Gorgeous and educational, this is the kind of book that helps people of all ages fall in love with science. This would be great as a library book or for the homeschool science library.

Hi. My name is Tracy and I am a science nerd. I used to work in a Microbiology Laboratory. So, it was probably a given that this book would immediately pique my interest -- but you don’t have to be scientifically minded to enjoy this introduction to the unseen world around you. The pictures are wonderful, the author’s voice is conversational, and both keep what could become a dry text interesting and easily understandable. This is a great book for the classroom bookshelf, or anyone who has even a passing interest in the microscopic world.

I am grateful to NetGalley and Watkins Publishing for the opportunity to read and review The Hidden Beauty of the Microscopic World.

Thank you to Netgalley for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

What a beautiful book, we often take for granted or squirm at the insects etc around us forgetting their purpose and the reason they exist. I will be better aware in the future.

Recommended.

The Hidden Beauty of the Microscopic World: What the Tiniest Forms of Life can Tell us about Existence and our Place in the Universe by James Weiss is a nonfiction book. James Weiss was feeling lost in life when he first discovered his interest in the microscopic world. With his own microscope and a little homespun ingenuity, he began to capture thousands of hours of stunning footage of the creatures that he found around him: the local pond, at the beach, in a puddle. What he found astounded him, and it became his mission to reveal the beauty of the microcosmos to everyone. James presents this beginner's guide to the invisible life that surrounds us. From the most simple single-celled life, to complex micro-animals, James reveals the secrets of a world that we rarely consider. Navigating the births, feasts, tragedies, idiosyncracies and deaths of a cast of tiny characters, learn how these lifeforms work and what lessons they can teach us about our own existence. You'll discover fascinating absurdities: that a cell can be both its own daughter and its own mother. That immortality really does exist, and it comes in the form of a teeny, tentacled medusa. And that seeing the wonder of nature from a new perspective can literally save your life.

The Hidden Beauty of the Microscopic World is an accessible and engaging introduction and explanation of the microscopic world. I thought the balance of personal narrative, scientific explanations, and photographs to be well done. I thought the technical and scientific explanations were understandable and interesting to read. In fact, it made me a little sad that I did not pursue my interests in this kind of science when I was in school, although my struggles with math holds no small part in that. I appreciated the inclusion of references, resources, and an index in the endpages. Too often on or more of these are skipped for one reason or another. I think young adult and adult readers alike could really enjoy, and get a great deal out of this read. I know that I will be revisiting my galley of this book many times.

As a Biology Teacher, this book was simply gorgeous! The visuals were stunning and the text was informative and scientific but still accessible. I will definitely be referencing this book during my cells unit and encouraging my students to pick up a copy. This will be a fantastic resource in any Life Science classroom from elementary school to college. The microscopic world is often a difficult world for our students to conceive and fully grasp but this book will engage students of all ages with the visuals and give them context for understanding cellular life and processes. Highly recommended book!

This is a beautiful treaure. But it is not just visual candy. it goes into the technicalities of the microorganisms and leave syou smarter about the microworld where different laws apply than the one we live in. You also Lessons from Bacteria that Simplicity pays off.

Lovely pictures & interesting but not compelling text in this book by a man who films many kinds of microscopic life he finds near his home in Poland.

The Hidden Beauty of the Microscopic World is a stunning book about the strange and beautiful world that surrounds us, hidden from sight. The videographer behind the Journey to the Microcosmos YouTube channel (386K subscribers) James Weiss presents a beginner’s guide to the extremely small and utterly strange life that surrounds us. An unbelievable abundance of life flourishes on every surface of our planet. In every drop of dew, on every leaf, and even inside each one of us, invisible yet ingenious life thrives. James Weiss, microbe enthusiast and videographer, has spent thousands of hours peeking into this world and has been astounded by the beauty he finds there.

With his captivating photographs and illustrations, James presents this beginner’s guide to microscopic life, from the most simple, single-celled organisms to complex micro-animals. Navigate the births, feasts, triumphs, tragedies and deaths of a cast of tiny characters, including the adorable water bear, the immortal Hydra and the dancing Desmid. Learn how these lifeforms work and what lessons they can teach us about our own existence, and discover how seeing the wonder of nature from a new perspective can change your life. Written in an accessible, conversational style and complemented by gorgeous, vivid, full-colour photographs and beautiful illustrations, this is a fascinating, informative read that will undoubtedly change your view of the world around you.

It is extensively researched and seems to be accurate in terms of the information, which is presented in easily digestible paragraphs. It is the type of book that you really need a physical copy of to get the most out of it, and I have ordered a few copies for the science enthusiasts in my family as well as myself. If you enjoy this then I highly recommend Weiss's YouTube channel; I didn't know about it but reading this has me interested in learning more and his enthusiasm for the subject is infectious, which is perfect. Highly recommended.

--Introducing the Small and Beautiful--

I received an ARC of this book from the publisher through NetGalley and here are my thoughts.

Although this book, with its copious, beautiful photographs, could be a wonderful "coffee table" book, it is hard to imagine that anyone could pick it up and ever put it down again like a piece of decor. The book is part memoir and 100% about introducing those of us who live without a microscope, to a magnificent world that is literally...right under (and of course, IN...) our noses.

An obvious choice for the budding scientist, no matter what their age is.

However, you don't need to be into science to appreciate the reverence this author has given to the microscopic world that escapes the attention of most of us.

I found it hard to put (the ARC ebook) down...which means I'm starting at phone, inches away from my face.

It will be much better enjoyed as a physical book.

Love this book!

3.5

There's just something about a crisp clear photo of a gorgeous microalgae/organism specimen that gives me a huge boost of dopamine, and this book is filled with them. Photo quality and choices are 10/10, I am really impressed and will need to own a physical copy of this book just to stare at the photos.

James Weiss is a microbiologist and runs a youtube channel about it called Journey to the Microcosmos. I didn't know about this channel or James prior to picking up this book but the videos look amazing and I will certainly be watching some in the future.

I appreciated the facts and knowledge James shared in between the photos - they were manageable chunks and easy to digest. I think all the information was accurate and of good quality and I appreciate that he disseminated it in this fashion. It seems by reading this book that James dominantly focuses on freshwater species with the occasional dabble into marine/salt water organisms.

There are A LOT of personal anecdotes and not to sound rude but... this book is about the magic and beauty of microalgae - I just do not care to spend a whole page reading about how you felt when your girlfriend broke up with you or a description of a chain of emails with youtubers and/or professors that doesn't really share any new information to the reader.

I did have to skip the Nematode photos because I have an irrational fear of them. BUT I forgot how cute Daphnia was and he has some fabulous photos of them, so I loved that.

Non-fiction, science, microbiology, reference

* I received an arc in exchange for an honest review*.

The Hidden Beauty of the Microscopic World is a gem of a book about the author's journey into discovering microscopic life. It is broken down into brief paragraphs about different life forms. Easy to read by the layperson. Makes science fun! Great photography of what Weiss has found under the microscope. This book would be great for anyone interested in science. Any reader will probably learn something new.

I loved this book. James Weiss writes in a conversational and friendly tone. So friendly, in fact, that he is the type of writer I would love to sit down with over coffee or a beer. Weiss weaves the story of the microscopic world around his own story, and he does this in a touching way and where appropriate, with a great sense of humor. Another part of the book I love is Weiss’s contagious enthusiasm. Adding to my enjoyment are the wonderful photographs. Overall this is an amazing book which would also make a great coffee-table book. Thank you to Netgalley and Watkins Publishing for the advance reader copy.