 Brilliant's audio presents the whole body microbiome how to harness microbes inside and out for lifelong health by B. Brett Finley and Jessica M. Finley performed by Julie McKay preface but dad what do microbes do after the age of 12 as in for the rest of our lives that's what I want to know during a family vacation crack of dawn run along Hawaii's rugged coastline we were distracting ourselves from the muggy heat of the rising sun by discussing let them eat dirt the book which Brett co-authored with Marie Claire Arietta had just come out and presented a somewhat radical idea that conceiving and raising children in a highly sanitized world is not as good as it sounds Jessica his daughter and fellow scientist was fascinated by her dad's research and findings but her mind if not her pace was already far ahead in the human lifespan seeking answers for how she could apply microbial science to aging populations her chosen demographic of study in grad school Brett was used to this question and knew she was on to something he had heard some variation of it many times before from colleagues friends and public audiences whenever he talked about the book I've already had my kids and I'm not getting any younger what about me Brett glanced back after pushing ahead of Jessica up a steep hill he replied well we know that gut microbes are involved in asthma obesity cardiovascular diseases and many other serious health issues but what's really cool is how microbial communities are playing a role in aging in sites distant to the gut across the entire body everything from wrinkles to Alzheimer's disease and systemic inflammation have microbial links between labored breaths and the occasional break to take in dramatic ocean views Jessica and Brett's wheels began to turn in sync for the rest of vacation when not boogie boarding and hiking can you tell that we're slightly high energy Jessica peppered her dad for more information about microbes health disease and microbial perspectives on aging thus this book about approaching the end of life was born with his 60th birthday inching closer each day Brett already had a sample complete ready to continue