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Antibiotic resistance is one of the most severe public health crises that we face in current medical practice. Every year, at least 2.8 million people get an antibiotic-resistant infection, and more than 35,000 people die. In addition to the potential for serious morbidity and mortality, antibiotic-resistant infections add unnecessary and substantial costs to the healthcare system. The impetus for finding solutions in what has been established as a dire situation is overwhelmingly twofold: the necessity with which it must be addressed gives doctors, patients, researchers, policymakers, and caregivers the means to thoroughly address the subject, and the consequences of inaction catapult researchers into a world of microbial and evolutionary surveillance of unparalleled depth. This review article discusses the historical, technical, and futurological aspects of antibiotic resistance, presenting an evidence-based collection of findings on resistance and the various mechanisms of resistance that have evolved as a result of our use and misuse of antibiotics. The social, commercial, and economic implications of antibiotic use and resistance must likewise be addressed through public health policy and the motivation of those in the fields of medicine, epidemiology, and microbiology. Alternative techniques to the use of antibiotics, including vaccine development and phage therapy, are thoroughly discussed as potential solutions to the current impasse