author
Paul De Kruif
1890–1971
A microbiologist who turned medical discovery into page-turning adventure, he helped generations of readers see science as vivid, human, and urgent. Best known for Microbe Hunters, he also pushed big public conversations about disease, nutrition, and modern health care.
1 Audiobook
Microbe hunters
by Paul De Kruif
About the author
Born in Zeeland, Michigan, on March 2, 1890, Paul de Kruif studied at the University of Michigan, earning his bachelor's degree in 1912 and a Ph.D. in 1916. Trained as a bacteriologist, he served during the Mexican Expedition and later in World War I before moving from laboratory work into a career as a writer focused on science and medicine.
De Kruif became widely known for Microbe Hunters (1926), a lively book that introduced famous figures in bacteriology to a broad audience and inspired many future scientists and doctors. He also contributed to Sinclair Lewis's Arrowsmith, bringing scientific and medical realism to the novel, and he wrote extensively for popular magazines, making complex topics easier for general readers to follow.
Throughout his career, he wrote not just about microbes but about public health more broadly, including subjects such as nutrition, infectious disease, and medical research. He died in Holland, Michigan, on February 28, 1971, leaving behind a body of work that helped make modern medicine feel accessible and exciting to ordinary readers.