Outbreaks and Epidemics: Battling infection from measles to coronavirus (Hot Science)

Fascinating book about the infectious pathogens that cause suffering and sometimes death to humans. The book discusses various disease pathogens including Coronavirus, Gonorrhea, Chlamydia, HIV, malaria, Hepatitis A, Hepatitis B, Cholera, Typhoid, polio, Ebola, Guinea worm, leprosy, small pox and influenza. It explains in layman’s terms concepts like outbreak, epidemic, pandemic and endemic. Discussion of “zoonotic diseases” (diseases passed from animals to humans like COVID-19 and HIV). Various time period concepts including a disease’s latent period, incubation period and infectious (or contagious) period. Concepts like incidence, prevalence and herd immunity. I felt it added insight into the current COVID-19 pandemic.

I can forgive the author for rather dry and somewhat boring writing, and I can forgive that the COVID-19 reporting was rushed to get the book out while the subject was important. The trouble I had was the automatic, politically correct assumption that 'global warming' was somehow involved in the progression of pathogens, despite the fact that it has been clearly established that the entire climate change doctrine is nothing more than a leftist scam to shove socialism down our throats. A very few reference sources were quoted over and over with a heavy reliance on the politically corrupt World Health Organization which is largely responsible for the current pandemic due to its dithering at the behest of China in the early days of disease. While I am no fan of 'vaxers' the author failed to point out that much of the anti-vaccination furor began in the 1950's when Cutter Laboratories produced several bad batches of polio vaccine that killed some 250 people and left many paralyzed for life. Also not mentioned was that malaria could have been eliminated decades ago in Africa and Asia were it not for the improper, politically-motivated banning of DDT (based largely on a fictional book) which has been since proven not to cause environmental damage. Socialism has been responsible for more deaths than all the pandemics in the past two centuries combined and the heavy socialist influence on this author and on much of academia will continue to retard our efforts to create better living conditions for people around the world.

Pages begin falling out immediately.

Great book. Really applicable to read this during the coronavirus pandemic and put this virus into perspective of all viruses. Some frightening realities, but I think it can only be a good thing we are all aware of our world in this way. Very easy to read on a topic where I have such little experience or knowledge. Thank you for writing this book.

I enjoyed this and the book passes my Beach Read Test. This is more a book for 'Joe Public' than for the ranks of 'medical professionals'. The book covers both the general aspects of the subject and goes into greater detail about a range of diseases - some familiar, like measles, and some that most of us have never heard of, like yaws. I started reading this immediately after Jim Al-Khalili's mind-stretching book on quantum biology. 'Life on the Edge'. 'Outbreaks and Epidemics' is a much easier but still very informative read. I'm now tempted to read more on the subject.

As someone who is interested in this topic I would recommend! Technical terms were explained well and I really enjoyed this book! Very topical and up to date as well.

Very informative and interesting. However, I would have liked to have full references at the end.

Its a pop science, I fount two errors of fact in it , its not useful for the scientific person because is quite basic and not systematic at all. Its a quick run through time and summary of some issues and statistics. It feels like an extract of much larger piece of research in public health issues Perhaps accumulated over time with the rushed add on on covid 19. It is perhaps good imformative read for the lay person although the statistics will make it probably dificult to read at times. As with every book there is always something to learn even if you a disapointed in the book as a whole.