On the other hand, it’s a little queasy to read that I’m “an American science writer at the zenith of his profession.” Does that mean it’s downhill from here?

All authors get nervous a few months after a book comes out, wondering if it will make the leap to a continued life in paperback. Fortunately Vintage will be publishing Microcosm in paperback, and it already has a page on Amazon. You can order now, although it won’t be out till July. So if there’s someone in your life who deserves an E. coli Christmas (and, really, who doesn’t?), you should get a hardback.