What do you think?
Rate this book
Murderous Contagion: A Human History of Disease
Disease is the true serial killer of human the horrors of bubonic plague, cholera, syphilis, smallpox, tuberculosis and the like have claimed more lives and caused more misery than the depredations of warfare, famine and natural disasters combined. Murderous Contagion tells the compelling and at times unbearably moving story of the devastating impact of diseases on humankind - from the Black Death of the 14th century to the Spanish flu of 1918-19 and the AIDS epidemic of the modern era. In this book Mary Dobson also relates the endeavours of physicians and scientists to understand and identify the causes of diseases and find ways of preventing them.This is a timely and revelatory work of popular history by a writer whose knowledge of, and enthusiasm for, her subject shines through her every word.
479 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 1, 2007
123 people are currently reading
880 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 39 reviews
September 1, 2020
I find learning about diseases old and new, fascinating and somewhat satisfying, and although Mary Dobson delivers, she only scratches the surface. The book tells us that this is about the story of different diseases, and although that is true, in some parts, I felt like I was knee deep in a dictionary.
Despite this, I would recommend this for anyone interested in diseases, as there are some interesting snippets of information in here, some not for the faint hearted, it would seem, but personally, I found these parts to be the best.
For me, this book made me appreciate the medicine that most of us have access to now, as opposed to many years ago, and even though it was good, it could have done with fifty pages knocked off.
Despite this, I would recommend this for anyone interested in diseases, as there are some interesting snippets of information in here, some not for the faint hearted, it would seem, but personally, I found these parts to be the best.
For me, this book made me appreciate the medicine that most of us have access to now, as opposed to many years ago, and even though it was good, it could have done with fifty pages knocked off.
June 11, 2018
I love diseases. It's a topic that fascinates me. So when I say I found this book difficult and unsatisfying to get through, you have some idea of my disappointment.
I this the crucial issue is that it is mis-pitched. Clearly Mary Dobson wants to share her passion with a general public, however rather than reading like other engaging pop-sci books (The Ghost Map, Parasite Rex, Level 4-Virus Hunters of the CDC), the disjointed style and 600 page length reads more like an encyclopedia. Like an encyclopedia, there is much repetition with each entry. However, unlike an encyclopedia which should have a level of detail, because this is all crammed into standard book dimensions, a number of things are covered frustratingly fleetingly or not at all. For example very few of the parasitic diseases are covered or even mentioned.
The disjointed feel of the book is not helped by its indecision over what the primary subject is. Is it a history of the diseases, or is it a history of humanity's experiences with disease? Some chapters flip clumsily between the two, leaving the reader feeling like you have started two stories and finished none.
The end of the book, Lifestyle Diseases, is a complete let down. Covering primarily Alzheimers, Heart Disease, and Cancer, this conclusion to the book betrays the title of "Murderous CONTAGION" and is in fact the least interesting section of the book.
Criticisms aside, some parts were genuinely interesting to read and there is a lot of information here, particularly if you have not really looked at these diseases before.
I'm conclusion, though, disappointing and a trudge to read through. Would have been better either with a larger format and more detail as an encyclopedia, or rewritten with some sense of narrative and less detail in parts.
I this the crucial issue is that it is mis-pitched. Clearly Mary Dobson wants to share her passion with a general public, however rather than reading like other engaging pop-sci books (The Ghost Map, Parasite Rex, Level 4-Virus Hunters of the CDC), the disjointed style and 600 page length reads more like an encyclopedia. Like an encyclopedia, there is much repetition with each entry. However, unlike an encyclopedia which should have a level of detail, because this is all crammed into standard book dimensions, a number of things are covered frustratingly fleetingly or not at all. For example very few of the parasitic diseases are covered or even mentioned.
The disjointed feel of the book is not helped by its indecision over what the primary subject is. Is it a history of the diseases, or is it a history of humanity's experiences with disease? Some chapters flip clumsily between the two, leaving the reader feeling like you have started two stories and finished none.
The end of the book, Lifestyle Diseases, is a complete let down. Covering primarily Alzheimers, Heart Disease, and Cancer, this conclusion to the book betrays the title of "Murderous CONTAGION" and is in fact the least interesting section of the book.
Criticisms aside, some parts were genuinely interesting to read and there is a lot of information here, particularly if you have not really looked at these diseases before.
I'm conclusion, though, disappointing and a trudge to read through. Would have been better either with a larger format and more detail as an encyclopedia, or rewritten with some sense of narrative and less detail in parts.
May 13, 2023
This popular history of human disease and cultural, scientific and social responses to it has impressive scope: reaching back into antiquity and all around the world it is a fascinating, fact-filled read. First published in 2007 and updated and revised in 2015, it is urgently in need of a further update to cover the most globally devastating new disease for decades, COVID-19. In the light of the Covid pandemic, the chapter on other coronavirus diseases of the twenty-first century (SARS and MERS) makes for particularly fascinating reading; why did they suddenly appear and then just as suddenly peter out before they could spread like Covid did?
Mary Dobson covers a lot of ground - she is particularly good on ‘Neglected Tropical Diseases’ (NTDs) - and her style, while occasionally a little flat, makes complex subjects straightforward for the general reader. I was particularly struck by the centuries-long catalogue of human ingenuity that has been the scientific and medical response to ancient and newly-emerging diseases.
Mary Dobson covers a lot of ground - she is particularly good on ‘Neglected Tropical Diseases’ (NTDs) - and her style, while occasionally a little flat, makes complex subjects straightforward for the general reader. I was particularly struck by the centuries-long catalogue of human ingenuity that has been the scientific and medical response to ancient and newly-emerging diseases.
May 4, 2019
For a book that contains the most dead people possible - outside of certain planet-killing sci-fi stories - this is a pretty optimistic read, even though you'll be quite happy you're alive today and not two generations ago. It turns out that, for the most significant diseases, we've mostly managed to deal with them, pending the anti-vaxxer Darwin-award crowd.
The book goes through some thirty of the most significant diseases that mankind faces/faced in the past. This means that you barely scratch the surface of each. For a person like me, with effectively zero knowledge about any of this it is a great opportunity to figure out whether I'd like reading about this topic without too much involvement. Even though lacking the details, the book does a good job of providing a further reading recommendations, so you can go right ahead and get more if you like it.
Murderous Contagion will make you the life of any party with fun facts about hemorrhaging fevers, immunity deficiencies and other crippling conditions - and that's the dream!
The book goes through some thirty of the most significant diseases that mankind faces/faced in the past. This means that you barely scratch the surface of each. For a person like me, with effectively zero knowledge about any of this it is a great opportunity to figure out whether I'd like reading about this topic without too much involvement. Even though lacking the details, the book does a good job of providing a further reading recommendations, so you can go right ahead and get more if you like it.
Murderous Contagion will make you the life of any party with fun facts about hemorrhaging fevers, immunity deficiencies and other crippling conditions - and that's the dream!
February 16, 2021
Interesting
Covers a wide range of diseases and it was interesting to read how they were dealt with. The Coronavirus was talked about in relation to Sers and Mers as of course Covid 19 wasn't about when the book was written.
Covers a wide range of diseases and it was interesting to read how they were dealt with. The Coronavirus was talked about in relation to Sers and Mers as of course Covid 19 wasn't about when the book was written.
May 1, 2022
Very interesting but at times the sentence structure made it hard to understand. Reading the SARS/influenza chapters during year 2 of Covid 19 was haunting and felt incredibly strange!
January 9, 2021
4 stars - very accessible and informative but a little dry
Murderous Contagion by Mary Dobson could maybe be described as a cultural history of the most impactful diseases and conditions humanity has struggled with.
It is organised in 4 main parts dedicated to deseases caused by bacteria, viruses, parasites and other. She then goes on to dedicate one chapter to each desease, where we are given a summary of the impact of that disease from the past to the present, and the history of researching that disease and finding cures or other ways to fight it, for example vaccines. Often it is a story of triumph but also of setbacks, persistence, dangerous (self-)experiments and creative cures (ranging from hilarious to what-the-heck-were-they-thinking?).
Sadly, all too often a chapter on a particular disease will include a phrase like "while this is not really a problem in the industrialized world any longer, it still kills and debilitates people in the poorer countries of the world, especially sub-saharan Africa where people do not have access to proper medical care." This goes to show that all is not well in the world despite the modern times we are living in and that we cannot just forget about terrible diseases because we don't suffer from them any longer.
The book ends with a very extended list of recommended reading for those interested in further details, as it is quite clear that this book cannot be more than an overview. It is very informative but also by nature a bit repetitive - each chapter tends to follow the same structure in reviewing a desease.
Also, while Mary Dobson has done a great job in making all of that knowledge very accessible (you really do not need any medical knowledge going into the book), being particularly entertaining is maybe not quite her forte. Which is fine, this is not a "fun" topic after all. This is not to say that this book was tedious at all - just a bit dry.
For me it worked best to read a sub-chapter or two at a time here and there and I can definitely recommend this to anyone who would like to know more about all the health problems we luckily do not have to struggle with any longer (for the most part).
Murderous Contagion by Mary Dobson could maybe be described as a cultural history of the most impactful diseases and conditions humanity has struggled with.
It is organised in 4 main parts dedicated to deseases caused by bacteria, viruses, parasites and other. She then goes on to dedicate one chapter to each desease, where we are given a summary of the impact of that disease from the past to the present, and the history of researching that disease and finding cures or other ways to fight it, for example vaccines. Often it is a story of triumph but also of setbacks, persistence, dangerous (self-)experiments and creative cures (ranging from hilarious to what-the-heck-were-they-thinking?).
Sadly, all too often a chapter on a particular disease will include a phrase like "while this is not really a problem in the industrialized world any longer, it still kills and debilitates people in the poorer countries of the world, especially sub-saharan Africa where people do not have access to proper medical care." This goes to show that all is not well in the world despite the modern times we are living in and that we cannot just forget about terrible diseases because we don't suffer from them any longer.
The book ends with a very extended list of recommended reading for those interested in further details, as it is quite clear that this book cannot be more than an overview. It is very informative but also by nature a bit repetitive - each chapter tends to follow the same structure in reviewing a desease.
Also, while Mary Dobson has done a great job in making all of that knowledge very accessible (you really do not need any medical knowledge going into the book), being particularly entertaining is maybe not quite her forte. Which is fine, this is not a "fun" topic after all. This is not to say that this book was tedious at all - just a bit dry.
For me it worked best to read a sub-chapter or two at a time here and there and I can definitely recommend this to anyone who would like to know more about all the health problems we luckily do not have to struggle with any longer (for the most part).
October 5, 2021
Meet the big dangerous diseases, aka the book I started reading April 2020 and then stopped reading cos honestly who needed more illness talk in April 2020? And that was only a couple of chapters into the bacterial diseases section, I hadn't even reached the virus section where a chapter on SARS/MERS dates this tome very much in 2016, complete with the paragraph expressing optimism that the SARS and MERS outbreaks might mean the world is better equipped to spot and contain novel respiratory illnesses in future.
[insert bitter lol here]
The book is a big one. Four sections, one each on viral, bacterial, parasitic and other illnesses. The size and structure slightly undermine the content at times. Maybe this is my own fault for plowing through the book as I normally do, rather than picking out a chapter at a time to read slowly.
There is a lot of repetition in here, probably because the history of diseases, at least at an overview level like in this book, is kinda similar each time. Ancient accounts of what might be this illness. Clearer identification in c16th-c19th Europe. The actual virus/bacteria/parasite seen in a microscope. The cure/vaccine is developed some time between 1830 and 1995 and then rolled out to developed countries. The disease is now a vexation in Dublin and a killer in Durban. The human history of disease is the history of the West conquering diseases and then not doing enough to save the billions of poor worldwide from these killers. It has the same cumulative power of horrifying/numbing impact as Bury My Heart At Wounded Knee deployed in its catalogue of atrocities against Native Americans.
There's a lot of interesting stuff in here, but there's also a lot generally. My advice is dip into it, a chapter or two a week, or don't be surprised if you run out of steam before the final section on cancer, heart disease and prion disease/dementia which isn't quite as gripping a read as the earlier sections.
Oh and see if you can persuade your local politicians to go give a shit about medical access in regions affected by poverty.
[insert bitter lol here]
The book is a big one. Four sections, one each on viral, bacterial, parasitic and other illnesses. The size and structure slightly undermine the content at times. Maybe this is my own fault for plowing through the book as I normally do, rather than picking out a chapter at a time to read slowly.
There is a lot of repetition in here, probably because the history of diseases, at least at an overview level like in this book, is kinda similar each time. Ancient accounts of what might be this illness. Clearer identification in c16th-c19th Europe. The actual virus/bacteria/parasite seen in a microscope. The cure/vaccine is developed some time between 1830 and 1995 and then rolled out to developed countries. The disease is now a vexation in Dublin and a killer in Durban. The human history of disease is the history of the West conquering diseases and then not doing enough to save the billions of poor worldwide from these killers. It has the same cumulative power of horrifying/numbing impact as Bury My Heart At Wounded Knee deployed in its catalogue of atrocities against Native Americans.
There's a lot of interesting stuff in here, but there's also a lot generally. My advice is dip into it, a chapter or two a week, or don't be surprised if you run out of steam before the final section on cancer, heart disease and prion disease/dementia which isn't quite as gripping a read as the earlier sections.
Oh and see if you can persuade your local politicians to go give a shit about medical access in regions affected by poverty.
January 11, 2022
Very interesting - covers a host of different diseases, including NCDs like cancer and heart disease at the end. I ended up taking ages to read it (over a year!) because I got to the flu chapter and had to take a break - there's a whole chapter, too, on SARS/MERS/bird flu etc. that it would be especially interesting to see an update for, not that we can expect anything definitive on the current situation for at least a few years, if not a decade or more.
And, again, highlighted as ever is the disparity in economics: countries with greater incidences of poverty may generally not be equipped to deal with the chronic diseases they may now face; it is still difficult for poorer people to access healthcare in most parts of the world; we are living in a time when we should be able to help most people, most of the time, and yet we are unable to. Doesn't necessarily come up in the book (it doesn't NOT come up, especially when Dobson is talking about tropical diseases and those that are underfunded) but it's hard not to think about.
Look out for a few typos, but otherwise it's fairly well-written as well.
And, again, highlighted as ever is the disparity in economics: countries with greater incidences of poverty may generally not be equipped to deal with the chronic diseases they may now face; it is still difficult for poorer people to access healthcare in most parts of the world; we are living in a time when we should be able to help most people, most of the time, and yet we are unable to. Doesn't necessarily come up in the book (it doesn't NOT come up, especially when Dobson is talking about tropical diseases and those that are underfunded) but it's hard not to think about.
Look out for a few typos, but otherwise it's fairly well-written as well.
October 6, 2018
Definitely worth reading, however falls uneasily between being the story of disease (which the blurb claims it is) and a reference guide, which results in a some very "chewy" parts which require pushing through to complete. In particular the chapters on Parasitic diseases could be collapsed down in something shorter, less repetitive and as a result more palatable.
Despite this obstacle, I feel everyone should read this book as it makes you appreciate living in the 21st Century in a country where we have modern medicine, and also the epic and often touching stories of bravery and determination across the centuries that have provided cures and treatments for terrible diseases (such as Jenner's conviction in vaccinating his own family and Pasteur's clever guess as to how to cure Rabies in humans).
Recommended, but could do with being a third shorter.
Despite this obstacle, I feel everyone should read this book as it makes you appreciate living in the 21st Century in a country where we have modern medicine, and also the epic and often touching stories of bravery and determination across the centuries that have provided cures and treatments for terrible diseases (such as Jenner's conviction in vaccinating his own family and Pasteur's clever guess as to how to cure Rabies in humans).
Recommended, but could do with being a third shorter.
February 6, 2019
By rights I shouldn’t give this five stars, as there were some sections that I did find a little repetitive. Many of the diseases primarily affecting developing nations seem to have similar patterns of cure development and research investment etc., so there were some chapters where the later sub-titled sections were very similar to what had gone before.
BUT I found the read as a whole absolutely fascinating, and I was left with no feelings of disappointment at the end. I found the lifestyle disease chapters really interesting, personally. There were lots of snippets of information (some might say trivia) that were very interesting, throughout the book.
BUT I found the read as a whole absolutely fascinating, and I was left with no feelings of disappointment at the end. I found the lifestyle disease chapters really interesting, personally. There were lots of snippets of information (some might say trivia) that were very interesting, throughout the book.
April 25, 2025
It’s not a perfect 5 star, more of 4.7 rounded up.
I found the book super interesting, sometimes entertaining and, definitely, incredibly informative. I think this is a great introduction to a host of different deceases and history of medicine. I thought the author really brought history to life with stories and the quotes.
Now, that said, it’s not a perfect book. The last two chapters on cancer and heart disease are just too superfluous to be of real interest and the whole section on parasitic deceases is very repetitive and hard to digest. (Plus there are some actual repetitions in the book, maybe not as noticeable if one read over a stretched period or time).
I found the book super interesting, sometimes entertaining and, definitely, incredibly informative. I think this is a great introduction to a host of different deceases and history of medicine. I thought the author really brought history to life with stories and the quotes.
Now, that said, it’s not a perfect book. The last two chapters on cancer and heart disease are just too superfluous to be of real interest and the whole section on parasitic deceases is very repetitive and hard to digest. (Plus there are some actual repetitions in the book, maybe not as noticeable if one read over a stretched period or time).
January 8, 2021
Took forever to read this, it was far too long and like wading through treacle. And for the love of all things sainted, stop listing birth/death dates after every name you mention. If you’re talking about a disease in the 1840s it’s a reasonably assumption that anyone working on it was born early 1800s. Better to have a list of names/dates at the back of the book or let the truly curious look it up elsewhere. It kept distracting me. Lots of repetition between chapters, sometimes waffling on unnecessarily. I like the history of medicine but this was a real slog.
July 20, 2024
I found this book fascinating. Diseases and absurd treatments is one of my special interests, and I really couldn’t put this book down. It is a long book, but split into easy-to-read chapters.
Especially now, post-Covid 19, to look back at all of the ways proposed to prevent future catastrophic pandemics, it really makes you wonder why they were either unsuccessful or were not implemented despite all of the warnings throughout history.
I would really love to hear Mary Dobson’s thoughts on what she has written ten years on.
Especially now, post-Covid 19, to look back at all of the ways proposed to prevent future catastrophic pandemics, it really makes you wonder why they were either unsuccessful or were not implemented despite all of the warnings throughout history.
I would really love to hear Mary Dobson’s thoughts on what she has written ten years on.
January 15, 2021
The one thing this book taught me conclusively as I read it in a pandemic is that there's nothing new under the sun. Diseases, including viruses, are very good at what they do, spreading and mutating. Human responses include bewilderment, panic, strictures. The book was written before our outbreak but clearly foreshadows it as inevitable; if there is consolation it is that many horrifying diseases have been conquered.
June 5, 2018
This got off to a good start (Plague!) but as I got into the book, it all became a bit 'samey'. Without wanting to spoil it, most disease could be impacted by improved hygiene and sanitation and a decrease in poverty - who'd of thought!
I gave up about half way. It was interesting, but not presented in an engaging enough way to really make me want to get through all the worm related illnesses!
I gave up about half way. It was interesting, but not presented in an engaging enough way to really make me want to get through all the worm related illnesses!
July 28, 2020
Not for the squeamish!
Good explanation of diseases and viruses throughout history up to 2014. Good descriptions of the many diseases and how they affect the human body. The book also goes into the various treatments and vaccines for each one. Good easy read doesn't get too technical.
Good explanation of diseases and viruses throughout history up to 2014. Good descriptions of the many diseases and how they affect the human body. The book also goes into the various treatments and vaccines for each one. Good easy read doesn't get too technical.
February 18, 2022
Really interesting overview of a number of diseases both historic and current. Briefly covering the science and research behind them as well as causes and treatment that currently exists. If you have an interest in disease (or pandemics) this is worth a read especially for the recommendations of other texts which cover the history of medicine and diseases.
August 15, 2020
Four and a half stars really. There is some excellent writing mixed with some less than excellent. Especially good on the contagious diseases. Good historically anchored narrative. Prescient as to what happened with COVID 19.
July 9, 2017
3.5 stars: interesting but very voluminous. Good for people interested in the topic discussed or if you like learning a bit of everything.
June 18, 2020
Fascinating read
September 6, 2020
A fun overview. Did not quite go in-depth enough for my tastes but thankfully a very handy “Further Reading” section was included at the end.
September 22, 2020
Very dense. Bit of a slog. Good to get an overview of lots of different diseases without going deep into any particular one.
July 12, 2021
An excellent and fascinating look at the history of human diseases. Well worth the time and energy spent reading this aloud to my eldest son.
Read
April 20, 2023No rating about I read for collage as a part of my EPQ
March 18, 2024
I dunno, I just found it kind of dull 🤷🏻♀️ I think I'll stick to This Podcast Will Kill You which is essentially the same thing but 50 times more engaging.
April 6, 2024
I liked the book. The ending of each chapter gets monotonous. Literally, " we can do more to combat this disease!"
The historical context of each disease presented was very fascinating.
The historical context of each disease presented was very fascinating.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 10, 2024
An utterly fascinating dive into the world of epidemiology.
February 27, 2025
The writing style made this a very exhausting read.
September 21, 2020
Fascinating - I wonder what the author might say about COVID 19.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 39 reviews