Epidemics and Pandemics: Their Impacts on Human History 1st Edition by Jo Hays (PDF)

Description

Great pandemics have resulted in significant death tolls and major social disruption. Other “virgin soil” epidemics have struck down large percentages of populations that had no previous contact with newly introduced microbes. Written by a specialist in the history of science and medicine, the essays in this volume discuss pandemics and epidemics affecting Europe, the Americas, Africa, and Asia, covering diseases in ancient times to the present. Each entry combines biological and social information to form a picture of the significance of epidemics that have shaped world history.The essays cover the areas of major pandemics, virgin soil epidemics, disruptive shocks, and epidemics of symbolic interest. Included are facts about what an epidemic was, where and when it occurred, how contemporaries reacted, and the unresolved historical issues remaining. This fascinating material is written at a level suitable for scholars and the general public.

User’s Reviews

Reviews from Amazon users which were colected at the time this book was published on the website:

⭐I purchased this book for a class I was taking and then I was going to turn around and sell it, but It’s a great read! Not to sound too morbid, but the Information and history of how diseases have affected the course of history and how they continue to shape our world is just amazing.

⭐This survey of every epidemic and pandemic known to mankind since the dawn of written records is an epic unto itself. Starting with the Athens epidemic in 430 BC, the author takes us on a step-by-step voyage through everything from the endemic malaria of ancient Rome to modern “mad cow” disease. The chapters are divided into seven subsections: When and Where (basic facts), Significance, Background, How it Was Understood at the Time, Responses, Unresolved Historical Issues, and Suggestions for Additional Reading. Given how exciting mass exterminations of human beings are, this book should have made for some great reading.Unfortunately, the author of this book bit off more than he could chew. Each brief chapter is a whirlwind tour of a disease shoved into a historical description that is too general to be enlightening. Moreover, because Hays is a historian rather than a medical researcher, the truly fascinating details of the diseases themselves are lacking. To make matters worse, Hays writes in a high school textbook style that is completely devoid of meaningful interpretation, theoretical framework, or even a sense of genuine interest. As a consequence, Epidemics and Pandemics literally put me to sleep. (And I thought nobody could make the Black Death seem dull.)Most good books written about epidemics are written by epidemiologists, but, believe it or not, some of the best books on this topic are fiction. The Doomsday Book, by Connie Willis, is science fiction, but it is the best description of the Black Death I have ever read. If you want to really understand the impact of an epidemic, read historical fiction.

⭐Scary book because it’s real.

⭐College-level collections strong in health references will find a powerful, lasting volume in EPIDEMICS AND PANDEMICS: THEIR IMPACTS ON HUMAN HISTORY: it takes an era-by-era historical approach to plagues from 430B.C.E. to modern times, covering events around the world from Japan and Medieval Europe to Iceland and the U.S., adds chapters on contemporary concerns, and reviews events, medical responses, unresolved historical issues, and further references for more research. Add black and white vintage illustrations and you have a powerful yet easily accessed health history reference.

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