Microbiologists describe for general readers their own work into the role microbes play in the modern understanding of evolution. Among the topics are minimal genomes and reducible complexity, the secret social lives of microorganisms, whether bacteria have sex, the co-evolution of Helicobacter pylori and humans, and the Christmas fungus on Christmas Island. The 39 essays were presented at a 2009 colloquium at the Galapagos Islands to celebrate Darwin's 200th birthday and the 150th of On the Origin of Species Annotation ©2012 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)