Book excerpt: Fundamentals of Prescott's Microbiology provides a balanced, comprehensive introduction to all major areas of microbiology. Because of this balance, Fundamentals of Prescott's Microbiology is appropriate for microbiology majors and mixed majors courses. The new authors have focused on readability, artwork, and the integration of several key themes (including evolution, ecology and diversity) throughout the text, making an already superior text even better.