understand and appreciate this book. Microbe Hunters was first published in 1926 and quickly became an international best seller. The fact that it remains in print today is a testament to its enduring appeal. Nonetheless, please be advised that there are some demeaning comments towards several racial and ethnic groups, reflecting the time period when the science was conducted or when the book was written, that would be considered racist by today’s standards. (Summary by Warren Kati)]]></itunes:summary><itunes:duration>29395</itunes:duration><itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit><itunes:image href="https://d3wo5wojvuv7l.cloudfront.net/t_rss_itunes_square_1400/images.spreaker.com/original/51c1ebc8f6b0fca0e060a43e626d9241.jpg"/><itunes:episodeType>full</itunes:episodeType></item><item><title>Inquiry into the Effects of Ardent Spirits upon the Human Body and Mind-Dr. Benjamin Rush</title><link>https://www.spreaker.com/episode/inquiry-into-the-effects-of-ardent-spirits-upon-the-human-body-and-mind-dr-benjamin-rush--74220394</link><description><![CDATA[Microbe Hunters provides dramatized accounts of eleven early pioneers of microbiology and their important discoveries. Beginning in 1650 with the invention of the microscope and the first discovery of the microbial world, de Kruif chronicles how scientific knowledge builds upon itself with essays on Pasteur and Koch who demonstrated that microbes can cause disease; Metchnickoff’s discovery of an immune system that battles microbes, as well as further essays on viral and parasitic diseases such as yellow fever and malaria and the roles that specific insects play in microbial transmission. The book culminates in Ehrlich’s ca. 1910 discovery of a “magic bullet” – the first time that a drug was created that specifically targeted a microbial pathogen. de Kruif employs a style of writing that includes semi-fictionalized accounts of each scientist’s thoughts and rationale as they work through their respective scientific hypotheses. By keeping the reader in the scientist’s head in this manner, the reader experiences the “Ah-ha!” moment along with the scientist when the groundbreaking discovery is made. Importantly, the reader need not have any science background to understand and appreciate this book. Microbe Hunters was first published in 1926 and quickly became an international best seller. The fact that it remains in print today is a testament to its enduring appeal. Nonetheless, please be advised that there are some demeaning comments towards several racial and ethnic groups, reflecting the time period when the science was conducted or when the book was written, that would be considered racist by today’s standards. (Summary by Warren Kati)]]></description><guid isPermaLink="false">https://api.spreaker.com/episode/74220394</guid><pubDate>Sat, 29 Aug 2026 09:01:01 +0000</pubDate><enclosure url="https://dts.podtrac.com/redirect.mp3/api.spreaker.com/download/episode/74220394/inquiry_into_the_effects_of_ardent_spirits_upon_the_human_body_and_mind_dr_benjamin_rush.mp3" length="31024318" type="audio/mpeg"/><itunes:author>Paul de Kruif</itunes:author><itunes:subtitle>Microbe Hunters provides dramatized accounts of eleven early pioneers of microbiology and their important discoveries. Beginning in 1650 with the invention of the microscope and the first discovery of the microbial world, de Kruif chronicles how...</itunes:subtitle><itunes:summary><![CDATA[Microbe Hunters provides dramatized accounts of eleven early pioneers of microbiology and their important discoveries. Beginning in 1650 with the invention of the microscope and the first discovery of the microbial world, de Kruif chronicles how scientific knowledge builds upon itself with essays on Pasteur and Koch who demonstrated that microbes can cause disease; Metchnickoff’s discovery of an immune system that battles microbes, as well as further essays on viral and parasitic diseases such as yellow fever and malaria and the roles that specific insects play in microbial transmission. The book culminates in Ehrlich’s ca. 1910 discovery of a “magic bullet” – the first time that a drug was created that specifically targeted a microbial pathogen. de Kruif employs a style of writing that includes semi-fictionalized accounts of each scientist’s thoughts and rationale as they work through their respective scientific hypotheses. By keeping the reader in the scientist’s head in this manner, the reader experiences the “Ah-ha!” moment along with the scientist when the groundbreaking discovery is made. Importantly, the reader need not have any science background to understand and appreciate this book. Microbe Hunters was first published in 1926 and quickly became an international best seller. The fact that it remains in print today is a testament to its enduring appeal. Nonetheless, please be advised that there are some demeaning comments towards several racial and ethnic groups, reflecting the time period when the science was conducted or when the book was written, that would be considered racist by today’s standards. (Summary by Warren Kati)]]></itunes:summary><itunes:duration>3874</itunes:duration><itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit><itunes:image href="https://d3wo5wojvuv7l.cloudfront.net/t_rss_itunes_square_1400/images.spreaker.com/original/51c1ebc8f6b0fca0e060a43e626d9241.jpg"/><itunes:episodeType>full</itunes:episodeType></item><item><title>Court and Character of King James, with the Court of King Charles-Anthony Weldon</title><link>https://www.spreaker.com/episode/court-and-character-of-king-james-with-the-court-of-king-charles-anthony-weldon--74193396</link><description><![CDATA[Microbe Hunters provides dramatized accounts of eleven early pioneers of microbiology and their important discoveries. Beginning in 1650 with the invention of the microscope and the first discovery of the microbial world, de Kruif chronicles how scientific knowledge builds upon itself with essays on Pasteur and Koch who demonstrated that microbes can cause disease; Metchnickoff’s discovery of an immune system that battles microbes, as well as further essays on viral and parasitic diseases such as yellow fever and malaria and the roles that specific insects play in microbial transmission. The book culminates in Ehrlich’s ca. 1910 discovery of a “magic bullet” – the first time that a drug was created that specifically targeted a microbial pathogen. de Kruif employs a style of writing that includes semi-fictionalized accounts of each scientist’s thoughts and rationale as they work through their respective scientific hypotheses. By keeping the reader in the scientist’s head in this manner, the reader experiences the “Ah-ha!” moment along with the scientist when the groundbreaking discovery is made. Importantly, the reader need not have any science background to understand and appreciate this book. Microbe Hunters was first published in 1926 and quickly became an international best seller. The fact that it remains in print today is a testament to its enduring appeal. Nonetheless, please be advised that there are some demeaning comments towards several racial and ethnic groups, reflecting the time period when the science was conducted or when the book was written, that would be considered racist by today’s standards. (Summary by Warren Kati)]]></description><guid isPermaLink="false">https://api.spreaker.com/episode/74193396</guid><pubDate>Fri, 28 Aug 2026 09:01:11 +0000</pubDate><enclosure url="https://dts.podtrac.com/redirect.mp3/api.spreaker.com/download/episode/74193396/court_and_character_of_king_james_with_the_court_of_king_charles_anthony_weldon.mp3" length="108207645" type="audio/mpeg"/><itunes:author>Paul de Kruif</itunes:author><itunes:subtitle>Microbe Hunters provides dramatized accounts of eleven early pioneers of microbiology and their important discoveries. Beginning in 1650 with the invention of the microscope and the first discovery of the microbial world, de Kruif chronicles how...</itunes:subtitle><itunes:summary><![CDATA[Microbe Hunters provides dramatized accounts of eleven early pioneers of microbiology and their important discoveries. Beginning in 1650 with the invention of the microscope and the first discovery of the microbial world, de Kruif chronicles how scientific knowledge builds upon itself with essays on Pasteur and Koch who demonstrated that microbes can cause disease; Metchnickoff’s discovery of an immune system that battles microbes, as well as further essays on viral and parasitic diseases such as yellow fever and malaria and the roles that specific insects play in microbial transmission. The book culminates in Ehrlich’s ca. 1910 discovery of a “magic bullet” – the first time that a drug was created that specifically targeted a microbial pathogen. de Kruif employs a style of writing that includes semi-fictionalized accounts of each scientist’s thoughts and rationale as they work through their respective scientific hypotheses. By keeping the reader in the scientist’s head in this manner, the reader experiences the “Ah-ha!” moment along with the scientist when the groundbreaking discovery is made. Importantly, the reader need not have any science background to understand and appreciate this book. Microbe Hunters was first published in 1926 and quickly became an international best seller. The fact that it remains in print today is a testament to its enduring appeal. Nonetheless, please be advised that there are some demeaning comments towards several racial and ethnic groups, reflecting the time period when the science was conducted or when the book was written, that would be considered racist by today’s standards. (Summary by Warren Kati)]]></itunes:summary><itunes:duration>13512</itunes:duration><itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit><itunes:image href="https://d3wo5wojvuv7l.cloudfront.net/t_rss_itunes_square_1400/images.spreaker.com/original/51c1ebc8f6b0fca0e060a43e626d9241.jpg"/><itunes:episodeType>full</itunes:episodeType></item><item><title>Running Water-A. E. W. Mason</title><link>https://www.spreaker.com/episode/running-water-a-e-w-mason--74165098</link><description><![CDATA[Microbe Hunters provides dramatized accounts of eleven early pioneers of microbiology and their important discoveries. Beginning in 1650 with the invention of the microscope and the first discovery of the microbial world, de Kruif chronicles how scientific knowledge builds upon itself with essays on Pasteur and Koch who demonstrated that microbes can cause disease; Metchnickoff’s discovery of an immune system that battles microbes, as well as further essays on viral and parasitic diseases such as yellow fever and malaria and the roles that specific insects play in microbial transmission. The book culminates in Ehrlich’s ca. 1910 discovery of a “magic bullet” – the first time that a drug was created that specifically targeted a microbial pathogen. de Kruif employs a style of writing that includes semi-fictionalized accounts of each scientist’s thoughts and rationale as they work through their respective scientific hypotheses. By keeping the reader in the scientist’s head in this manner, the reader experiences the “Ah-ha!” moment along with the scientist when the groundbreaking discovery is made. Importantly, the reader need not have any science background to understand and appreciate this book. Microbe Hunters was first published in 1926 and quickly became an international best seller. The fact that it remains in print today is a testament to its enduring appeal. Nonetheless, please be advised that there are some demeaning comments towards several racial and ethnic groups, reflecting the time period when the science was conducted or when the book was written, that would be considered racist by today’s standards. (Summary by Warren Kati)]]></description><guid isPermaLink="false">https://api.spreaker.com/episode/74165098</guid><pubDate>Thu, 27 Aug 2026 09:01:11 +0000</pubDate><enclosure url="https://dts.podtrac.com/redirect.mp3/api.spreaker.com/download/episode/74165098/5569_running_water_a_e_w_mason.mp3" length="248837065" type="audio/mpeg"/><itunes:author>Paul de Kruif</itunes:author><itunes:subtitle>Microbe Hunters provides dramatized accounts of eleven early pioneers of microbiology and their important discoveries. Beginning in 1650 with the invention of the microscope and the first discovery of the microbial world, de Kruif chronicles how...</itunes:subtitle><itunes:summary><![CDATA[Microbe Hunters provides dramatized accounts of eleven early pioneers of microbiology and their important discoveries. Beginning in 1650 with the invention of the microscope and the first discovery of the microbial world, de Kruif chronicles how scientific knowledge builds upon itself with essays on Pasteur and Koch who demonstrated that microbes can cause disease; Metchnickoff’s discovery of an immune system that battles microbes, as well as further essays on viral and parasitic diseases such as yellow fever and malaria and the roles that specific insects play in microbial transmission. The book culminates in Ehrlich’s ca. 1910 discovery of a “magic bullet” – the first time that a drug was created that specifically targeted a microbial pathogen. de Kruif employs a style of writing that includes semi-fictionalized accounts of each scientist’s thoughts and rationale as they work through their respective scientific hypotheses. By keeping the reader in the scientist’s head in this manner, the reader experiences the “Ah-ha!” moment along with the scientist when the groundbreaking discovery is made. Importantly, the reader need not have any science background to understand and appreciate this book. Microbe Hunters was first published in 1926 and quickly became an international best seller. The fact that it remains in print today is a testament to its enduring appeal. Nonetheless, please be advised that there are some demeaning comments towards several racial and ethnic groups, reflecting the time period when the science was conducted or when the book was written, that would be considered racist by today’s standards. (Summary by Warren Kati)]]></itunes:summary><itunes:duration>31073</itunes:duration><itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit><itunes:image href="https://d3wo5wojvuv7l.cloudfront.net/t_rss_itunes_square_1400/images.spreaker.com/original/51c1ebc8f6b0fca0e060a43e626d9241.jpg"/><itunes:episodeType>full</itunes:episodeType></item><item><title>Devotions upon Emergent Occasions-John Donne</title><link>https://www.spreaker.com/episode/devotions-upon-emergent-occasions-john-donne--74135844</link><description><![CDATA[Microbe Hunters provides dramatized accounts of eleven early pioneers of microbiology and their important discoveries. Beginning in 1650 with the invention of the microscope and the first discovery of the microbial world, de Kruif chronicles how scientific knowledge builds upon itself with essays on Pasteur and Koch who demonstrated that microbes can cause disease; Metchnickoff’s discovery of an immune system that battles microbes, as well as further essays on viral and parasitic diseases such as yellow fever and malaria and the roles that specific insects play in microbial transmission. The book culminates in Ehrlich’s ca. 1910 discovery of a “magic bullet” – the first time that a drug was created that specifically targeted a microbial pathogen. de Kruif employs a style of writing that includes semi-fictionalized accounts of each scientist’s thoughts and rationale as they work through their respective scientific hypotheses. By keeping the reader in the scientist’s head in this manner, the reader experiences the “Ah-ha!” moment along with the scientist when the groundbreaking discovery is made. Importantly, the reader need not have any science background to understand and appreciate this book. Microbe Hunters was first published in 1926 and quickly became an international best seller. The fact that it remains in print today is a testament to its enduring appeal. Nonetheless, please be advised that there are some demeaning comments towards several racial and ethnic groups, reflecting the time period when the science was conducted or when the book was written, that would be considered racist by today’s standards. (Summary by Warren Kati)]]></description><guid isPermaLink="false">https://api.spreaker.com/episode/74135844</guid><pubDate>Wed, 26 Aug 2026 09:01:22 +0000</pubDate><enclosure url="https://dts.podtrac.com/redirect.mp3/api.spreaker.com/download/episode/74135844/devotions_upon_emergent_occasions_john_donne.mp3" length="172730175" type="audio/mpeg"/><itunes:author>Paul de Kruif</itunes:author><itunes:subtitle>Microbe Hunters provides dramatized accounts of eleven early pioneers of microbiology and their important discoveries. Beginning in 1650 with the invention of the microscope and the first discovery of the microbial world, de Kruif chronicles how...</itunes:subtitle><itunes:summary><![CDATA[Microbe Hunters provides dramatized accounts of eleven early pioneers of microbiology and their important discoveries. Beginning in 1650 with the invention of the microscope and the first discovery of the microbial world, de Kruif chronicles how scientific knowledge builds upon itself with essays on Pasteur and Koch who demonstrated that microbes can cause disease; Metchnickoff’s discovery of an immune system that battles microbes, as well as further essays on viral and parasitic diseases such as yellow fever and malaria and the roles that specific insects play in microbial transmission. The book culminates in Ehrlich’s ca. 1910 discovery of a “magic bullet” – the first time that a drug was created that specifically targeted a microbial pathogen. de Kruif employs a style of writing that includes semi-fictionalized accounts of each scientist’s thoughts and rationale as they work through their respective scientific hypotheses. By keeping the reader in the scientist’s head in this manner, the reader experiences the “Ah-ha!” moment along with the scientist when the groundbreaking discovery is made. Importantly, the reader need not have any science background to understand and appreciate this book. Microbe Hunters was first published in 1926 and quickly became an international best seller. The fact that it remains in print today is a testament to its enduring appeal. Nonetheless, please be advised that there are some demeaning comments towards several racial and ethnic groups, reflecting the time period when the science was conducted or when the book was written, that would be considered racist by today’s standards. (Summary by Warren Kati)]]></itunes:summary><itunes:duration>21570</itunes:duration><itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit><itunes:image href="https://d3wo5wojvuv7l.cloudfront.net/t_rss_itunes_square_1400/images.spreaker.com/original/51c1ebc8f6b0fca0e060a43e626d9241.jpg"/><itunes:episodeType>full</itunes:episodeType></item><item><title>A Practical View of the Prevailing Religious System of Professed Christians-William Wilberforce</title><link>https://www.spreaker.com/episode/a-practical-view-of-the-prevailing-religious-system-of-professed-christians-william-wilberforce--74083669</link><description><![CDATA[Microbe Hunters provides dramatized accounts of eleven early pioneers of microbiology and their important discoveries. Beginning in 1650 with the invention of the microscope and the first discovery of the microbial world, de Kruif chronicles how scientific knowledge builds upon itself with essays on Pasteur and Koch who demonstrated that microbes can cause disease; Metchnickoff’s discovery of an immune system that battles microbes, as well as further essays on viral and parasitic diseases such as yellow fever and malaria and the roles that specific insects play in microbial transmission. The book culminates in Ehrlich’s ca. 1910 discovery of a “magic bullet” – the first time that a drug was created that specifically targeted a microbial pathogen. de Kruif employs a style of writing that includes semi-fictionalized accounts of each scientist’s thoughts and rationale as they work through their respective scientific hypotheses. By keeping the reader in the scientist’s head in this manner, the reader experiences the “Ah-ha!” moment along with the scientist when the groundbreaking discovery is made. Importantly, the reader need not have any science background to understand and appreciate this book. Microbe Hunters was first published in 1926 and quickly became an international best seller. The fact that it remains in print today is a testament to its enduring appeal. Nonetheless, please be advised that there are some demeaning comments towards several racial and ethnic groups, reflecting the time period when the science was conducted or when the book was written, that would be considered racist by today’s standards. (Summary by Warren Kati)]]></description><guid isPermaLink="false">https://api.spreaker.com/episode/74083669</guid><pubDate>Tue, 25 Aug 2026 09:01:12 +0000</pubDate><enclosure url="https://dts.podtrac.com/redirect.mp3/api.spreaker.com/download/episode/74083669/a_practical_view_of_the_prevailing_religious_system_of_professed_christians_william_wilberforce.mp3" length="261922446" type="audio/mpeg"/><itunes:author>Paul de Kruif</itunes:author><itunes:subtitle>Microbe Hunters provides dramatized accounts of eleven early pioneers of microbiology and their important discoveries. Beginning in 1650 with the invention of the microscope and the first discovery of the microbial world, de Kruif chronicles how...</itunes:subtitle><itunes:summary><![CDATA[Microbe Hunters provides dramatized accounts of eleven early pioneers of microbiology and their important discoveries. Beginning in 1650 with the invention of the microscope and the first discovery of the microbial world, de Kruif chronicles how scientific knowledge builds upon itself with essays on Pasteur and Koch who demonstrated that microbes can cause disease; Metchnickoff’s discovery of an immune system that battles microbes, as well as further essays on viral and parasitic diseases such as yellow fever and malaria and the roles that specific insects play in microbial transmission. The book culminates in Ehrlich’s ca. 1910 discovery of a “magic bullet” – the first time that a drug was created that specifically targeted a microbial pathogen. de Kruif employs a style of writing that includes semi-fictionalized accounts of each scientist’s thoughts and rationale as they work through their respective scientific hypotheses. By keeping the reader in the scientist’s head in this manner, the reader experiences the “Ah-ha!” moment along with the scientist when the groundbreaking discovery is made. Importantly, the reader need not have any science background to understand and appreciate this book. Microbe Hunters was first published in 1926 and quickly became an international best seller. The fact that it remains in print today is a testament to its enduring appeal. Nonetheless, please be advised that there are some demeaning comments towards several racial and ethnic groups, reflecting the time period when the science was conducted or when the book was written, that would be considered racist by today’s standards. (Summary by Warren Kati)]]></itunes:summary><itunes:duration>32708</itunes:duration><itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit><itunes:image href="https://d3wo5wojvuv7l.cloudfront.net/t_rss_itunes_square_1400/images.spreaker.com/original/51c1ebc8f6b0fca0e060a43e626d9241.jpg"/><itunes:episodeType>full</itunes:episodeType></item><item><title>Dinner Club-Sapper</title><link>https://www.spreaker.com/episode/dinner-club-sapper--74059067</link><description><![CDATA[Microbe Hunters provides dramatized accounts of eleven early pioneers of microbiology and their important discoveries. Beginning in 1650 with the invention of the microscope and the first discovery of the microbial world, de Kruif chronicles how scientific knowledge builds upon itself with essays on Pasteur and Koch who demonstrated that microbes can cause disease; Metchnickoff’s discovery of an immune system that battles microbes, as well as further essays on viral and parasitic diseases such as yellow fever and malaria and the roles that specific insects play in microbial transmission. The book culminates in Ehrlich’s ca. 1910 discovery of a “magic bullet” – the first time that a drug was created that specifically targeted a microbial pathogen. de Kruif employs a style of writing that includes semi-fictionalized accounts of each scientist’s thoughts and rationale as they work through their respective scientific hypotheses. By keeping the reader in the scientist’s head in this manner, the reader experiences the “Ah-ha!” moment along with the scientist when the groundbreaking discovery is made. Importantly, the reader need not have any science background to understand and appreciate this book. Microbe Hunters was first published in 1926 and quickly became an international best seller. The fact that it remains in print today is a testament to its enduring appeal. Nonetheless, please be advised that there are some demeaning comments towards several racial and ethnic groups, reflecting the time period when the science was conducted or when the book was written, that would be considered racist by today’s standards. (Summary by Warren Kati)]]></description><guid isPermaLink="false">https://api.spreaker.com/episode/74059067</guid><pubDate>Mon, 24 Aug 2026 09:03:02 +0000</pubDate><enclosure url="https://dts.podtrac.com/redirect.mp3/api.spreaker.com/download/episode/74059067/17952_dinner_club_sapper.mp3" length="246169792" type="audio/mpeg"/><itunes:author>Paul de Kruif</itunes:author><itunes:subtitle>Microbe Hunters provides dramatized accounts of eleven early pioneers of microbiology and their important discoveries. Beginning in 1650 with the invention of the microscope and the first discovery of the microbial world, de Kruif chronicles how...</itunes:subtitle><itunes:summary><![CDATA[Microbe Hunters provides dramatized accounts of eleven early pioneers of microbiology and their important discoveries. Beginning in 1650 with the invention of the microscope and the first discovery of the microbial world, de Kruif chronicles how scientific knowledge builds upon itself with essays on Pasteur and Koch who demonstrated that microbes can cause disease; Metchnickoff’s discovery of an immune system that battles microbes, as well as further essays on viral and parasitic diseases such as yellow fever and malaria and the roles that specific insects play in microbial transmission. The book culminates in Ehrlich’s ca. 1910 discovery of a “magic bullet” – the first time that a drug was created that specifically targeted a microbial pathogen. de Kruif employs a style of writing that includes semi-fictionalized accounts of each scientist’s thoughts and rationale as they work through their respective scientific hypotheses. By keeping the reader in the scientist’s head in this manner, the reader experiences the “Ah-ha!” moment along with the scientist when the groundbreaking discovery is made. Importantly, the reader need not have any science background to understand and appreciate this book. Microbe Hunters was first published in 1926 and quickly became an international best seller. The fact that it remains in print today is a testament to its enduring appeal. Nonetheless, please be advised that there are some demeaning comments towards several racial and ethnic groups, reflecting the time period when the science was conducted or when the book was written, that would be considered racist by today’s standards. (Summary by Warren Kati)]]></itunes:summary><itunes:duration>30741</itunes:duration><itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit><itunes:image href="https://d3wo5wojvuv7l.cloudfront.net/t_rss_itunes_square_1400/images.spreaker.com/original/51c1ebc8f6b0fca0e060a43e626d9241.jpg"/><itunes:episodeType>full</itunes:episodeType></item><item><title>Exodus, from Horae Homileticae-Charles Simeon</title><link>https://www.spreaker.com/episode/exodus-from-horae-homileticae-charles-simeon--74034268</link><description><![CDATA[Microbe Hunters provides dramatized accounts of eleven early pioneers of microbiology and their important discoveries. Beginning in 1650 with the invention of the microscope and the first discovery of the microbial world, de Kruif chronicles how scientific knowledge builds upon itself with essays on Pasteur and Koch who demonstrated that microbes can cause disease; Metchnickoff’s discovery of an immune system that battles microbes, as well as further essays on viral and parasitic diseases such as yellow fever and malaria and the roles that specific insects play in microbial transmission. The book culminates in Ehrlich’s ca. 1910 discovery of a “magic bullet” – the first time that a drug was created that specifically targeted a microbial pathogen. de Kruif employs a style of writing that includes semi-fictionalized accounts of each scientist’s thoughts and rationale as they work through their respective scientific hypotheses. By keeping the reader in the scientist’s head in this manner, the reader experiences the “Ah-ha!” moment along with the scientist when the groundbreaking discovery is made. Importantly, the reader need not have any science background to understand and appreciate this book. Microbe Hunters was first published in 1926 and quickly became an international best seller. The fact that it remains in print today is a testament to its enduring appeal. Nonetheless, please be advised that there are some demeaning comments towards several racial and ethnic groups, reflecting the time period when the science was conducted or when the book was written, that would be considered racist by today’s standards. (Summary by Warren Kati)]]></description><guid isPermaLink="false">https://api.spreaker.com/episode/74034268</guid><pubDate>Sun, 23 Aug 2026 09:02:55 +0000</pubDate><enclosure url="https://dts.podtrac.com/redirect.mp3/api.spreaker.com/download/episode/74034268/exodus_from_horae_homileticae_charles_simeon.mp3" length="258783633" type="audio/mpeg"/><itunes:author>Paul de Kruif</itunes:author><itunes:subtitle>Microbe Hunters provides dramatized accounts of eleven early pioneers of microbiology and their important discoveries. Beginning in 1650 with the invention of the microscope and the first discovery of the microbial world, de Kruif chronicles how...</itunes:subtitle><itunes:summary><![CDATA[Microbe Hunters provides dramatized accounts of eleven early pioneers of microbiology and their important discoveries. Beginning in 1650 with the invention of the microscope and the first discovery of the microbial world, de Kruif chronicles how scientific knowledge builds upon itself with essays on Pasteur and Koch who demonstrated that microbes can cause disease; Metchnickoff’s discovery of an immune system that battles microbes, as well as further essays on viral and parasitic diseases such as yellow fever and malaria and the roles that specific insects play in microbial transmission. The book culminates in Ehrlich’s ca. 1910 discovery of a “magic bullet” – the first time that a drug was created that specifically targeted a microbial pathogen. de Kruif employs a style of writing that includes semi-fictionalized accounts of each scientist’s thoughts and rationale as they work through their respective scientific hypotheses. By keeping the reader in the scientist’s head in this manner, the reader experiences the “Ah-ha!” moment along with the scientist when the groundbreaking discovery is made. Importantly, the reader need not have any science background to understand and appreciate this book. Microbe Hunters was first published in 1926 and quickly became an international best seller. The fact that it remains in print today is a testament to its enduring appeal. Nonetheless, please be advised that there are some demeaning comments towards several racial and ethnic groups, reflecting the time period when the science was conducted or when the book was written, that would be considered racist by today’s standards. (Summary by Warren Kati)]]></itunes:summary><itunes:duration>32316</itunes:duration><itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit><itunes:image href="https://d3wo5wojvuv7l.cloudfront.net/t_rss_itunes_square_1400/images.spreaker.com/original/51c1ebc8f6b0fca0e060a43e626d9241.jpg"/><itunes:episodeType>full</itunes:episodeType></item><item><title>Insect Adventures-Jean-Henri Fabre, Louise Seymour Hasbrouck Zimm</title><link>https://www.spreaker.com/episode/insect-adventures-jean-henri-fabre-louise-seymour-hasbrouck-zimm--74012882</link><description><![CDATA[Microbe Hunters provides dramatized accounts of eleven early pioneers of microbiology and their important discoveries. Beginning in 1650 with the invention of the microscope and the first discovery of the microbial world, de Kruif chronicles how scientific knowledge builds upon itself with essays on Pasteur and Koch who demonstrated that microbes can cause disease; Metchnickoff’s discovery of an immune system that battles microbes, as well as further essays on viral and parasitic diseases such as yellow fever and malaria and the roles that specific insects play in microbial transmission. The book culminates in Ehrlich’s ca. 1910 discovery of a “magic bullet” – the first time that a drug was created that specifically targeted a microbial pathogen. de Kruif employs a style of writing that includes semi-fictionalized accounts of each scientist’s thoughts and rationale as they work through their respective scientific hypotheses. By keeping the reader in the scientist’s head in this manner, the reader experiences the “Ah-ha!” moment along with the scientist when the groundbreaking discovery is made. Importantly, the reader need not have any science background to understand and appreciate this book. Microbe Hunters was first published in 1926 and quickly became an international best seller. The fact that it remains in print today is a testament to its enduring appeal. Nonetheless, please be advised that there are some demeaning comments towards several racial and ethnic groups, reflecting the time period when the science was conducted or when the book was written, that would be considered racist by today’s standards. (Summary by Warren Kati)]]></description><guid isPermaLink="false">https://api.spreaker.com/episode/74012882</guid><pubDate>Sat, 22 Aug 2026 09:02:25 +0000</pubDate><enclosure url="https://dts.podtrac.com/redirect.mp3/api.spreaker.com/download/episode/74012882/insect_adventures_jean_henri_fabre_louise_seymour_hasbrouck_zimm.mp3" length="169366021" type="audio/mpeg"/><itunes:author>Paul de Kruif</itunes:author><itunes:subtitle>Microbe Hunters provides dramatized accounts of eleven early pioneers of microbiology and their important discoveries. Beginning in 1650 with the invention of the microscope and the first discovery of the microbial world, de Kruif chronicles how...</itunes:subtitle><itunes:summary><![CDATA[Microbe Hunters provides dramatized accounts of eleven early pioneers of microbiology and their important discoveries. Beginning in 1650 with the invention of the microscope and the first discovery of the microbial world, de Kruif chronicles how scientific knowledge builds upon itself with essays on Pasteur and Koch who demonstrated that microbes can cause disease; Metchnickoff’s discovery of an immune system that battles microbes, as well as further essays on viral and parasitic diseases such as yellow fever and malaria and the roles that specific insects play in microbial transmission. The book culminates in Ehrlich’s ca. 1910 discovery of a “magic bullet” – the first time that a drug was created that specifically targeted a microbial pathogen. de Kruif employs a style of writing that includes semi-fictionalized accounts of each scientist’s thoughts and rationale as they work through their respective scientific hypotheses. By keeping the reader in the scientist’s head in this manner, the reader experiences the “Ah-ha!” moment along with the scientist when the groundbreaking discovery is made. Importantly, the reader need not have any science background to understand and appreciate this book. Microbe Hunters was first published in 1926 and quickly became an international best seller. The fact that it remains in print today is a testament to its enduring appeal. Nonetheless, please be advised that there are some demeaning comments towards several racial and ethnic groups, reflecting the time period when the science was conducted or when the book was written, that would be considered racist by today’s standards. (Summary by Warren Kati)]]></itunes:summary><itunes:duration>21150</itunes:duration><itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit><itunes:image href="https://d3wo5wojvuv7l.cloudfront.net/t_rss_itunes_square_1400/images.spreaker.com/original/51c1ebc8f6b0fca0e060a43e626d9241.jpg"/><itunes:episodeType>full</itunes:episodeType></item><item><title>Plea for Ragged Schools; or, Prevention Better than Cure-Thomas Guthrie</title><link>https://www.spreaker.com/episode/plea-for-ragged-schools-or-prevention-better-than-cure-thomas-guthrie--73987846</link><description><![CDATA[Microbe Hunters provides dramatized accounts of eleven early pioneers of microbiology and their important discoveries. Beginning in 1650 with the invention of the microscope and the first discovery of the microbial world, de Kruif chronicles how scientific knowledge builds upon itself with essays on Pasteur and Koch who demonstrated that microbes can cause disease; Metchnickoff’s discovery of an immune system that battles microbes, as well as further essays on viral and parasitic diseases such as yellow fever and malaria and the roles that specific insects play in microbial transmission. The book culminates in Ehrlich’s ca. 1910 discovery of a “magic bullet” – the first time that a drug was created that specifically targeted a microbial pathogen. de Kruif employs a style of writing that includes semi-fictionalized accounts of each scientist’s thoughts and rationale as they work through their respective scientific hypotheses. By keeping the reader in the scientist’s head in this manner, the reader experiences the “Ah-ha!” moment along with the scientist when the groundbreaking discovery is made. Importantly, the reader need not have any science background to understand and appreciate this book. Microbe Hunters was first published in 1926 and quickly became an international best seller. The fact that it remains in print today is a testament to its enduring appeal. Nonetheless, please be advised that there are some demeaning comments towards several racial and ethnic groups, reflecting the time period when the science was conducted or when the book was written, that would be considered racist by today’s standards. (Summary by Warren Kati)]]></description><guid isPermaLink="false">https://api.spreaker.com/episode/73987846</guid><pubDate>Fri, 21 Aug 2026 09:02:58 +0000</pubDate><enclosure url="https://dts.podtrac.com/redirect.mp3/api.spreaker.com/download/episode/73987846/plea_for_ragged_schools_or_prevention_better_than_cure_thomas_guthrie.mp3" length="49347047" type="audio/mpeg"/><itunes:author>Paul de Kruif</itunes:author><itunes:subtitle>Microbe Hunters provides dramatized accounts of eleven early pioneers of microbiology and their important discoveries. Beginning in 1650 with the invention of the microscope and the first discovery of the microbial world, de Kruif chronicles how...</itunes:subtitle><itunes:summary><![CDATA[Microbe Hunters provides dramatized accounts of eleven early pioneers of microbiology and their important discoveries. Beginning in 1650 with the invention of the microscope and the first discovery of the microbial world, de Kruif chronicles how scientific knowledge builds upon itself with essays on Pasteur and Koch who demonstrated that microbes can cause disease; Metchnickoff’s discovery of an immune system that battles microbes, as well as further essays on viral and parasitic diseases such as yellow fever and malaria and the roles that specific insects play in microbial transmission. The book culminates in Ehrlich’s ca. 1910 discovery of a “magic bullet” – the first time that a drug was created that specifically targeted a microbial pathogen. de Kruif employs a style of writing that includes semi-fictionalized accounts of each scientist’s thoughts and rationale as they work through their respective scientific hypotheses. By keeping the reader in the scientist’s head in this manner, the reader experiences the “Ah-ha!” moment along with the scientist when the groundbreaking discovery is made. Importantly, the reader need not have any science background to understand and appreciate this book. Microbe Hunters was first published in 1926 and quickly became an international best seller. The fact that it remains in print today is a testament to its enduring appeal. Nonetheless, please be advised that there are some demeaning comments towards several racial and ethnic groups, reflecting the time period when the science was conducted or when the book was written, that would be considered racist by today’s standards. (Summary by Warren Kati)]]></itunes:summary><itunes:duration>6162</itunes:duration><itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit><itunes:image href="https://d3wo5wojvuv7l.cloudfront.net/t_rss_itunes_square_1400/images.spreaker.com/original/51c1ebc8f6b0fca0e060a43e626d9241.jpg"/><itunes:episodeType>full</itunes:episodeType></item><item><title>Friendly Road, New Adventures in Contentment-Ray Stannard Baker</title><link>https://www.spreaker.com/episode/friendly-road-new-adventures-in-contentment-ray-stannard-baker--73965129</link><description><![CDATA[Microbe Hunters provides dramatized accounts of eleven early pioneers of microbiology and their important discoveries. Beginning in 1650 with the invention of the microscope and the first discovery of the microbial world, de Kruif chronicles how scientific knowledge builds upon itself with essays on Pasteur and Koch who demonstrated that microbes can cause disease; Metchnickoff’s discovery of an immune system that battles microbes, as well as further essays on viral and parasitic diseases such as yellow fever and malaria and the roles that specific insects play in microbial transmission. The book culminates in Ehrlich’s ca. 1910 discovery of a “magic bullet” – the first time that a drug was created that specifically targeted a microbial pathogen. de Kruif employs a style of writing that includes semi-fictionalized accounts of each scientist’s thoughts and rationale as they work through their respective scientific hypotheses. By keeping the reader in the scientist’s head in this manner, the reader experiences the “Ah-ha!” moment along with the scientist when the groundbreaking discovery is made. Importantly, the reader need not have any science background to understand and appreciate this book. Microbe Hunters was first published in 1926 and quickly became an international best seller. The fact that it remains in print today is a testament to its enduring appeal. Nonetheless, please be advised that there are some demeaning comments towards several racial and ethnic groups, reflecting the time period when the science was conducted or when the book was written, that would be considered racist by today’s standards. (Summary by Warren Kati)]]></description><guid isPermaLink="false">https://api.spreaker.com/episode/73965129</guid><pubDate>Thu, 20 Aug 2026 09:03:03 +0000</pubDate><enclosure url="https://dts.podtrac.com/redirect.mp3/api.spreaker.com/download/episode/73965129/friendly_road_new_adventures_in_contentment_ray_stannard_baker.mp3" length="208054415" type="audio/mpeg"/><itunes:author>Paul de Kruif</itunes:author><itunes:subtitle>Microbe Hunters provides dramatized accounts of eleven early pioneers of microbiology and their important discoveries. Beginning in 1650 with the invention of the microscope and the first discovery of the microbial world, de Kruif chronicles how...</itunes:subtitle><itunes:summary><![CDATA[Microbe Hunters provides dramatized accounts of eleven early pioneers of microbiology and their important discoveries. Beginning in 1650 with the invention of the microscope and the first discovery of the microbial world, de Kruif chronicles how scientific knowledge builds upon itself with essays on Pasteur and Koch who demonstrated that microbes can cause disease; Metchnickoff’s discovery of an immune system that battles microbes, as well as further essays on viral and parasitic diseases such as yellow fever and malaria and the roles that specific insects play in microbial transmission. The book culminates in Ehrlich’s ca. 1910 discovery of a “magic bullet” – the first time that a drug was created that specifically targeted a microbial pathogen. de Kruif employs a style of writing that includes semi-fictionalized accounts of each scientist’s thoughts and rationale as they work through their respective scientific hypotheses. By keeping the reader in the scientist’s head in this manner, the reader experiences the “Ah-ha!” moment along with the scientist when the groundbreaking discovery is made. Importantly, the reader need not have any science background to understand and appreciate this book. Microbe Hunters was first published in 1926 and quickly became an international best seller. The fact that it remains in print today is a testament to its enduring appeal. Nonetheless, please be advised that there are some demeaning comments towards several racial and ethnic groups, reflecting the time period when the science was conducted or when the book was written, that would be considered racist by today’s standards. (Summary by Warren Kati)]]></itunes:summary><itunes:duration>25980</itunes:duration><itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit><itunes:image href="https://d3wo5wojvuv7l.cloudfront.net/t_rss_itunes_square_1400/images.spreaker.com/original/51c1ebc8f6b0fca0e060a43e626d9241.jpg"/><itunes:episodeType>full</itunes:episodeType></item><item><title>Convivio-Dante Alighieri</title><link>https://www.spreaker.com/episode/convivio-dante-alighieri--73942497</link><description><![CDATA[Microbe Hunters provides dramatized accounts of eleven early pioneers of microbiology and their important discoveries. Beginning in 1650 with the invention of the microscope and the first discovery of the microbial world, de Kruif chronicles how scientific knowledge builds upon itself with essays on Pasteur and Koch who demonstrated that microbes can cause disease; Metchnickoff’s discovery of an immune system that battles microbes, as well as further essays on viral and parasitic diseases such as yellow fever and malaria and the roles that specific insects play in microbial transmission. The book culminates in Ehrlich’s ca. 1910 discovery of a “magic bullet” – the first time that a drug was created that specifically targeted a microbial pathogen. de Kruif employs a style of writing that includes semi-fictionalized accounts of each scientist’s thoughts and rationale as they work through their respective scientific hypotheses. By keeping the reader in the scientist’s head in this manner, the reader experiences the “Ah-ha!” moment along with the scientist when the groundbreaking discovery is made. Importantly, the reader need not have any science background to understand and appreciate this book. Microbe Hunters was first published in 1926 and quickly became an international best seller. The fact that it remains in print today is a testament to its enduring appeal. Nonetheless, please be advised that there are some demeaning comments towards several racial and ethnic groups, reflecting the time period when the science was conducted or when the book was written, that would be considered racist by today’s standards. (Summary by Warren Kati)]]></description><guid isPermaLink="false">https://api.spreaker.com/episode/73942497</guid><pubDate>Wed, 19 Aug 2026 09:03:02 +0000</pubDate><enclosure url="https://dts.podtrac.com/redirect.mp3/api.spreaker.com/download/episode/73942497/convivio_dante_alighieri.mp3" length="266936512" type="audio/mpeg"/><itunes:author>Paul de Kruif</itunes:author><itunes:subtitle>Microbe Hunters provides dramatized accounts of eleven early pioneers of microbiology and their important discoveries. Beginning in 1650 with the invention of the microscope and the first discovery of the microbial world, de Kruif chronicles how...</itunes:subtitle><itunes:summary><![CDATA[Microbe Hunters provides dramatized accounts of eleven early pioneers of microbiology and their important discoveries. Beginning in 1650 with the invention of the microscope and the first discovery of the microbial world, de Kruif chronicles how scientific knowledge builds upon itself with essays on Pasteur and Koch who demonstrated that microbes can cause disease; Metchnickoff’s discovery of an immune system that battles microbes, as well as further essays on viral and parasitic diseases such as yellow fever and malaria and the roles that specific insects play in microbial transmission. The book culminates in Ehrlich’s ca. 1910 discovery of a “magic bullet” – the first time that a drug was created that specifically targeted a microbial pathogen. de Kruif employs a style of writing that includes semi-fictionalized accounts of each scientist’s thoughts and rationale as they work through their respective scientific hypotheses. By keeping the reader in the scientist’s head in this manner, the reader experiences the “Ah-ha!” moment along with the scientist when the groundbreaking discovery is made. Importantly, the reader need not have any science background to understand and appreciate this book. Microbe Hunters was first published in 1926 and quickly became an international best seller. The fact that it remains in print today is a testament to its enduring appeal. Nonetheless, please be advised that there are some demeaning comments towards several racial and ethnic groups, reflecting the time period when the science was conducted or when the book was written, that would be considered racist by today’s standards. (Summary by Warren Kati)]]></itunes:summary><itunes:duration>33333</itunes:duration><itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit><itunes:image href="https://d3wo5wojvuv7l.cloudfront.net/t_rss_itunes_square_1400/images.spreaker.com/original/51c1ebc8f6b0fca0e060a43e626d9241.jpg"/><itunes:episodeType>full</itunes:episodeType></item><item><title>Footnote to History Eight Years of Trouble in Samoa-Robert Louis Stevenson</title><link>https://www.spreaker.com/episode/footnote-to-history-eight-years-of-trouble-in-samoa-robert-louis-stevenson--73917712</link><description><![CDATA[Microbe Hunters provides dramatized accounts of eleven early pioneers of microbiology and their important discoveries. Beginning in 1650 with the invention of the microscope and the first discovery of the microbial world, de Kruif chronicles how scientific knowledge builds upon itself with essays on Pasteur and Koch who demonstrated that microbes can cause disease; Metchnickoff’s discovery of an immune system that battles microbes, as well as further essays on viral and parasitic diseases such as yellow fever and malaria and the roles that specific insects play in microbial transmission. The book culminates in Ehrlich’s ca. 1910 discovery of a “magic bullet” – the first time that a drug was created that specifically targeted a microbial pathogen. de Kruif employs a style of writing that includes semi-fictionalized accounts of each scientist’s thoughts and rationale as they work through their respective scientific hypotheses. By keeping the reader in the scientist’s head in this manner, the reader experiences the “Ah-ha!” moment along with the scientist when the groundbreaking discovery is made. Importantly, the reader need not have any science background to understand and appreciate this book. Microbe Hunters was first published in 1926 and quickly became an international best seller. The fact that it remains in print today is a testament to its enduring appeal. Nonetheless, please be advised that there are some demeaning comments towards several racial and ethnic groups, reflecting the time period when the science was conducted or when the book was written, that would be considered racist by today’s standards. (Summary by Warren Kati)]]></description><guid isPermaLink="false">https://api.spreaker.com/episode/73917712</guid><pubDate>Tue, 18 Aug 2026 09:03:20 +0000</pubDate><enclosure url="https://dts.podtrac.com/redirect.mp3/api.spreaker.com/download/episode/73917712/footnote_to_history_eight_years_of_trouble_in_samoa_robert_louis_stevenson.mp3" length="204355125" type="audio/mpeg"/><itunes:author>Paul de Kruif</itunes:author><itunes:subtitle>Microbe Hunters provides dramatized accounts of eleven early pioneers of microbiology and their important discoveries. Beginning in 1650 with the invention of the microscope and the first discovery of the microbial world, de Kruif chronicles how...</itunes:subtitle><itunes:summary><![CDATA[Microbe Hunters provides dramatized accounts of eleven early pioneers of microbiology and their important discoveries. Beginning in 1650 with the invention of the microscope and the first discovery of the microbial world, de Kruif chronicles how scientific knowledge builds upon itself with essays on Pasteur and Koch who demonstrated that microbes can cause disease; Metchnickoff’s discovery of an immune system that battles microbes, as well as further essays on viral and parasitic diseases such as yellow fever and malaria and the roles that specific insects play in microbial transmission. The book culminates in Ehrlich’s ca. 1910 discovery of a “magic bullet” – the first time that a drug was created that specifically targeted a microbial pathogen. de Kruif employs a style of writing that includes semi-fictionalized accounts of each scientist’s thoughts and rationale as they work through their respective scientific hypotheses. By keeping the reader in the scientist’s head in this manner, the reader experiences the “Ah-ha!” moment along with the scientist when the groundbreaking discovery is made. Importantly, the reader need not have any science background to understand and appreciate this book. Microbe Hunters was first published in 1926 and quickly became an international best seller. The fact that it remains in print today is a testament to its enduring appeal. Nonetheless, please be advised that there are some demeaning comments towards several racial and ethnic groups, reflecting the time period when the science was conducted or when the book was written, that would be considered racist by today’s standards. (Summary by Warren Kati)]]></itunes:summary><itunes:duration>25518</itunes:duration><itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit><itunes:image href="https://d3wo5wojvuv7l.cloudfront.net/t_rss_itunes_square_1400/images.spreaker.com/original/51c1ebc8f6b0fca0e060a43e626d9241.jpg"/><itunes:episodeType>full</itunes:episodeType></item><item><title>Bacteria in Daily Life-Grace Coleridge Frankland</title><link>https://www.spreaker.com/episode/bacteria-in-daily-life-grace-coleridge-frankland--73893015</link><description><![CDATA[Microbe Hunters provides dramatized accounts of eleven early pioneers of microbiology and their important discoveries. Beginning in 1650 with the invention of the microscope and the first discovery of the microbial world, de Kruif chronicles how scientific knowledge builds upon itself with essays on Pasteur and Koch who demonstrated that microbes can cause disease; Metchnickoff’s discovery of an immune system that battles microbes, as well as further essays on viral and parasitic diseases such as yellow fever and malaria and the roles that specific insects play in microbial transmission. The book culminates in Ehrlich’s ca. 1910 discovery of a “magic bullet” – the first time that a drug was created that specifically targeted a microbial pathogen. de Kruif employs a style of writing that includes semi-fictionalized accounts of each scientist’s thoughts and rationale as they work through their respective scientific hypotheses. By keeping the reader in the scientist’s head in this manner, the reader experiences the “Ah-ha!” moment along with the scientist when the groundbreaking discovery is made. Importantly, the reader need not have any science background to understand and appreciate this book. Microbe Hunters was first published in 1926 and quickly became an international best seller. The fact that it remains in print today is a testament to its enduring appeal. Nonetheless, please be advised that there are some demeaning comments towards several racial and ethnic groups, reflecting the time period when the science was conducted or when the book was written, that would be considered racist by today’s standards. (Summary by Warren Kati)]]></description><guid isPermaLink="false">https://api.spreaker.com/episode/73893015</guid><pubDate>Mon, 17 Aug 2026 09:03:23 +0000</pubDate><enclosure url="https://dts.podtrac.com/redirect.mp3/api.spreaker.com/download/episode/73893015/bacteria_in_daily_life_grace_coleridge_frankland.mp3" length="137514004" type="audio/mpeg"/><itunes:author>Paul de Kruif</itunes:author><itunes:subtitle>Microbe Hunters provides dramatized accounts of eleven early pioneers of microbiology and their important discoveries. Beginning in 1650 with the invention of the microscope and the first discovery of the microbial world, de Kruif chronicles how...</itunes:subtitle><itunes:summary><![CDATA[Microbe Hunters provides dramatized accounts of eleven early pioneers of microbiology and their important discoveries. Beginning in 1650 with the invention of the microscope and the first discovery of the microbial world, de Kruif chronicles how scientific knowledge builds upon itself with essays on Pasteur and Koch who demonstrated that microbes can cause disease; Metchnickoff’s discovery of an immune system that battles microbes, as well as further essays on viral and parasitic diseases such as yellow fever and malaria and the roles that specific insects play in microbial transmission. The book culminates in Ehrlich’s ca. 1910 discovery of a “magic bullet” – the first time that a drug was created that specifically targeted a microbial pathogen. de Kruif employs a style of writing that includes semi-fictionalized accounts of each scientist’s thoughts and rationale as they work through their respective scientific hypotheses. By keeping the reader in the scientist’s head in this manner, the reader experiences the “Ah-ha!” moment along with the scientist when the groundbreaking discovery is made. Importantly, the reader need not have any science background to understand and appreciate this book. Microbe Hunters was first published in 1926 and quickly became an international best seller. The fact that it remains in print today is a testament to its enduring appeal. Nonetheless, please be advised that there are some demeaning comments towards several racial and ethnic groups, reflecting the time period when the science was conducted or when the book was written, that would be considered racist by today’s standards. (Summary by Warren Kati)]]></itunes:summary><itunes:duration>17172</itunes:duration><itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit><itunes:image href="https://d3wo5wojvuv7l.cloudfront.net/t_rss_itunes_square_1400/images.spreaker.com/original/51c1ebc8f6b0fca0e060a43e626d9241.jpg"/><itunes:episodeType>full</itunes:episodeType></item><item><title>Mother Earth, Vol. 1 No. 6, August 1906-Various</title><link>https://www.spreaker.com/episode/mother-earth-vol-1-no-6-august-1906-various--73869142</link><description><![CDATA[Microbe Hunters provides dramatized accounts of eleven early pioneers of microbiology and their important discoveries. Beginning in 1650 with the invention of the microscope and the first discovery of the microbial world, de Kruif chronicles how scientific knowledge builds upon itself with essays on Pasteur and Koch who demonstrated that microbes can cause disease; Metchnickoff’s discovery of an immune system that battles microbes, as well as further essays on viral and parasitic diseases such as yellow fever and malaria and the roles that specific insects play in microbial transmission. The book culminates in Ehrlich’s ca. 1910 discovery of a “magic bullet” – the first time that a drug was created that specifically targeted a microbial pathogen. de Kruif employs a style of writing that includes semi-fictionalized accounts of each scientist’s thoughts and rationale as they work through their respective scientific hypotheses. By keeping the reader in the scientist’s head in this manner, the reader experiences the “Ah-ha!” moment along with the scientist when the groundbreaking discovery is made. Importantly, the reader need not have any science background to understand and appreciate this book. Microbe Hunters was first published in 1926 and quickly became an international best seller. The fact that it remains in print today is a testament to its enduring appeal. Nonetheless, please be advised that there are some demeaning comments towards several racial and ethnic groups, reflecting the time period when the science was conducted or when the book was written, that would be considered racist by today’s standards. (Summary by Warren Kati)]]></description><guid isPermaLink="false">https://api.spreaker.com/episode/73869142</guid><pubDate>Sun, 16 Aug 2026 09:03:16 +0000</pubDate><enclosure url="https://dts.podtrac.com/redirect.mp3/api.spreaker.com/download/episode/73869142/mother_earth_vol_1_no_6_august_1906_various.mp3" length="80874055" type="audio/mpeg"/><itunes:author>Paul de Kruif</itunes:author><itunes:subtitle>Microbe Hunters provides dramatized accounts of eleven early pioneers of microbiology and their important discoveries. Beginning in 1650 with the invention of the microscope and the first discovery of the microbial world, de Kruif chronicles how...</itunes:subtitle><itunes:summary><![CDATA[Microbe Hunters provides dramatized accounts of eleven early pioneers of microbiology and their important discoveries. Beginning in 1650 with the invention of the microscope and the first discovery of the microbial world, de Kruif chronicles how scientific knowledge builds upon itself with essays on Pasteur and Koch who demonstrated that microbes can cause disease; Metchnickoff’s discovery of an immune system that battles microbes, as well as further essays on viral and parasitic diseases such as yellow fever and malaria and the roles that specific insects play in microbial transmission. The book culminates in Ehrlich’s ca. 1910 discovery of a “magic bullet” – the first time that a drug was created that specifically targeted a microbial pathogen. de Kruif employs a style of writing that includes semi-fictionalized accounts of each scientist’s thoughts and rationale as they work through their respective scientific hypotheses. By keeping the reader in the scientist’s head in this manner, the reader experiences the “Ah-ha!” moment along with the scientist when the groundbreaking discovery is made. Importantly, the reader need not have any science background to understand and appreciate this book. Microbe Hunters was first published in 1926 and quickly became an international best seller. The fact that it remains in print today is a testament to its enduring appeal. Nonetheless, please be advised that there are some demeaning comments towards several racial and ethnic groups, reflecting the time period when the science was conducted or when the book was written, that would be considered racist by today’s standards. (Summary by Warren Kati)]]></itunes:summary><itunes:duration>10099</itunes:duration><itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit><itunes:image href="https://d3wo5wojvuv7l.cloudfront.net/t_rss_itunes_square_1400/images.spreaker.com/original/51c1ebc8f6b0fca0e060a43e626d9241.jpg"/><itunes:episodeType>full</itunes:episodeType></item><item><title>What's Wrong With the World-G. K. Chesterton</title><link>https://www.spreaker.com/episode/what-s-wrong-with-the-world-g-k-chesterton--73848190</link><description><![CDATA[Microbe Hunters provides dramatized accounts of eleven early pioneers of microbiology and their important discoveries. Beginning in 1650 with the invention of the microscope and the first discovery of the microbial world, de Kruif chronicles how scientific knowledge builds upon itself with essays on Pasteur and Koch who demonstrated that microbes can cause disease; Metchnickoff’s discovery of an immune system that battles microbes, as well as further essays on viral and parasitic diseases such as yellow fever and malaria and the roles that specific insects play in microbial transmission. The book culminates in Ehrlich’s ca. 1910 discovery of a “magic bullet” – the first time that a drug was created that specifically targeted a microbial pathogen. de Kruif employs a style of writing that includes semi-fictionalized accounts of each scientist’s thoughts and rationale as they work through their respective scientific hypotheses. By keeping the reader in the scientist’s head in this manner, the reader experiences the “Ah-ha!” moment along with the scientist when the groundbreaking discovery is made. Importantly, the reader need not have any science background to understand and appreciate this book. Microbe Hunters was first published in 1926 and quickly became an international best seller. The fact that it remains in print today is a testament to its enduring appeal. Nonetheless, please be advised that there are some demeaning comments towards several racial and ethnic groups, reflecting the time period when the science was conducted or when the book was written, that would be considered racist by today’s standards. (Summary by Warren Kati)]]></description><guid isPermaLink="false">https://api.spreaker.com/episode/73848190</guid><pubDate>Sat, 15 Aug 2026 09:04:10 +0000</pubDate><enclosure url="https://dts.podtrac.com/redirect.mp3/api.spreaker.com/download/episode/73848190/what_s_wrong_with_the_world_g_k_chesterton.mp3" length="204196617" type="audio/mpeg"/><itunes:author>Paul de Kruif</itunes:author><itunes:subtitle>Microbe Hunters provides dramatized accounts of eleven early pioneers of microbiology and their important discoveries. Beginning in 1650 with the invention of the microscope and the first discovery of the microbial world, de Kruif chronicles how...</itunes:subtitle><itunes:summary><![CDATA[Microbe Hunters provides dramatized accounts of eleven early pioneers of microbiology and their important discoveries. Beginning in 1650 with the invention of the microscope and the first discovery of the microbial world, de Kruif chronicles how scientific knowledge builds upon itself with essays on Pasteur and Koch who demonstrated that microbes can cause disease; Metchnickoff’s discovery of an immune system that battles microbes, as well as further essays on viral and parasitic diseases such as yellow fever and malaria and the roles that specific insects play in microbial transmission. The book culminates in Ehrlich’s ca. 1910 discovery of a “magic bullet” – the first time that a drug was created that specifically targeted a microbial pathogen. de Kruif employs a style of writing that includes semi-fictionalized accounts of each scientist’s thoughts and rationale as they work through their respective scientific hypotheses. By keeping the reader in the scientist’s head in this manner, the reader experiences the “Ah-ha!” moment along with the scientist when the groundbreaking discovery is made. Importantly, the reader need not have any science background to understand and appreciate this book. Microbe Hunters was first published in 1926 and quickly became an international best seller. The fact that it remains in print today is a testament to its enduring appeal. Nonetheless, please be advised that there are some demeaning comments towards several racial and ethnic groups, reflecting the time period when the science was conducted or when the book was written, that would be considered racist by today’s standards. (Summary by Warren Kati)]]></itunes:summary><itunes:duration>25499</itunes:duration><itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit><itunes:image href="https://d3wo5wojvuv7l.cloudfront.net/t_rss_itunes_square_1400/images.spreaker.com/original/51c1ebc8f6b0fca0e060a43e626d9241.jpg"/><itunes:episodeType>full</itunes:episodeType></item><item><title>Woman and War-Olive Schreiner</title><link>https://www.spreaker.com/episode/woman-and-war-olive-schreiner--73359369</link><description><![CDATA["Woman and War-Olive Schreiner" explores the profound intersections of gender and conflict through the lens of Schreiner's insights. This work delves into the complexities of women's roles in wartime, highlighting their resilience and strength amid societal upheaval. As themes of empowerment and the human spirit resonate today, this audiobook serves as a poignant reminder of the enduring struggles for equality and justice. Schreiner's reflections invite listeners to reconsider the narratives surrounding war and the often-overlooked contributions of women, making it a timeless exploration of courage and agency that remains relevant in contemporary discussions about gender and conflict.]]></description><guid isPermaLink="false">https://api.spreaker.com/episode/73359369</guid><pubDate>Mon, 03 Aug 2026 01:08:02 +0000</pubDate><enclosure url="https://dts.podtrac.com/redirect.mp3/api.spreaker.com/download/episode/73359369/woman_and_war_olive_schreiner.mp3" length="24927473" type="audio/mpeg"/><itunes:author>Paul de Kruif</itunes:author><itunes:subtitle>"Woman and War-Olive Schreiner" explores the profound intersections of gender and conflict through the lens of Schreiner's insights. This work delves into the complexities of women's roles in wartime, highlighting their resilience and strength amid...</itunes:subtitle><itunes:summary><![CDATA["Woman and War-Olive Schreiner" explores the profound intersections of gender and conflict through the lens of Schreiner's insights. This work delves into the complexities of women's roles in wartime, highlighting their resilience and strength amid societal upheaval. As themes of empowerment and the human spirit resonate today, this audiobook serves as a poignant reminder of the enduring struggles for equality and justice. Schreiner's reflections invite listeners to reconsider the narratives surrounding war and the often-overlooked contributions of women, making it a timeless exploration of courage and agency that remains relevant in contemporary discussions about gender and conflict.]]></itunes:summary><itunes:duration>3113</itunes:duration><itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit><itunes:image href="https://d3wo5wojvuv7l.cloudfront.net/t_rss_itunes_square_1400/images.spreaker.com/original/51c1ebc8f6b0fca0e060a43e626d9241.jpg"/><itunes:episodeType>full</itunes:episodeType></item><item><title>Microbe Hunters - Paul de Kruif - Part 2</title><link>https://www.spreaker.com/episode/microbe-hunters-paul-de-kruif-part-2--72506360</link><description><![CDATA[Microbe Hunters provides dramatized accounts of eleven early pioneers of microbiology and their important discoveries. Beginning in 1650 with the invention of the microscope and the first discovery of the microbial world, de Kruif chronicles how scientific knowledge builds upon itself with essays on Pasteur and Koch who demonstrated that microbes can cause disease; Metchnickoff’s discovery of an immune system that battles microbes, as well as further essays on viral and parasitic diseases such as yellow fever and malaria and the roles that specific insects play in microbial transmission. The book culminates in Ehrlich’s ca. 1910 discovery of a “magic bullet” – the first time that a drug was created that specifically targeted a microbial pathogen. de Kruif employs a style of writing that includes semi-fictionalized accounts of each scientist’s thoughts and rationale as they work through their respective scientific hypotheses. By keeping the reader in the scientist’s head in this manner, the reader experiences the “Ah-ha!” moment along with the scientist when the groundbreaking discovery is made. Importantly, the reader need not have any science background to understand and appreciate this book. Microbe Hunters was first published in 1926 and quickly became an international best seller. The fact that it remains in print today is a testament to its enduring appeal. Nonetheless, please be advised that there are some demeaning comments towards several racial and ethnic groups, reflecting the time period when the science was conducted or when the book was written, that would be considered racist by today’s standards. (Summary by Warren Kati)]]></description><guid isPermaLink="false">https://api.spreaker.com/episode/72506360</guid><pubDate>Sat, 13 Jun 2026 09:00:17 +0000</pubDate><enclosure url="https://dts.podtrac.com/redirect.mp3/api.spreaker.com/download/episode/72506360/microbe_hunters_paul_de_kruif_part_2.mp3" length="176346214" type="audio/mpeg"/><itunes:author>Paul de Kruif</itunes:author><itunes:subtitle>Microbe Hunters provides dramatized accounts of eleven early pioneers of microbiology and their important discoveries. Beginning in 1650 with the invention of the microscope and the first discovery of the microbial world, de Kruif chronicles how...</itunes:subtitle><itunes:summary><![CDATA[Microbe Hunters provides dramatized accounts of eleven early pioneers of microbiology and their important discoveries. Beginning in 1650 with the invention of the microscope and the first discovery of the microbial world, de Kruif chronicles how scientific knowledge builds upon itself with essays on Pasteur and Koch who demonstrated that microbes can cause disease; Metchnickoff’s discovery of an immune system that battles microbes, as well as further essays on viral and parasitic diseases such as yellow fever and malaria and the roles that specific insects play in microbial transmission. The book culminates in Ehrlich’s ca. 1910 discovery of a “magic bullet” – the first time that a drug was created that specifically targeted a microbial pathogen. de Kruif employs a style of writing that includes semi-fictionalized accounts of each scientist’s thoughts and rationale as they work through their respective scientific hypotheses. By keeping the reader in the scientist’s head in this manner, the reader experiences the “Ah-ha!” moment along with the scientist when the groundbreaking discovery is made. Importantly, the reader need not have any science background to understand and appreciate this book. Microbe Hunters was first published in 1926 and quickly became an international best seller. The fact that it remains in print today is a testament to its enduring appeal. Nonetheless, please be advised that there are some demeaning comments towards several racial and ethnic groups, reflecting the time period when the science was conducted or when the book was written, that would be considered racist by today’s standards. (Summary by Warren Kati)]]></itunes:summary><itunes:duration>22044</itunes:duration><itunes:keywords>discovery,hunters,kruif,microbe,microbes,microbial,nature,reader,scientist,viral</itunes:keywords><itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit><itunes:image href="https://d3wo5wojvuv7l.cloudfront.net/t_rss_itunes_square_1400/images.spreaker.com/original/51c1ebc8f6b0fca0e060a43e626d9241.jpg"/><itunes:episodeType>full</itunes:episodeType></item><item><title>Microbe Hunters - Paul de Kruif - Part 1</title><link>https://www.spreaker.com/episode/microbe-hunters-paul-de-kruif-part-1--72506357</link><description><![CDATA[Microbe Hunters provides dramatized accounts of eleven early pioneers of microbiology and their important discoveries. Beginning in 1650 with the invention of the microscope and the first discovery of the microbial world, de Kruif chronicles how scientific knowledge builds upon itself with essays on Pasteur and Koch who demonstrated that microbes can cause disease; Metchnickoff’s discovery of an immune system that battles microbes, as well as further essays on viral and parasitic diseases such as yellow fever and malaria and the roles that specific insects play in microbial transmission. The book culminates in Ehrlich’s ca. 1910 discovery of a “magic bullet” – the first time that a drug was created that specifically targeted a microbial pathogen. de Kruif employs a style of writing that includes semi-fictionalized accounts of each scientist’s thoughts and rationale as they work through their respective scientific hypotheses. By keeping the reader in the scientist’s head in this manner, the reader experiences the “Ah-ha!” moment along with the scientist when the groundbreaking discovery is made. Importantly, the reader need not have any science background to understand and appreciate this book. Microbe Hunters was first published in 1926 and quickly became an international best seller. The fact that it remains in print today is a testament to its enduring appeal. Nonetheless, please be advised that there are some demeaning comments towards several racial and ethnic groups, reflecting the time period when the science was conducted or when the book was written, that would be considered racist by today’s standards. (Summary by Warren Kati)]]></description><guid isPermaLink="false">https://api.spreaker.com/episode/72506357</guid><pubDate>Fri, 12 Jun 2026 22:35:39 +0000</pubDate><enclosure url="https://dts.podtrac.com/redirect.mp3/api.spreaker.com/download/episode/72506357/microbe_hunters_paul_de_kruif_part_1.mp3" length="274081159" type="audio/mpeg"/><itunes:author>Paul de Kruif</itunes:author><itunes:subtitle>Microbe Hunters provides dramatized accounts of eleven early pioneers of microbiology and their important discoveries. Beginning in 1650 with the invention of the microscope and the first discovery of the microbial world, de Kruif chronicles how...</itunes:subtitle><itunes:summary><![CDATA[Microbe Hunters provides dramatized accounts of eleven early pioneers of microbiology and their important discoveries. Beginning in 1650 with the invention of the microscope and the first discovery of the microbial world, de Kruif chronicles how scientific knowledge builds upon itself with essays on Pasteur and Koch who demonstrated that microbes can cause disease; Metchnickoff’s discovery of an immune system that battles microbes, as well as further essays on viral and parasitic diseases such as yellow fever and malaria and the roles that specific insects play in microbial transmission. The book culminates in Ehrlich’s ca. 1910 discovery of a “magic bullet” – the first time that a drug was created that specifically targeted a microbial pathogen. de Kruif employs a style of writing that includes semi-fictionalized accounts of each scientist’s thoughts and rationale as they work through their respective scientific hypotheses. By keeping the reader in the scientist’s head in this manner, the reader experiences the “Ah-ha!” moment along with the scientist when the groundbreaking discovery is made. Importantly, the reader need not have any science background to understand and appreciate this book. Microbe Hunters was first published in 1926 and quickly became an international best seller. The fact that it remains in print today is a testament to its enduring appeal. Nonetheless, please be advised that there are some demeaning comments towards several racial and ethnic groups, reflecting the time period when the science was conducted or when the book was written, that would be considered racist by today’s standards. (Summary by Warren Kati)]]></itunes:summary><itunes:duration>34261</itunes:duration><itunes:keywords>discovery,hunters,kruif,microbe,microbes,microbial,nature,reader,scientist,viral</itunes:keywords><itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit><itunes:image href="https://d3wo5wojvuv7l.cloudfront.net/t_rss_itunes_square_1400/images.spreaker.com/original/51c1ebc8f6b0fca0e060a43e626d9241.jpg"/><itunes:episodeType>full</itunes:episodeType></item></channel></rss>
