Microbiology for Allied Health Students

Reviewed by Vidleisy Almonte, Associate Professor, Middlesex Community College on 5/27/24

Comprehensiveness rating: 5 see less

This all-inclusive textbook covers basic microbiology for allied health majors. The textbook focuses on cell structure/ function, metabolic pathways, basic microbiology lab skills, and microbial genetics and heavily focuses on the microbiology affecting humans. This is a Fall 2017 edition, and it is dated, and the next edition should include more information about environmental microbiology and COVID-19.
The text is clear and well-written for a non-biology major college student level. All in all, it is an extremely informative textbook designed to break down a complex subject by approaching it in such a way as to keep the reader interested. I would highly recommend this textbook to any student new to the field of microbiology.

Content Accuracy rating: 4

I did not notice accuracy issues.

Relevance/Longevity rating: 3

In the new edition include COVID 19 pandemic

Clarity rating: 5

I did not notice clarity issues.

Consistency rating: 5

Consistent

Modularity rating: 4

Overall I think this text would be easy to use in a modular way in class.

Organization/Structure/Flow rating: 5

Flows well for basic microbiology course.

Interface rating: 5

The textbook is a PDF file and does not seem to have any issues with its interface, navigation features or images/ charts.

Grammatical Errors rating: 5

I did not notice grammar issues.

Cultural Relevance rating: 4

I did not notice major issues with this.

Comments

Overall, I believe this is an excellent microbiology textbook for students in allied health.

Reviewed by Donna Newhall, R.N., Associate Professor Nursing, North Shore Community College on 11/9/22

Comprehensiveness rating: 5 see less

The book covers the subject effectively, the glossary is inclusive.

Content Accuracy rating: 5

The content is accurate, no bias observed.

Relevance/Longevity rating: 4

Instructors will need to add current disease information to their course to stay relevant.

Clarity rating: 5

The text is appropriate for the undergraduate student.

Consistency rating: 5

The text is consistent with its framework.

Modularity rating: 5

The course could be easily assigned by chapter or parts of chapters.

Organization/Structure/Flow rating: 5

No difficulty found with flow of topics.

Interface rating: 5

Images were clear and the book was easily navigated.

Grammatical Errors rating: 5

No grammatical errors.

Cultural Relevance rating: 5

The text does use some culturally diverse examples in its clinical case studies.

Comments

Each chapter has a clinical case study, some chapters have detailed disease profiles. The case studies are varied and progress through the chapter. Illustrations are detailed and easy to view. End of chapter quizzes have the answers in the appendix.

Reviewed by Stewart Gardner, Assistant Professor, Emporia State University on 4/23/21

Comprehensiveness rating: 4 see less

Covers most of the relevant topics, but there are a few that are excluded that would help with understanding, like microbial pathogenesis mechanisms.

Content Accuracy rating: 5

All the material I covered seemed accurate

Relevance/Longevity rating: 4

Good job at covering most of the essential topics for Allied Health Majors, but some gaps in the material.

Clarity rating: 4

Text is good.

Consistency rating: 4

Fairly consistent, but again some subjects were missing

Modularity rating: 4

Subjects are well organized and fairly stand-alone.

Organization/Structure/Flow rating: 3

With some of the missing topics, the flow is a bit difficult. There are a few chapters from the Microbiology OpenStax text (that this book is based on) I would add and reorder some of the chapters for a bit more logical flow.

Interface rating: 5

The interface is very user friendly

Grammatical Errors rating: 5

I haven't noticed any errors

Cultural Relevance rating: 5

I haven't noticed any cultural insensitivities.

Comments

It would be helpful to re-number the figures/tables to match the chapter numbering (not just keep the original chapter numbers from the OpenStax book).

Reviewed by Tamera Loveday, Instructor of Biology, Hawaii Community College on 4/12/21

Comprehensiveness rating: 3 see less

They do a really nice job of covering diseases of specific organ systems, however, there is very little regarding bacterial growth and metabolism. In my opinion it would be hard to make the jump from discussing the variety of microbes in one chapter and then jump right into pathogenesis without having a discussion on what microbes require and need to grow. Jumping into the modes of action for antibiotics would also be tricky without discussing metabolic pathways (even very basic) first. There is no index but a really nice glossary. I appreciated the Appendix covering chemistry and mathematical equations used-however it might be best to include this near the beginning of the textbook, perhaps as a Chapter 2 topic? Most of my students take my class BEFORE chemistry and higher level math so some of the concepts are hard for them.

Content Accuracy rating: 5

I didn't find any sources of error.

Relevance/Longevity rating: 5

I appreciated the sections describing modern applications/methods for DNA/testing. The case studies are a nice addition too since it is geared towards pre-nursing and allied health majors. I wouldn't mind a few more!

Clarity rating: 5

It is written at a level that is very appropriate for community college students-which is what I teach. I wouldn't recommend this for higher level courses though. Too basic and not enough detail covered. But if you are teaching a 100 level course this is a nice choice!

Consistency rating: 5

Yes, I believe it is sufficient.

Modularity rating: 5

They did a nice job at dividing the text into clearly labeled sections with flashy subtitles that mark where there is going to be a switch in the focus and topic.

Organization/Structure/Flow rating: 2

I really do not like that the Table of Contents at the beginning DOES NOT match the Chapters main pages. For example, Table of Contents says Chapter 2 is titled The Cell but the page for it actually says Chapter 3. I can see this being a point of confusion for a lot of students (and me!) trying to keep it all straight in my head. The topics jump around a bit too much for me too. For example it jumps from discussing cells and goes right into virulence factors and pathogenesis before any real introduction to how microbes grow. So many of the concepts tie into each other and I think it's good to cover "the basics" of cellular biology before discussing disease. And then it makes sense to have Epidemiology following Pathogenesis instead of discussing the Immune response first. Just my personal preference though. And you could teach the chapters in any order really!

Interface rating: 4

I had to deduct a point for the Chapter numbering issue where they don't line up with the Table of Contents, other than that it is good!

Grammatical Errors rating: 5

I did not find any mistakes.

Cultural Relevance rating: 4

The last few chapters cover the diseases of specific organ systems and I really appreciate throwing some Anatomy & Physiology in there, however, most of the diagrams and photos are showing patients that are caucasian. It would be nice to see more diversity of races represented, especially the computer generated diagrams which is easy enough to change! I understand that photographs may have been chosen to show the symptoms more clearly on a lighter skin tone though.

Comments

This appears to be pretty much the same textbook as "Microbiology" by Parker, et. al. just with a lot of the chapters removed. I was honestly disappointed when I found that out. You could just as easily use the bigger book with more chapters (including Biochemistry and Metabolism) and then just teach the content you prefer to focus on.

Reviewed by Melissa Hayes, Assistant Professor, Lander University on 8/10/20

Comprehensiveness rating: 5 see less

This textbook is very similiar to Cowan's Microbiology Fundamentals: A Clinical Approach. It covers the same content with many clinical applications that are appropriate for students going into healthcare fields. This text seems to be a great OER alternative. In terms of comprehensiveness, this text covers introductory microbiology topics appropriate for a 200 level course. It does not seems to discuss topics at an in depth level, which would be suitable for advanced or upper level microbiology students.

Content Accuracy rating: 5

Content seems to be accurate and error free.

Relevance/Longevity rating: 4

The textbook is relatively up to date with many clinical applications. The text was completed in 2017 so it would be recommended that instructors update their own lectures to include recent microbiology outbreak and research updates. However, the foundations of microbiology are well explained in this text and it can easily be used as a framework to discuss updated microbiology related topics.

Clarity rating: 5

The text is written and present in a clear format. The images are well labeled and displayed in the textbook.

Consistency rating: 5

The textbook is consistent in its terminology and framework. Again, it is very similiar to Cowan's Microbiology Fundamentals: A Clinical Approach in its content and framework.

Modularity rating: 5

This text could easily replace many of the healthcare-microbiology textbooks currently on the market with major publishers. The topics are aligned in a similar format and can be divided into the traditional modules easily.

Organization/Structure/Flow rating: 5

The content of this text is presented in a clear fashion, except for the genetics chapter. This chapter is placed at the end of the textbook instead of along side the microbial metabolism chapter. This may be due to the fact that many instructors skip this chapter all together, but it does some missplaced.

Interface rating: 5

The textbook is a simple PDF file and does not seem to have any issues with its interface or navigation features.

Grammatical Errors rating: 4

Grammatically, this textbook seems to not have any blatant errors.

Cultural Relevance rating: 5

Culturally, this textbook does not seem offensive.

Comments

This textbook could be updated to include more recent microbiology topics.

Reviewed by Edward Cosgrove, Senior Lecturer, University of Massachusetts Boston on 6/25/20

Comprehensiveness rating: 5 see less

I find the test to be a very comprehensive treatment of microbiology for allied health students. I find the Appendices to be excellent reviews of the basic principles of chemistry, physics and relevant mathematics. The Glossary is extensive and potentially very useful. Because of my training in biochemistry I think that an additional Appendix covering the basics of carbohydrate metabolism would be useful, especially when the student is performing biochemical tests in the laboratory.

Content Accuracy rating: 5

The authors have obviously made heroic attempts to ensure accuracy. I could not find any errors that would detract from the book's value.

Relevance/Longevity rating: 5

This book, published in 2017 is as up to date as possible , including discussion on the Ebola outbreak in Africa. The next edition should be incredibly interesting in its coverage of Covid 19.

Clarity rating: 5

The book is written in a style that make learning a joy. It is clear, concise and not turgid being written in a modern style from which the modern student learner can learn, while not sacrificing accuracy and detail.

Consistency rating: 5

The book is internally consistent in style and organization. I like the use of blocks of information that are relevant to the topic at hand, for example, case studies. I also like the special attempts made to identify important points and further clarify them in 'Check You Understanding" sections. I also like the use of self-tests throughout to help the student spot areas of weakness in their understanding.

Modularity rating: 5

This is something that is very important because many professors have developed their own lectures and class presentations that do not necessarily align with any text. Thus, it is important that the professor be able to point out where in the text the topic at hand is covered so that the student can jump into various locations in the text without have to wade through other material that, while important, is not relevant to the topic at hand.

Organization/Structure/Flow rating: 5

Generally the book flows well and introduces the student to basic principles of microbiology before moving into the sections where diseases are discussed. The presentation of diseases by anatomical system is preferable than by discussing them by taxonomy for the target audience of this book.

Interface rating: 5

The books flows well and I do not take issue with any of the authors decisions about organization or content with the exception that I think there should be a section on metabolism -especially carbohydrates.

Grammatical Errors rating: 5

I am not a grammarian and I found no issues with grammar.

Cultural Relevance rating: 4

While it is not possible to be culturally relevant about genetics, biochemistry, epidemiology, public health, and disease, I think that some accommodation could be made when discussing the role of microbes in making culturally relevant foods -for example use Kim Chi rather than Sauerkraut.

Comments

I will definitely give this book serious consideration when I teach Medical Microbiology to students in the Allied Health field. I will add to the various historical bits of information in the first few chapters references to the fact that advances in science and technology go hand in hand. For example, we did not know about animalicules until the microscope was developed.

Reviewed by Wendy Trzyna, Professor, Marshall University on 2/18/20

Comprehensiveness rating: 4 see less

The book includes chapters for all of the topics I would cover in a Microbiology course for Allied Health students. However, one of the topics/chapters that seems to be missing is one on aspects of microbial growth, growth media and methods for identifying microorganisms with an emphasis on clinical specimens.
I appreciate the inclusion of a glossary. I would have liked to see an index though. The absence of an index makes it a little more difficult to find the page numbers for the specific topics you are looking for.

Content Accuracy rating: 5

I did not notice any inaccuracies. The information and topics areas to be objective and unbiased.

Relevance/Longevity rating: 5

Much of the basic information included in this text will not require frequent updates, and hence will remain relevant for an extended period of time. Some chapters (epidemiology and antimicrobial drugs, for example) would likely benefit from periodic updates, but that should not be an overwhelming task.

Clarity rating: 5

The book reads easily and information is presented in a clear, well-organized manner. I believe students would find the text highly accessible and very "user-friendly".

Consistency rating: 5

I did not notice any inconsistencies. The use of "boxes" of information throughout is an effective organizational tool. In particular the use of different colored headings for each of the boxed features such as "clinical focus", "disease profile" etc. works very well. The design of the boxes and font for the headings is visually pleasing, and make it easy for the reader to scan the page for the information.

Modularity rating: 5

The modularity of this book is a good feature. There feels to be a sufficient amount of content under each of the subheadings. There is just the right amount of information in each chapter for a non-major's text and shouldn't feel overwhelming to the students.

Organization/Structure/Flow rating: 4

The chapter numbers in the Table of Contents do not match the numbers of the actual chapters in the book. For example, clicking on Chapter 2 takes you to Chapter 3 pop up. Yes, the chapter is still "The Cell" (whether it is numbered 2 or 3) but it might be better if the Chapter numbers in both the Table of Contents and in the text matched. While I do note that this situation is addressed in the drop-down Table of Contents in the PDF version, this still has the potential to create some confusion when preparing the syllabus for the class or assigning readings and other work to students.

Interface rating: 3

When using the drop-down Table of Contents in the PDF version, almost every time when I click on a subheading, I am taken to one page ahead of where the section actually starts and I have to scroll back up. This is a small point and only detracts a little from the ability to move through the book smoothly.
I like the use of highlighted figure numbers throughout which allows the reader to click on it and be taken to the figure. What I did not like is that you cannot easily return to where you were reading before you clicked. There does not appear to be a "go back" feature. It would be much better if you could both navigate to the figure and then easily return to where you left off in the reading.
Some of the "links to learning" that I tried to navigate to did not go anywhere (although some of them did work). I think this a very nice feature, but all of the links should have a destination otherwise students (and instructors) will give up on using them.
In the "clinical focus" boxes, I appreciate the clickable buttons that allow you to jump to the next clinical focus box,. Again though, there is not an easy way to return to where you came from.
The absence of "go back" features is a problem throughout. After navigating to a webpage from a "links to learning" button, upon returning to the book I ended up on a different page than the one I had navigated from .

Grammatical Errors rating: 5

I did not detect any significant grammatical errors. The book appears to have been well-edited.

Cultural Relevance rating: 4

While not offensive at all, the book would benefit from including a greater variety of races. Most pictures in the diseases chapters seemed to be of patients mostly from a single race.

Comments

This book would meet the content needs of a Microbiology course for Allied Health Majors.
There are some features I would like to see. The inclusion of an index would be helpful. As it is now, the only way to find a topic is by using the table of contents, followed by scrolling though the text.
I would also like to be able to cut and paste images from the book into a Powerpoint.
I like the feature of moving around the book by clicking on highlighted buttons (to go to another section, figure, etc. to another), but returning to where you were in the text seems problematic, which limits the ease with which you can move around the book.

Reviewed by Penny Powell, Master Instructor, ULL on 11/4/19

Comprehensiveness rating: 5 see less

This book covers all the information that needs to be covered for a one semester non-majors microbiology course that allied health students need.

Content Accuracy rating: 5

The information is accurate and unbiased.

Relevance/Longevity rating: 5

The information is current and easily updated. The majority of the information hasn't changed in years and can easily be updated.

Clarity rating: 5

The text is clearly written and easy to follow. The information is concise.

Consistency rating: 5

The format is consistent and easy to follow.

Modularity rating: 5

The modules are great and easy to follow. Easy to assign readings.

Organization/Structure/Flow rating: 5

I like to organization and the questions at the end of the modules and chapters.

Interface rating: 5

The text flows easily and there are no interface issues.

Grammatical Errors rating: 5

I found not grammatical errors.

Cultural Relevance rating: 5

I found no culturally insensitive or offensive content.

Comments

I like that this book is linked in in with the ASM learning objectives! I will use this book to supplement my current course. It would be an excellent alternative to expensive microbiology textbooks which most likely don't get used by the student!

Reviewed by Eddie Johnson, Professor of Human Biology, Central Oregon Community College on 6/20/19

Comprehensiveness rating: 5 see less

This textbook extensively covers microbial life, and infections and diseases in humans (and other lifeforms). Each chapter thoroughly describes its aspect of microbiology, from microbial genetics, to acellular and cellular microbes, to defenses and microbial-control strategies, to diseases of the various body systems. Each chapter has excellent drawings and usually very good photo-images. The Clinical Focus, Case in Point, Micro Connections, etc., features in the chapters also can help allied-health students see the relevance of what they are learning, and ultimately applying when in their careers.

Content Accuracy rating: 4

There were a few items in some chapters that I believe are inaccurate and should be corrected. Figure 3.16 (Chapter 3, The Cell) describes prokaryotic cells in isotonic, hypertonic and hypotonic solutions, but the image appears to be of plant cells, bases on the "extensions" of cell walls. Figure 6.26 on page 276 (Chapter 6, Acelllular Pathogens) shows a fuzzy image of a human brain that should be replaced. Table 6.3 lists eating infected meat as the cause of Kuru; I believe results from eating infected brain tissue. On page 658, or page 194/901, (Chapter 15, Microbial Mechanisms of Pathogenicity) why is Clostrium perfringens classified as iatrogenic and why isn't Streptococcous pyogenes listed for "flesh-eating" disease? In Table 15.7 (page 675 or 214/901), wouldn't it be more accurate to list cervical cells as another attachment site in the female reproductive system for Neisseria gonorrhoeae? In the "Micro Connection" on page 818 (325/901) of Chapter 19, Diseases of the Immune System, it might be of interest to students if worm-therapy was added to the discussion of the hygiene hypothesis. Figure 19.6 should state that the risk of Hemolytic Disease of the Newborn is present if the mother is Rh-negative, as is mentioned in the text on page 821 (328/901). On page 620 (431/901) of Chapter 14, Antimicrobial Drugs, the recent designation of "Fluoroquinolone Associated Disabilities" should be added to side-effects. Also, in the table, under "Drug Resistance", it is stated that one-third of the human population carries Staphylococcus aureus in the nose - isn't 33% higher than estimates (up to 20%?). On page 1174 (765/901) of Chapter 26, Nervous System Infections, neonatal meningitis is briefly mentioned, but there is no mention that pregnant females are routinely tested for Group B Strep colonization and if the bacteria are detected, she is put on prophylactic antibiotics before birth to protect her child. Poliomyelitis is discussed on pages 1188-1190 (779-781/901), but there is no mention of the current concern regarding childhood paralysis/Acute Flaccid Myelitis that has been showing up in the USA over the last few years (Enterovirus D68?). Figure 26.22 on page 1197 (788/901) states "Free-living amoeba in human brain tissue from a patient suffering from PAM", but the image does NOT show brain tissue - it shows N. fowleri among neutrophils and other defense cells, without any neurons or glia in the image.

Relevance/Longevity rating: 4

As state above, the textbook may be more relevant if topics like worm therapy, Fluoroquinolone Associated Disabilities, testing pregnant females for Group B Strep, and the most-recent information on Acute Flaccid Myelitis, were added. Considering this is marketed as a textbook for students in allied health, I do wonder about the relevance of some topics. Are lichens important to human health care? The chapter on genetics and protein-syntheis is very-extensive and detailed; it seems like way too much for allied-health students.

Clarity rating: 5

In my opinion, the text is very-well written, and is in an appealing style. Overall, the text is written in a manner that I anticipate would be well-received by students (somewhat depending on the educational background of the student).

Consistency rating: 5

I did not detect any differences in the use of terminology, the framework of the text, the quality of the drawings, or the amount and type of questions at the end of the chapters.

Modularity rating: 5

The modularity within each chapter, including the insertion of summarizing tables after sub-sections, is excellent.

Organization/Structure/Flow rating: 2

I am very confused about how the pdf of this textbook is organized, although it can easily be corrected. I twice downloaded the pdf with the same problem, so this needs to be looked at. Although the introduction lists chapters 1-18, with specific topics assigned to each chapter, the pdf of the textbook is different. For instance, there is no Chapter 2: The Cell in the pdf. Instead Chapter 1, pp 15-52 is followed by Chapter 3: The Cell, with pp. 89-146. The "Microbial Mechanisms of Pathogenicity" chapter is Chapter 15, not Chapter 5, as listed in the introduction. This goes on through the pdf, with the last chapter before the appendices, "Mechanisms of Microbial Genetics", as Chapter 11 and pp. 443-506.

Interface rating: 5

Other than the "distortion" of a few images/charts that I listed above, I did not detect any other interface issues.

Grammatical Errors rating: 5

I did not detect grammatical errors.

Cultural Relevance rating: 5

I did not detect anything in the text, charts, images, or review questions that appeared insensitive or offensive.

Comments

Overall, I believe this is an excellent microbiology textbook for students in allied health. It details many topics that individuals in human health-care should know, or at least be made aware of, and the textbook has excellent charts and drawings (figures) to reinforce the information. The feature boxes throughout the textbook are truly engaging and should draw even more interest in microbiology by the reader. The appendices with some physics, chemistry and mathematics, and the glossary also are helpful. I plan to adopt this textbook the next time I teach microbiology. Well done!

Reviewed by Emma Chaput, Associate Professor of Biology, Central Oregon Community College on 6/14/19

Comprehensiveness rating: 4 see less

This text contains topics that are most appropriate for the target population, undergraduate allied health majors. I particularly like that the ASM (American Society of Microbiology) recommended curriculum guidelines are listed the text chapters are correlated to the guidelines. This demonstrates the authors’ commitment to meeting the needs of the student population for whom this text was written. Other than host response to a microbial challenge, there seemed to be little focus on positive host-microbe interactions. Given the amount of novel research into the impact of the healthy microbiome on human physiology, additional discussion of those topics would seem to be appropriate. In addition, discussion of the contextual nature of disease (e.g., within an economic structure, culture, legal system, etc.) can be useful in discussing why some epidemics (e.g., HIV) can be harder to address.

Content Accuracy rating: 5

Overall, I found this text to be accurate. There are some small changes that might add to the accuracy. I suggest adding discussion of an HPV vaccine to the “Case in Point” on HPV exposure and including statistics on how condom use does reduce (though not prevent) HPV transmission. In the table, on TSE transmission, Kuru is primarily transmitted by the consumption of neural tissue (brain) rather than “meat” which typically implies muscle tissue. Although I understand that this is a Micro text, the introduction to epidemiology should acknowledge that the study and field include chronic disease epidemiology as well as microbial disease.

Relevance/Longevity rating: 4

Given the target population, there are specific aspects of this text that are particularly relevant, including the “Eye on Ethics” features that incorporate questions of bioethical importance into the “traditional” science text. Longevity can be a significant challenge in a rapidly changing field like Microbiology and while this text is current, some of the descriptions of standard lab practices (Gram staining first or sequencing?) might be addressed in future editions. Some of the discussion of protist taxonomy seemed not particularly relevant to this text, with its clinical focus. Echoing earlier comments, the limited discussion of the human microbiome and positive host-microbe interactions make the text a bit less relevant to current microbiology conversations, both in research and in general press.

Clarity rating: 5

I found this text to be consistently clear and readable without being overly simplistic. I particularly found the bolded glossary terms, the figure links, and the chapter summaries to be useful tools in clearly reinforcing the content.

Consistency rating: 5

In general this text is consistent in content as well as in cross-referencing within the text, there are small occasions where this could be improved (e.g., not mentioning prions in the initial introduction to acellular pathogens). Suggestions for improvement might include reworking some of the “Clinical Focus” modules since the questions seem beyond students’ current knowledge. For example, in the viruses section (6.1) there are questions about additional tests and treatment types, neither of which have been covered yet in the text (covered in chapters 6 [mislabeled 8] and 10 [mislabeled 12]).

Modularity rating: 5

My comments about modularity mesh with comments about the organization and structure. The modularity of this text works very well for this text and its target audience. There is a good flow and balance of text, tables, graphics/images, and supplemental features (“Clinical Focus,” “Micro Connections,” “Check Your Understanding”).

Organization/Structure/Flow rating: 3

There is a serious issue with the table of contents and the chapter titles! Chapter 1 is the ONLY chapter that is numbered correctly. The remaining chapter numbers do not correspond to any of the chapter/section/graphic/table numbering. It would seem that assigning chapters to students would be incredibly confusing given this formatting issue. The authors clearly reworked their earlier OER text but didn’t renumber chapters anywhere other than in the table of contents.
Except for this issue, I thought that the organization was effective. There are a few small formatting issues that I found distracting (e.g., tables broken up over two pages [Table 3.2, 14.10, etc.]) that could be easily addressed in a future edition. In terms of content and language, the structure was appropriate and effective and the language accessible without being overly simplistic. There seems to be a lot of (more than necessary?) text content devoted to non-pathogen related immune system pathologies. I would also suggest moving the chapter on the mechanism of microbial genetics (listed as chapter 18 in the table of contents but labeled as chapter 11 in the text) to earlier in the text, perhaps after microbial mechanisms of pathogenicity.

Interface rating: 4

I found no issues with the interface of this text. I will second the observation of the previous reviewer who noted that the images have slightly less sharp resolution but also agree that this is not enough of a distraction to make the text less usable or user-friendly for students. Including the bookmarks makes for particularly easy navigation with in a PDF viewer. Chapter outlines are useful, but making them linkable would enhance movement through the text.

Grammatical Errors rating: 5

Other than the serious chapter numbering issue (see comment in organization/structure/flow), I did not notice grammatical errors.

Cultural Relevance rating: 4

The authors might consider updating some language to minimize stigma (e.g., sex worker replacing prostitute, STI replacing STD, not titling a section about exposure to HPV as a “Scare,” etc.) or to expand representation (e.g., more diverse selection of historical figures). While I appreciate that some images are useful when discussing STIs/urogenital infections, since most of these infections are typically asymptomatic, I think that an overemphasis on unrepresentative images can be misleading. The graph on p. 611 related to the parental expectation of antibiotic use needs some context to avoid seeming stigmatizing to people living in poverty.

Comments

Overall, I think this is a good text. Given the target population, I think that some content areas could be expanded and others contracted (see comments under comprehensiveness and cultural relevance). If the formatting issue of the incorrect chapter numbers was resolved, I could consider adopting this text and/or working with this text as a foundation to build an OER more specifically targeted to the Microbiology course we teach.

Reviewed by Raj Nathaniel, Professor, Nicholls State University on 5/1/19

Comprehensiveness rating: 5 see less

This textbook is designed for undergraduate allied health majors and is appropriately written for this audience. The topics covered are in sufficient detail and are grouped well as described in the table of contents.

Content Accuracy rating: 5

This reviewer did not find any inaccurate statements or outdated information (though given the nature of growing fields such as immunology that might need to be revised or updated for future editions).

Relevance/Longevity rating: 5

Textual topics and material are arranged in a concise manner that will make it easy for future revisions. In its current form, material is sufficiently up to date and completely relevant.

Clarity rating: 5

The writing style is easy to read and flows well from one topic to another. Abbreviations are expanded as needed and figures are placed close to the textual paragraphs where discussed.

Consistency rating: 5

All of the chapters flow seamlessly. There is no discontinuity in terminology or framework from chapter to chapter. There is one minor critique, when discussing pathogens such as viruses and techniques in microbiology, antibodies are listed and mentioned. However, the chapter on the immune system that produces antibodies appears much later. A notation could be inserted to alert readers that the topic of antibodies are covered in greater detail elsewhere.

Modularity rating: 5

Well portioned paragraphs. Readers can easily stop at a point and pick up later without having to restart at the beginning of the paragraph. The text is designed well of the "millennial" / contemporary students who prefer reading based on mobile interfaces rather than a traditional hard copy textbook. Paragraphs seem to be designed accordingly. Although it would be perfect if a mobile device version of this text were also made available.

Organization/Structure/Flow rating: 5

This textbook emphasizes microbiology for the health care student perspective. Therefore chapters and content material is organized accordingly. Microbes are introduced in general but diseases are described based on body systems which makes this textbook offering a very attractive option to use.

Interface rating: 5

There are not significant issues with the interface. However, it seems that the graphics have a relative poor resolution compared to other textbooks. This deficiency by no means detracts from the science or concepts being illustrated. Perhaps in future editions, graphics could be improved.

Grammatical Errors rating: 5

No grammatical errors were noticed by in this review.

Cultural Relevance rating: 5

Clinical focus case studies and examples used in the book are appropriate to a liberal western or US audience. This textbook might not be suitable worldwide for use in other regions.

Comments

Excellent book. This reviewer is considering adopting this book, after reviewing Instructor resources. It would have been useful to also have access to these resources to look at presentation slides and other materials provided including the test bank.