What do you think?
Rate this book
Blood: An Epic History of Medicine and Commerce
Essence and emblem of life--feared, revered, mythologized, and used in magic and medicine from earliest times--human blood is now the center of a huge, secretive, and often dangerous worldwide commerce. It is a commerce whose impact upon humanity rivals that of any other business--millions of lives have been saved by blood and its various derivatives, and tens of thousands of lives have been lost. Douglas Starr tells how this came to be, in a sweeping history that ranges through the centuries.
With the dawn of science, blood came to be seen as a component of human anatomy, capable of being isolated, studied, used. Starr describes the first documented In the seventeenth century, one of Louis XIV's court physicians transfers the blood of a calf into a madman to "cure" him. At the turn of the twentieth century a young researcher in Vienna identifies the basic blood groups, taking the first step toward successful transfusion. Then a New York doctor finds a way to stop blood from clotting, thereby making all transfusion possible.
In the 1930s, a Russian physician, in grisly improvisation, successfully uses cadaver blood to help living patients--and realizes that blood can be stored. The first blood bank is soon operating in Chicago.
During World War II, researchers, driven by battlefield needs, break down blood into usable components that are more easily stored and transported. This "fractionation" process--accomplished by a Harvard team--produces a host of pharmaceuticals, setting the stage for the global marketplace to come. Plasma, precisely because it can be made into long-lasting drugs, is shipped and traded for profit; today it is a $5 billion business.
The author recounts the tragic spread of AIDS through the distribution of contaminated blood products, and describes why and how related scandals have erupted around the world. Finally, he looks at the latest attempts to make artificial blood.
Douglas Starr has written a groundbreaking book that tackles a subject of universal and urgent importance and explores the perils and promises that lie ahead.
With the dawn of science, blood came to be seen as a component of human anatomy, capable of being isolated, studied, used. Starr describes the first documented In the seventeenth century, one of Louis XIV's court physicians transfers the blood of a calf into a madman to "cure" him. At the turn of the twentieth century a young researcher in Vienna identifies the basic blood groups, taking the first step toward successful transfusion. Then a New York doctor finds a way to stop blood from clotting, thereby making all transfusion possible.
In the 1930s, a Russian physician, in grisly improvisation, successfully uses cadaver blood to help living patients--and realizes that blood can be stored. The first blood bank is soon operating in Chicago.
During World War II, researchers, driven by battlefield needs, break down blood into usable components that are more easily stored and transported. This "fractionation" process--accomplished by a Harvard team--produces a host of pharmaceuticals, setting the stage for the global marketplace to come. Plasma, precisely because it can be made into long-lasting drugs, is shipped and traded for profit; today it is a $5 billion business.
The author recounts the tragic spread of AIDS through the distribution of contaminated blood products, and describes why and how related scandals have erupted around the world. Finally, he looks at the latest attempts to make artificial blood.
Douglas Starr has written a groundbreaking book that tackles a subject of universal and urgent importance and explores the perils and promises that lie ahead.
464 pages, Hardcover
First published September 22, 1998
80 people are currently reading
4549 people want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 69 reviews
October 17, 2021
I gave it 5 stars because I was totally engrossed in this history of blood, it's mythology, uses, discoveries and the commercialization. Published in 1998, so any advances or issues since then are of course not covered, but there is plenty to be fascinated or repelled by. Most of the discoveries about the composition of blood and the innovations that led to the relatively safe transfusion of blood and its components occurred in the 19th & 20th C , and that is what the bulk of the book discusses. It praises & credits when it's due but also exposes the underbelly of the "blood-services complex" The arrogance, pride, greed and or denial of emerging problems with the blood supply will make you see red- no pun intended. We continue to not learn from our previous mistakes.
As history unfolded within the pages, it jarred memories of my own early days in nursing with glass bottles and WWII era army green cans of Albumin!
As history unfolded within the pages, it jarred memories of my own early days in nursing with glass bottles and WWII era army green cans of Albumin!
September 7, 2011
What began as a piece of research for work, became a riveting study of one the most critical pieces of humanity: human blood. Starr’s book is a stunning look at superstitions, medicine, war, invention, illness, politics, money, greed, defeat, humility and change. The gripping tale had me hooked from chapter one and took me through a long and twisted history of the human race.
Starr breaks the book into three main areas: Blood Magic, Blood Wars and Blood Money. In each area he focuses on not just the uses of blood, but the overall perception of the product or gift, the underlying implications for its presence in our bodies and in medicine, our understanding and misunderstanding of its properties and how it helped shape the particular period of history being discussed.
Blood Magic goes back to the beginning of when we first see or hear of blood being used, primarily through the use of blood letting to relieve a variety of illnesses.
Doctors bled patients for every ailment imaginable. They bled for pneumonia, fevers, and back pain; for diseases of the liver and spleen; for rheumatism; for a nonspecific ailment known as ‘going into a decline’; for headaches and melancholia, hypertension and apoplexy. They bled to heal bone fractures, to stop other wounds from bleeding and simply to maintain a bodily tone.
(pg. 17)
Starr tells us how George Washington, suffering from what doctors now consider strep throat, instructed his doctors to bleed him to relive the pain and constriction. As part of his treatment, over the course of 13 hours, 7.5 pints of blood was let from his body (consider that most adults have 10-12 pints total in the body). This led to preterminal anemia, hypovolemia and hypotension. Washington (68) died the same day. Starr further discusses the transition of viewing blood as one of the four “humors” in our body carrying mystical powers, to a key component running throughout our body and being highly involved in our coronary, systemic, pulmonary and renal circulation systems. The concept and practice of transfusion became more common though blood typing had not yet taken place, which led to numerous deaths and complications.
Blood Wars talks about how blood was a key component in WWI and WWII and theorizes (very successfully) how the availability of blood and plasma helped the Allies win WWII. Starr discusses the rapid growth and understanding of blood during this period of time including the discovery of blood types (A, B, O), the discovery of the process of fractionation and being able to use the different components of blood (red blood cells, white blood cells, platelets and plasma) in a variety of applications and the discovery and use of citrate and other anticoagulants to store blood longer.
Lastly, Blood Money talks about the evolution of the Red Cross, independent non-profit blood banks affiliated with the American Association of Blood Banks (AABB), of which my current employer is associated, and for-profit blood banks and plasma centers. Starr talks about the evolution of illnesses like Hepatitis and eventually AIDS and the failings of the industry and countless governments to protect the blood and plasma supply and how we senselessly infected thousands of hemophiliacs and ordinary citizens through unsafe supply and transfusion procedures. He talks in detail about many of the profit plasma centers created in impoverished sections of cities where the poor and unhealthy are exploited for a few dollars a pint, while the plasma center turns a profit of many times over what they paid the donor. Only since the late 90s has sufficient, consistent testing been run on this product to ensure its safety for the general population.
The book was eye-opening, educational and often times heart rending. I’ve been so ignorant regarding much of our history related to blood and the tragic epidemic of AIDS that is stampeding mercilessly throughout our world. This book helped give me a microscopic, scientific, but human glance into the larger picture and to understand different angles of this multi-dimensional topic. I highly recommend this book to anyone who wants to read a fascinating tale of our history. I hope to one day make this required reading for my kids (*a few curse words are used in the stories told of a couple of the AIDS victims who were unwittingly transfused with the virus either through blood transfusion or through the injection of Factor VIII for treatment of hemophilia). I’ll leave you with a couple of the critics’ comments of this book.
“Starr’s lively history…courses with greed, altruism, and woozily vivid details.” Entertainment Weekly
“Meticulously researched, elegantly told.” Newsday
“Starr writes like a wildly enthusiastic high school biology teacher who arrives each day bristling with excitement, leaping about before the chalkboard, cracking jokes, and zealously banging his fist on his desk. Even the most indifferent brats pay attention, and so too will readers. …Starr has created what amounts to a history of the human race perceived through the filter of blood as a medical product.” Village Voice Literary Supplement
“A vivid account.” The Economist
“Blood should be included in all first- and second-year medical curricula.” Scientific American
“This is first-class science writing, with a striking message.” Publishers Weekly
Starr breaks the book into three main areas: Blood Magic, Blood Wars and Blood Money. In each area he focuses on not just the uses of blood, but the overall perception of the product or gift, the underlying implications for its presence in our bodies and in medicine, our understanding and misunderstanding of its properties and how it helped shape the particular period of history being discussed.
Blood Magic goes back to the beginning of when we first see or hear of blood being used, primarily through the use of blood letting to relieve a variety of illnesses.
Doctors bled patients for every ailment imaginable. They bled for pneumonia, fevers, and back pain; for diseases of the liver and spleen; for rheumatism; for a nonspecific ailment known as ‘going into a decline’; for headaches and melancholia, hypertension and apoplexy. They bled to heal bone fractures, to stop other wounds from bleeding and simply to maintain a bodily tone.
(pg. 17)
Starr tells us how George Washington, suffering from what doctors now consider strep throat, instructed his doctors to bleed him to relive the pain and constriction. As part of his treatment, over the course of 13 hours, 7.5 pints of blood was let from his body (consider that most adults have 10-12 pints total in the body). This led to preterminal anemia, hypovolemia and hypotension. Washington (68) died the same day. Starr further discusses the transition of viewing blood as one of the four “humors” in our body carrying mystical powers, to a key component running throughout our body and being highly involved in our coronary, systemic, pulmonary and renal circulation systems. The concept and practice of transfusion became more common though blood typing had not yet taken place, which led to numerous deaths and complications.
Blood Wars talks about how blood was a key component in WWI and WWII and theorizes (very successfully) how the availability of blood and plasma helped the Allies win WWII. Starr discusses the rapid growth and understanding of blood during this period of time including the discovery of blood types (A, B, O), the discovery of the process of fractionation and being able to use the different components of blood (red blood cells, white blood cells, platelets and plasma) in a variety of applications and the discovery and use of citrate and other anticoagulants to store blood longer.
Lastly, Blood Money talks about the evolution of the Red Cross, independent non-profit blood banks affiliated with the American Association of Blood Banks (AABB), of which my current employer is associated, and for-profit blood banks and plasma centers. Starr talks about the evolution of illnesses like Hepatitis and eventually AIDS and the failings of the industry and countless governments to protect the blood and plasma supply and how we senselessly infected thousands of hemophiliacs and ordinary citizens through unsafe supply and transfusion procedures. He talks in detail about many of the profit plasma centers created in impoverished sections of cities where the poor and unhealthy are exploited for a few dollars a pint, while the plasma center turns a profit of many times over what they paid the donor. Only since the late 90s has sufficient, consistent testing been run on this product to ensure its safety for the general population.
The book was eye-opening, educational and often times heart rending. I’ve been so ignorant regarding much of our history related to blood and the tragic epidemic of AIDS that is stampeding mercilessly throughout our world. This book helped give me a microscopic, scientific, but human glance into the larger picture and to understand different angles of this multi-dimensional topic. I highly recommend this book to anyone who wants to read a fascinating tale of our history. I hope to one day make this required reading for my kids (*a few curse words are used in the stories told of a couple of the AIDS victims who were unwittingly transfused with the virus either through blood transfusion or through the injection of Factor VIII for treatment of hemophilia). I’ll leave you with a couple of the critics’ comments of this book.
“Starr’s lively history…courses with greed, altruism, and woozily vivid details.” Entertainment Weekly
“Meticulously researched, elegantly told.” Newsday
“Starr writes like a wildly enthusiastic high school biology teacher who arrives each day bristling with excitement, leaping about before the chalkboard, cracking jokes, and zealously banging his fist on his desk. Even the most indifferent brats pay attention, and so too will readers. …Starr has created what amounts to a history of the human race perceived through the filter of blood as a medical product.” Village Voice Literary Supplement
“A vivid account.” The Economist
“Blood should be included in all first- and second-year medical curricula.” Scientific American
“This is first-class science writing, with a striking message.” Publishers Weekly
August 28, 2011
I have been putting off writing this review for almost a month, but I recently gave blood for the first time since reading it, and doing so just reaffirmed how great this book was.
Blood is divided up into three parts. The first discusses the mysticism surrounding blood, particularly in the Middle Ages. It discusses the history of blood-letting and the beginning of transfusions, including those from animal-to-human and human-to-human. This section was interesting, but standard fare.
The second section was some of the most fascinating, gripping non-fiction I have ever read. It detailed rise of the blood industry during the two world wars, from the use of plasma on beaches in the Pacific to Dr. Janet Vaughan's creation of blood banks in England before the Blitz. I had never heard of most of the people or stories that this section discussed, but they came across as the absolute best humanity had to offer. The bravery involved in driving through a pitch-black London in the middle of a German bombing to deliver blood to hospitals is staggering, as is that of Dr. Frederico Duran-Jorda, who transported blood to hospitals in the midst of fighting on the front-lines of the Spanish Civil War. All of it was just incredible. The explanation of the science and medical research behind it all was also extremely accessible and well written. Bottom line, my main thought on finishing this section of the book was that there needed to be a movie made about it, stat.
The last part of the book detailed the rise of the blood services complex and how its practices in the late 20th century ultimately led to an AIDS-tainted blood supply that infected thousands of hemophiliacs and others who required blood transfusions. While the previous section showed some of humanity's best, this one showed some of its worst. I felt sick to my stomach while reading most of this section, as I learned about the greed and willful ignorance that led to countless patient deaths from contact with tainted blood. Over 75% of the world's hemophiliacs died from AIDS due to contaminated clotting factors. The numbers are staggering and almost incomprehensible. Additionally, I also found fascinating the discussion of different nations' varying attitudes toward blood and how this attitude affected its handling of the AIDS crisis. It also gave me a new understanding and appreciation of the current screening procedures that are now in place when one goes to donate blood.
I have thought about this book almost daily since I read it. An incredibly eye-opening read.
Blood is divided up into three parts. The first discusses the mysticism surrounding blood, particularly in the Middle Ages. It discusses the history of blood-letting and the beginning of transfusions, including those from animal-to-human and human-to-human. This section was interesting, but standard fare.
The second section was some of the most fascinating, gripping non-fiction I have ever read. It detailed rise of the blood industry during the two world wars, from the use of plasma on beaches in the Pacific to Dr. Janet Vaughan's creation of blood banks in England before the Blitz. I had never heard of most of the people or stories that this section discussed, but they came across as the absolute best humanity had to offer. The bravery involved in driving through a pitch-black London in the middle of a German bombing to deliver blood to hospitals is staggering, as is that of Dr. Frederico Duran-Jorda, who transported blood to hospitals in the midst of fighting on the front-lines of the Spanish Civil War. All of it was just incredible. The explanation of the science and medical research behind it all was also extremely accessible and well written. Bottom line, my main thought on finishing this section of the book was that there needed to be a movie made about it, stat.
The last part of the book detailed the rise of the blood services complex and how its practices in the late 20th century ultimately led to an AIDS-tainted blood supply that infected thousands of hemophiliacs and others who required blood transfusions. While the previous section showed some of humanity's best, this one showed some of its worst. I felt sick to my stomach while reading most of this section, as I learned about the greed and willful ignorance that led to countless patient deaths from contact with tainted blood. Over 75% of the world's hemophiliacs died from AIDS due to contaminated clotting factors. The numbers are staggering and almost incomprehensible. Additionally, I also found fascinating the discussion of different nations' varying attitudes toward blood and how this attitude affected its handling of the AIDS crisis. It also gave me a new understanding and appreciation of the current screening procedures that are now in place when one goes to donate blood.
I have thought about this book almost daily since I read it. An incredibly eye-opening read.
January 18, 2013
As a veterinary clinical pathology resident (aka, "blood nerd"), I found this book fascinating. The first section, which discusses the history of blood and how it evolved to be used in medicine, gave me great insight and appreciation for those pioneers, despite how sometimes disturbing their experiments were. Learning how transfusion evolved, how blood groups and cross-matching developed, and how they learned about the various components of blood was incredible to learn. Although it's difficult to imagine a time without transfusion medicine and fractionation, it's amazing to note that these are relatively recent developments. The book then continues into blood's role in WWII, and the differences between the Allies and the Nazis and their use of blood and blood products. The second section of the book focuses on how blood banking developed, primarily in the United States; I will say this section did drag for me, as it involved a lot of politics and infighting, but it also laid the groundwork for the horrific Hepatitis B/C and HIV/AIDS epidemics that broke in the 1970's and 1980's and how the blood supply became contaminated. It's easy to look back now and judge a lot of these organizations made in the 1960's and 1970's, given what we know now about blood-borne diseases, but I had to remember that this was how we learned about this. The most horrific section of the book discusses these epidemics, focusing primarily on HIV - I wanted to scream at the companies and doctors and CEOs that, even once they learned that their products were the source of the infections, they buried their heads in the sand and then proceeded to continue to sell their products. Even once they were banned in the US, they then went on to sell them internationally. I recommend this book not only to fellow "blood nerds" like myself, but to anyone who complains about the "invasiveness" of the questionaire that is asked of the donor prior to blood collection. How quickly people forget.
August 23, 2013
I enjoyed Blood, and certainly have a much better understanding of the evolution of the the blood service industry.
But the book is a bit mis-leading..it seems to me the story book really want to tell is the story of the AIDS epidemic in the blood supply, and why so many people became infected after receiving blood, and blood products, well after the outbreak of the disease itself. However, the context of answering that question cannot be adequately explained without walking the reader back through our early understanding of blood. This context, though interesting, is but a lead-in to the real point of the book, and less a thorough background of 'all things blood'.
The writing itself was sometimes dry - I found myself wishing that the topic could have been written by a Malcolm Gladwell, or Bill Bryson - someone that could give it that extra signature to move the pages through.
It's a solid 2.5, but I'll grant it 3 for detail and research.
But the book is a bit mis-leading..it seems to me the story book really want to tell is the story of the AIDS epidemic in the blood supply, and why so many people became infected after receiving blood, and blood products, well after the outbreak of the disease itself. However, the context of answering that question cannot be adequately explained without walking the reader back through our early understanding of blood. This context, though interesting, is but a lead-in to the real point of the book, and less a thorough background of 'all things blood'.
The writing itself was sometimes dry - I found myself wishing that the topic could have been written by a Malcolm Gladwell, or Bill Bryson - someone that could give it that extra signature to move the pages through.
It's a solid 2.5, but I'll grant it 3 for detail and research.
December 31, 2018
So much knowledge relevant to me and my interests, but so much new information about it. Not the standard book.
November 27, 2018
(Book club selection for Fall, 2018)
February 23, 2011
Second only to water, blood is the most precious liquid on our planet. In my line of work, I am routinely splattered by it, and its presence signifies disease and infection. I am still fascinated by blood, though, as are millions of people. Blood has long been a mystery to humans and continues to intrigue and repel us, as evidenced by the endless popularity of vampire-themed books and movies and the all too real horror of the AIDS crisis.
Douglas Starr's incredible work delves into the history of blood and the doctors who worked tirelessly to demystify the misconceptions of blood and put it to good use. Well into the 1980's, though, blood continued to elude even the brightest minds. The tragedy of hemophiliacs, hepatitis and AIDS continues to scar thousands of people worldwide and proves how precious a resource blood is, and how deadly a weapon it can be.
Douglas Starr's incredible work delves into the history of blood and the doctors who worked tirelessly to demystify the misconceptions of blood and put it to good use. Well into the 1980's, though, blood continued to elude even the brightest minds. The tragedy of hemophiliacs, hepatitis and AIDS continues to scar thousands of people worldwide and proves how precious a resource blood is, and how deadly a weapon it can be.
July 5, 2007
This book chronicles the blood industry through the first transfusions leading up to the commerce of blood through donations and the Red Cross. The book details the spread of AIDS through tainted blood which pretty much wiped out the entire hemophiliac population that were dependent on these donations and the corrective actions that followed. A very interesting and informative read.
January 2, 2014
Very interesting & surprisingly "readable." I highly recommend this book for health care providers, blood product donors & recipients, & anyone interested in blood products or the blood banking industry.
June 10, 2012
THIS IS ONE OF MY ABSOLUTE FAV BOOKS EVER !!!!!!!!!!!!!
November 29, 2019
A surprising treat. I thought I knew a lot about blood, from working in the field. This book handles the science well, and is organized conveniently for the reader. The science history is not comprehensive, but the book is full of information and entertaining stories I have never heard before. I enjoyed all three sections. Some of the scandals in the third section were difficult to follow. I’m glad the author gave this story a global perspective. Its interesting to see how countries handled blood need in WWII and the AIDS crisis differently due to ideology. An important example of the power of culture on science and technology. I had no idea what the world of blood products was like before AIDS. The stories of the third world plasma collection centers were shocking. If you enjoy moral arguments, war history, science, or the law you will find something to love in this book.
“At every stage of the AIDS epidemic... the Americans acted more quickly than any others. Still, given the scope of the tragedy... one must ask whether the American blood establishment could have acted more effectively.”
What I learned: Early transfusions were attempts to change personality traits. Russians used cadaver blood effectively. Dr Kevorkian did an investigation of cadaver blood transfusions in the 1960s. Blood superstitions are all over the world. Indians would have limp arms from psychosomatic distress after giving blood. Bram Stoker was writing about cutting edge science when he included a blood transfusion scene in Dracula. So many pharmaceuticals had the potential to give baby boomers hepatitis. The French put 5% of the world’s placentas in wine presses to extract plasma. Ryan White and the Ray brothers were barred from attending school. How terrible and painful hemophilia is to the joints.
“At every stage of the AIDS epidemic... the Americans acted more quickly than any others. Still, given the scope of the tragedy... one must ask whether the American blood establishment could have acted more effectively.”
What I learned: Early transfusions were attempts to change personality traits. Russians used cadaver blood effectively. Dr Kevorkian did an investigation of cadaver blood transfusions in the 1960s. Blood superstitions are all over the world. Indians would have limp arms from psychosomatic distress after giving blood. Bram Stoker was writing about cutting edge science when he included a blood transfusion scene in Dracula. So many pharmaceuticals had the potential to give baby boomers hepatitis. The French put 5% of the world’s placentas in wine presses to extract plasma. Ryan White and the Ray brothers were barred from attending school. How terrible and painful hemophilia is to the joints.
January 25, 2020
Blood: An Epic History of Medicine and Commerce is much more narrowly focused than I expected, based on the title. In actuality, it's a history of transfusion. It's also older than I realized (published in 2000) and a little dated due to that. It's also one of the driest books I've ever managed to make myself complete. At 496 pages, it feels like a lot more. Even in the final chapter and epilogue I had trouble pushing myself through to the finish line. I stuck with it because it truly is an interesting topic, incredibly well researched, and definitely intended to be accessible, if not quite actually there.
My other biggest problem with Blood is the homophobia -- it's clearly not intentionally homophobic, but the author refers to "gays," constantly uses the term '"innocent" victims of AIDS,' and is a proponent for screening gay men out of the donor pool, even with a reliable test for AIDS, and even with the shifting demographics of who's most likely to have AIDS (which is not mentioned within the book).
On the positives, the book is well arranged around eras of blood, starting with early attempts at transfusion (terrifyingly misguided, how on earth did humanity survive to this point), cultural beliefs around blood, underlying social factors that affected later donor pools and comfort around transfusion. The second section is largely about World War II and the leaps forward made in transfusion technology around it. The third section is about the effect of AIDS on the blood industry.
It's not a book I would recommend to anyone who isn't interested in blood and the transfusion industry, but I definitely learned a lot, about blood, transfusion, and hemophilia.
My other biggest problem with Blood is the homophobia -- it's clearly not intentionally homophobic, but the author refers to "gays," constantly uses the term '"innocent" victims of AIDS,' and is a proponent for screening gay men out of the donor pool, even with a reliable test for AIDS, and even with the shifting demographics of who's most likely to have AIDS (which is not mentioned within the book).
On the positives, the book is well arranged around eras of blood, starting with early attempts at transfusion (terrifyingly misguided, how on earth did humanity survive to this point), cultural beliefs around blood, underlying social factors that affected later donor pools and comfort around transfusion. The second section is largely about World War II and the leaps forward made in transfusion technology around it. The third section is about the effect of AIDS on the blood industry.
It's not a book I would recommend to anyone who isn't interested in blood and the transfusion industry, but I definitely learned a lot, about blood, transfusion, and hemophilia.
May 8, 2018
This book was very informative and interesting but it seemed focused primarily on transfusions. While that is fascinating and it provides a nice overview of the development of this process, I wanted more. I was really invested in the early chapters where they talked about managing the physical aspects of transfusions (from better equipment to blood typing and the chemistry to store blood and keep it from clotting) and started to lose interest in the middle when it went on and on about plasma products. It picked up again at the end a bit more (and all that plasma product talk became more relevent) when it went into the spread of hepatitis and AIDS.
What I would have liked to see was more about blood itself and not just its byproducts and use in transfusions, but information about how it became so widely used to test so many things in the body and when they started using these tests, how that fit in with the overall history we were being given. We're given a little info on testing related to AIDS and hepatitis but not to other diseases that can be determined by a blood test or other levels of things in the blood that can tell us about our health. Likewise we are told about the evolution of transfusion equipment but not about basic phlebotomy practices (switching from syringes to the evacuated tube system for example). I'd also like to read about the use of blood in forensics; how viable the samples they get are and how much they can learn from them. But the book focuses singularly on transfusions and blood products as if this is all we've ever done with blood, without even a passing mention to other branches of development.
What I would have liked to see was more about blood itself and not just its byproducts and use in transfusions, but information about how it became so widely used to test so many things in the body and when they started using these tests, how that fit in with the overall history we were being given. We're given a little info on testing related to AIDS and hepatitis but not to other diseases that can be determined by a blood test or other levels of things in the blood that can tell us about our health. Likewise we are told about the evolution of transfusion equipment but not about basic phlebotomy practices (switching from syringes to the evacuated tube system for example). I'd also like to read about the use of blood in forensics; how viable the samples they get are and how much they can learn from them. But the book focuses singularly on transfusions and blood products as if this is all we've ever done with blood, without even a passing mention to other branches of development.
August 21, 2025
This is fascinating but a bit dry.
Three parts - first part deals with historical use of blood in bleeding people and then the reversal of transfusing blood into people. The part about using blood from corpses into living people did give me pause - I know organ donation is the same thing, but still.
Second part deals with world war 1&2 and the logistics involved in obtaining the blood and donating it. There’s also a cultural element of being able to participate in the war from back home.
Third part (the longest) deals with the commercialisation of blood. I’ve never thought of the cost involved in getting blood ready for transfusing into other people - and the increased cost of testing (which is very important). I didn’t get the nuances on when modern doctors will eg reach for plasma vs whole blood but it’s not so important.
The last half of the third part is about various diseases - Hepatitis and AIDs. And a lot of bureaucracy / personal stakes affecting how this was dealt with.
I appreciated that the book covers Japan, Britain, France, America - not too focused on only one country. And how different cultures / mindsets affected the way blood was treated.
This definitely makes me want to donate blood though.
Three parts - first part deals with historical use of blood in bleeding people and then the reversal of transfusing blood into people. The part about using blood from corpses into living people did give me pause - I know organ donation is the same thing, but still.
Second part deals with world war 1&2 and the logistics involved in obtaining the blood and donating it. There’s also a cultural element of being able to participate in the war from back home.
Third part (the longest) deals with the commercialisation of blood. I’ve never thought of the cost involved in getting blood ready for transfusing into other people - and the increased cost of testing (which is very important). I didn’t get the nuances on when modern doctors will eg reach for plasma vs whole blood but it’s not so important.
The last half of the third part is about various diseases - Hepatitis and AIDs. And a lot of bureaucracy / personal stakes affecting how this was dealt with.
I appreciated that the book covers Japan, Britain, France, America - not too focused on only one country. And how different cultures / mindsets affected the way blood was treated.
This definitely makes me want to donate blood though.
May 10, 2017
Sure, 'Blood' is not for the squeamish as some passages can be very graphic! Plus, very detailed, it is at times quite technical from a medical perspective and, therefore, maybe a bit hard to follow.
Having said that, here's a broad and enticing book. Not only because it's a very good scientific look into an interesting topic but, also and especially, because dealing with the fascinating, curious, shocking, and at times frankly weird, history behind blood transfusions, Davis Starr offers an engaging questioning of how we deal with blood as a resource. Is it only a natural human tissue or, does its use makes it a product to be submitted to the same trade laws as any other goods? The debate, extremely relevant considering the health and safety factors attached to it (see the appalling account of how the AIDS epidemic unfolded) is haunting the whole book and yet, looking at different views in different countries (USA, Japan, France...) the answer is not as straightforward as it seems...
History, science, ethics... 'Blood' has it all and, even if daunting at times, it is an engrossing read about one of our most valuable resource. Interesting and engaging.
Having said that, here's a broad and enticing book. Not only because it's a very good scientific look into an interesting topic but, also and especially, because dealing with the fascinating, curious, shocking, and at times frankly weird, history behind blood transfusions, Davis Starr offers an engaging questioning of how we deal with blood as a resource. Is it only a natural human tissue or, does its use makes it a product to be submitted to the same trade laws as any other goods? The debate, extremely relevant considering the health and safety factors attached to it (see the appalling account of how the AIDS epidemic unfolded) is haunting the whole book and yet, looking at different views in different countries (USA, Japan, France...) the answer is not as straightforward as it seems...
History, science, ethics... 'Blood' has it all and, even if daunting at times, it is an engrossing read about one of our most valuable resource. Interesting and engaging.
June 13, 2020
This isn't a bad book, but its scope is considerably less wide than its subtitle may lead you to expect. The early chapters concentrate on the development of blood transfusions, and the attendant scientific discoveries that followed such as the discovery of blood types and so on. However, it rapidly turns into a history less of blood than of the institutions that gather, dispense and most prominently, sell it - and does so almost entirely from an American perspective. It also gives surprisingly little mention of vaccinations and their relevance to the story of blood. (Note: I read the first 300 pages before giving up on the final quarter of the book. Perhaps its discussion of AIDS is better than I give it credit for, though it would truly stun me to learn that it was less Americo-centric.)
November 21, 2023
4.5 stars. As another reviewer mentioned, it could more accurately be called a "history of transfusion", but this comment is not negative, to my mind; being a description of medicine and commerce is accurate. I found this to be a gripping, eminently readable overview of the subject, easily understandable to the lay person. Since a great deal of the discussion centers around historical prices, I wish, for clarity's sake, that the author had consistently noted what year's currency the various prices were. As this is a 1988, I think it would also be just splendid to have this updated for the 2020s. Recommended.
July 3, 2021
This is a book that is needed to be read by any health-care professional. It is a story replete with goodness....badness and sheer ugliness. Concepts of goodness...Concepts of expendabilty....Concepts of thinking out of the box.Blood..is it a product ? Is it a gift? Science..what will it do with blood ? Artificial Blood? Diseases that will be vanquished? Will the human body be changed by science?....This is a book that needs to be read. I burrowed this book from the Leominster Public Library which I am indebted to.
August 27, 2022
Split into three sections covering blood in pre-modern history, early modern discovery of blood properties, and blood in the modern era. The science parts were detailed enough to be satisfying and remained intelligible. Starr tended to leave the decision makers’ reasoning and responsibilities unexamined and the victims’ concerns overlooked, but I’m weird like that. Broadly speaking, a good and highly informative book that I enjoyed reading. I would recommend to a nerdy friend.
August 2, 2024
It isn't every day that a scientific/historical treatise can leave you in tears with its conclusion. Well-researched and entertaining, if long-winded at times. Even though I read this book 26 years after its release (an eternity in the field of medical research), it was amazingly informative and covered many themes still relevant in today's world of pandemics and questionable dealings by biopharmaceutical companies.
September 20, 2017
Exactly what I was looking for!!! Working for Canadian Blood Services, I have been curious about the history of blood collection and transfusion. This book is well researched and written and gave me an insight into how and why we do the things we do to collect blood. Invaluable resource!!
June 23, 2018
I didn't expect it to be such a page turner. An interesting, engaging (euro-centric) history of blood transfusion. The narrative becomes progressively tragic as it approaches the modern hepatitis and AIDS epidemics, and how industry and government handled them.
January 23, 2019
A really good summary and historical perspective of blood and its products resulting in the entire commerce that controls modern day medical care and practice. Special emphasis on mistakes made along the way and potential future hazards.
March 30, 2019
An authoritative review of blood and its importance in the culture.
Along with Randy Shilts' And the Band Played On an important review of the contaminated blood enquiry.
Could have been improved by a wider review of the meaning of Blood from a religious perspective.
Along with Randy Shilts' And the Band Played On an important review of the contaminated blood enquiry.
Could have been improved by a wider review of the meaning of Blood from a religious perspective.
February 15, 2020
Eloquently written, with a wonderful balance of science and history. I couldn’t put the book down- except for in those moments where I had to process what I learned and reflect on how intricate and complicated medicine and politics can be
October 29, 2020
This was an incredibly dense overview of the history of blood. From the Middle Ages to the AIDS epidemic - especially highlighting how little to no precautions were taken when collecting blood and the denial of AIDS but it was fascinating.
October 20, 2022
A fascinating read chronicling blood from its early misunderstood days through world war breakthroughs in storage and transfusion to our modern day blood networks to synthetic breakthroughs in blood technology.
January 3, 2024
'Blood: An Epic History of Medicine and Commerce' by D. Starr - another well-written and thoroughly researched book! Interestingly and intriguingly written history of blood. Definitely adds to one's knowledge! Highly recommend!
May 12, 2018
Although now becoming dated, this book is outstanding. Great read and mostly fair to all.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 69 reviews