The author reminds us that outbreaks of germs like AIDS and Ebola is nothing new, and that the first great "germ panic" in American history peaked in the early 1900s. Exploring the modern disease consciousness, Nancy Tomes shows how advances in bacteriology in the late-19th century showed people that they could prevent disease by taking precautions. Drawing upon sources like advice books, patent applications, advertisments, and oral histories, Tomes traces the awareness of the microbe as it radiated outward from middle-class homes into the world of American business and crossed the lines of class, gender, ethnicity, and race. The work offers a look into the history of a long-standing obsession with germs, its impact on 20th-century culture and society, and its relevance for our own lives.