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A Short History of Disease
A concise and accessible history of infectious and non-infectious diseases, complete with the most up-to-date research on 2014’s Ebola outbreak
Using an interdisciplinary approach, this survey chronicles the historical and geographical evolution of infectious and non-infectious diseases, from their prehistoric origins to the present day, offering a comprehensive, accessible guide to ailments and the medical methods used to combat them. Even before recorded history began, disease plagued human civilizations, claiming more lives than natural disasters and warfare combined. The ongoing battle with new and resurgent diseases has challenged physicians, scientists, and historians in their struggle to identify causes, antidotes, and preventative measures to combat these epidemics. Analyzing case studies including the Black Death, Spanish Flu, cholera, leprosy, syphilis, cancer, and Ebola, this book systematically maps the development of trends and the latest research on disease into a concise and enlightening timeline. Offering a fascinating and compelling insight into a popular area of social history, this easy-to-read introduction will tell you all you need to know about disease and the ongoing quest to protect human health.
Using an interdisciplinary approach, this survey chronicles the historical and geographical evolution of infectious and non-infectious diseases, from their prehistoric origins to the present day, offering a comprehensive, accessible guide to ailments and the medical methods used to combat them. Even before recorded history began, disease plagued human civilizations, claiming more lives than natural disasters and warfare combined. The ongoing battle with new and resurgent diseases has challenged physicians, scientists, and historians in their struggle to identify causes, antidotes, and preventative measures to combat these epidemics. Analyzing case studies including the Black Death, Spanish Flu, cholera, leprosy, syphilis, cancer, and Ebola, this book systematically maps the development of trends and the latest research on disease into a concise and enlightening timeline. Offering a fascinating and compelling insight into a popular area of social history, this easy-to-read introduction will tell you all you need to know about disease and the ongoing quest to protect human health.
320 pages, Paperback
First published June 26, 2015
41 people are currently reading
725 people want to read
About the author
Sean Martin
65 books36 followersAuthor of bestsellers The Knights Templar: The History & Myths of the Legendary Military Order, The Gnostics: The First Christian Heretics and The Cathars: The Rise & Fall of the Great Heresy. My new book, A Short History of Disease, will be published in June 2015.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 32 reviews
May 6, 2020
Katrs šo pandēmijas laiku pārlaiž kā nu māk. Šis nu bija mans pavadonis: vispusīgs un interesants pētījums par slimībām, epidēmijām, pandēmijām, to ietekmi uz ekonomiku, politiku un, protams, arī medicīnas attīstību.
Autors sniedz ieskatu, kā cilvēku skaita maiņas, ģeogrāfisko teritoriju apgūšana, tradīcijas, pat reliģija, politika un kari ietekmē slimību izcelšanos, izplatību un nosaka cik ātri tās tiek apkarotas.
Nedaudz skumji apzināties, ka vēsturiski bieži monetārās un poitiskās intereses tiek vērtētas augstāk, kā cilvēku veselība un dzīvības.
Te var palasīties par Seno Ēģiptiešu nedienām, sifilisu, Amerikas pamatiedzīvotāju nelaimi, lasi, Eiropiešu ierašanos, Melno nāvi, bakām, diloni, spitālību, AIDS, dejo-līdz-krīti-gar zemi-un-mirsti masu histēriju u.c. "jaukumiņiem", un to, ka vēsturiski būt par karavīru visticāmāk nozīmē nomirt no kādas lipīgas slimības, nekā no kara ievainojuma. Lai slavēta medicīna un vakcīnas, nu var karot drošāk!
Galvenais secinājums man ir, ka slimības bija, ir un būs, kamēr pastāvēs cilvēki. Pazudīs vai tiks pilnībā izskausta viena, parādīsies cita tās vietā. Šeit labi iederas manas mātes tik mīļais citāts no Raiņa: "Zārks jau nevar palikt tukšā!".
Autors sniedz ieskatu, kā cilvēku skaita maiņas, ģeogrāfisko teritoriju apgūšana, tradīcijas, pat reliģija, politika un kari ietekmē slimību izcelšanos, izplatību un nosaka cik ātri tās tiek apkarotas.
Nedaudz skumji apzināties, ka vēsturiski bieži monetārās un poitiskās intereses tiek vērtētas augstāk, kā cilvēku veselība un dzīvības.
Te var palasīties par Seno Ēģiptiešu nedienām, sifilisu, Amerikas pamatiedzīvotāju nelaimi, lasi, Eiropiešu ierašanos, Melno nāvi, bakām, diloni, spitālību, AIDS, dejo-līdz-krīti-gar zemi-un-mirsti masu histēriju u.c. "jaukumiņiem", un to, ka vēsturiski būt par karavīru visticāmāk nozīmē nomirt no kādas lipīgas slimības, nekā no kara ievainojuma. Lai slavēta medicīna un vakcīnas, nu var karot drošāk!
Galvenais secinājums man ir, ka slimības bija, ir un būs, kamēr pastāvēs cilvēki. Pazudīs vai tiks pilnībā izskausta viena, parādīsies cita tās vietā. Šeit labi iederas manas mātes tik mīļais citāts no Raiņa: "Zārks jau nevar palikt tukšā!".
May 28, 2016
This book is just ok. I found some of the history interesting because there were details about epidemics that you don't learn in history class. The section on the Bubonic plague during the Middle Ages is very enlightening. However, the book has some major flaws. 1) The entire chapter titled "Antiquity" is pure speculation. Trying to make sense of anything before written history or even early written history is ridiculous. Early written history is subject to the interpretations of the individuals who are interpreting the language into modern language. All sorts of things can go wrong there, primarily a loss of the context in which the original writer documented the event. Pre-history that was passed along as oral story telling and then eventually written down, like the Bible, is not even worth wasting time exploring yet this author expends a lot of words to try to convince you that we can determine what those plagues may have been.
In addition, as we get into the chapters "The 20th Century" and "New Diseases" there is more evidence that this author is not exploring disease with the science of it in mind. On page 206, the author actually gives credit to the hypothesis by conspiracy theorists that AIDS is the result of polio vaccine research going awry. Conspiracy theorists claim that in the early days of polio vaccine research, cells from monkeys were used, and those cells were injected into people in Africa thus causing the AIDS epidemic. The author states that "...the Oral Polio Vaccine theory, has largely been discredited," but then continues with the thought "although the earliest known cases of HIV do seem to have come from the Democratic Republic of Congo." So, he's not entirely dismissing this conspiracy theory. In the chapter "New Diseases," the author uses the phrase "Big Pharma" and spends several paragraphs how capitalism could be seen as a disease because "drug companies have orchestrated this massive upswing in drug prescribing to their advantage." There is also a hint of isolationism in the author's concluding statements, such as buying locally grown, organic food to follow the Hippocratic ideal that "food shall be our medicine." In other words, if we change the way we live, eat, and buy (eat organic, live locally instead of travelling, and buy locally) then we can prevent future diseases. Claims like these get into the logical fallacies of "Claims of Antiquity" and "The Natural Fallacy," that is, all things that we used to do in the past were "good" and all things natural are "good." Lastly, the author mentions the recent phenomenon where parents fail to vaccinate their kids because of fear of autism but he does nothing to explore that or to even mention the fact that those claims have been long discredited (the book was published in 2015).
In summary, you can learn a little bit from this book but, if you want a great read that gets into the details of an epidemic, read something like The Hot Zone instead.
In addition, as we get into the chapters "The 20th Century" and "New Diseases" there is more evidence that this author is not exploring disease with the science of it in mind. On page 206, the author actually gives credit to the hypothesis by conspiracy theorists that AIDS is the result of polio vaccine research going awry. Conspiracy theorists claim that in the early days of polio vaccine research, cells from monkeys were used, and those cells were injected into people in Africa thus causing the AIDS epidemic. The author states that "...the Oral Polio Vaccine theory, has largely been discredited," but then continues with the thought "although the earliest known cases of HIV do seem to have come from the Democratic Republic of Congo." So, he's not entirely dismissing this conspiracy theory. In the chapter "New Diseases," the author uses the phrase "Big Pharma" and spends several paragraphs how capitalism could be seen as a disease because "drug companies have orchestrated this massive upswing in drug prescribing to their advantage." There is also a hint of isolationism in the author's concluding statements, such as buying locally grown, organic food to follow the Hippocratic ideal that "food shall be our medicine." In other words, if we change the way we live, eat, and buy (eat organic, live locally instead of travelling, and buy locally) then we can prevent future diseases. Claims like these get into the logical fallacies of "Claims of Antiquity" and "The Natural Fallacy," that is, all things that we used to do in the past were "good" and all things natural are "good." Lastly, the author mentions the recent phenomenon where parents fail to vaccinate their kids because of fear of autism but he does nothing to explore that or to even mention the fact that those claims have been long discredited (the book was published in 2015).
In summary, you can learn a little bit from this book but, if you want a great read that gets into the details of an epidemic, read something like The Hot Zone instead.
January 6, 2016
Ever since finishing grad school, I've been interested in books about health and disease. That, and my career, made me interested in reviewing this book through NetGalley. I am unfamiliar with the author, who appears to have written some other histories. However, this one has a very broad scope--from paleolithic to modern times. The focus is on infectious diseases, as those have been a leading cause of death for most of humanity's existence. This breadth means that things are necessarily simplified, which is fine for the general public, but those who are more familiar with certain issues may quibble with his approach.
The book has a heavier emphasis on Europe, England, and the USA than the rest of the world, perhaps because of the availability of source material in English. However, there is coverage of events, approaches, and advances from China, Africa, and the Middle East. The thing that sticks out most to me, though,is how poorly we have behaved as a species to one another when faced with disease. Fear, blame, denial due to greed, violence, all have been too frequent responses to outbreaks of infection. The author gives enough detail to be disturbing, but not enough to make one nauseous. I was glad for the lack of images, as many would have been gruesome.
As I mentioned, the book is focused on infectious diseases. There is a short section on chronic diseases. However, their impact has been quite minor in terms of illness and death until the past 60 years or so. And, in many parts of the world, infectious disease is still the leading cause of sickness and death. However, I was surprised that illnesses such as gout were not mentioned, other than that a historical figure suffered from it. The author's conclusions, that diseases of all kinds can be reduced through sanitation, lack of crowding, good nutrition, clean air and water, etc., was interesting to me, and may be a point of disagreement for others.
Overall, I found this an accessible history that discussed the diseases that have shaped us as a species, including how we acted because of them and how they led to changes in our societies. I think this would of particular interest to those who care about population and public health, or who would like to read a different take on history. Diseases have shaped out past as much as many famous events.
Overall,
The book has a heavier emphasis on Europe, England, and the USA than the rest of the world, perhaps because of the availability of source material in English. However, there is coverage of events, approaches, and advances from China, Africa, and the Middle East. The thing that sticks out most to me, though,is how poorly we have behaved as a species to one another when faced with disease. Fear, blame, denial due to greed, violence, all have been too frequent responses to outbreaks of infection. The author gives enough detail to be disturbing, but not enough to make one nauseous. I was glad for the lack of images, as many would have been gruesome.
As I mentioned, the book is focused on infectious diseases. There is a short section on chronic diseases. However, their impact has been quite minor in terms of illness and death until the past 60 years or so. And, in many parts of the world, infectious disease is still the leading cause of sickness and death. However, I was surprised that illnesses such as gout were not mentioned, other than that a historical figure suffered from it. The author's conclusions, that diseases of all kinds can be reduced through sanitation, lack of crowding, good nutrition, clean air and water, etc., was interesting to me, and may be a point of disagreement for others.
Overall, I found this an accessible history that discussed the diseases that have shaped us as a species, including how we acted because of them and how they led to changes in our societies. I think this would of particular interest to those who care about population and public health, or who would like to read a different take on history. Diseases have shaped out past as much as many famous events.
Overall,
November 25, 2019
Decent enough synopsis of the history of mostly infectious diseases (albeit it didn’t add a whole lot to what I already knew about the history of various epidemics), but this book suffers from a series of flaws:
1. I didn’t need nor care for the simplistic ideological musings of the author mixed in with what’s supposed to be a factual account. The parts about Big Pharma pumping us with pills we don’t need, the luddite fear of globalism and technological development, and the downright hippie advice of eating organic, locally grown food and turning to ancient texts to find cures for new epidemics made me cringe.
2. Sean Martin doesn’t have a background in medicine and it sometimes shows. Neither, I suspect, is he a trained historian.
3. The writing isn’t great. It reads a bit like an amateurish textbook, and whenever Martin alludes to his own views it’s like nails on a chalkboard.
I’m certain there are better books out there about this topic, and I only bought this one because I found it in a local library that sells discount books and thought I might give it a shot. I would have been a bit salty if I’d spent more money on it.
1. I didn’t need nor care for the simplistic ideological musings of the author mixed in with what’s supposed to be a factual account. The parts about Big Pharma pumping us with pills we don’t need, the luddite fear of globalism and technological development, and the downright hippie advice of eating organic, locally grown food and turning to ancient texts to find cures for new epidemics made me cringe.
2. Sean Martin doesn’t have a background in medicine and it sometimes shows. Neither, I suspect, is he a trained historian.
3. The writing isn’t great. It reads a bit like an amateurish textbook, and whenever Martin alludes to his own views it’s like nails on a chalkboard.
I’m certain there are better books out there about this topic, and I only bought this one because I found it in a local library that sells discount books and thought I might give it a shot. I would have been a bit salty if I’d spent more money on it.
October 12, 2020
miałam na magisterce wykłady z wirusologii, na których profesor opowiadał nam o części z opisywanych epidemii, ale mimo tego książka mnie niesamowicie wciągnęła i świetnie mi się ją czytało. bardzo doceniam systemowe podejście autora do tematu i pisanie o społecznych i politycznych przyczynach różnych zjawisk, które doprowadziły do rozprzestrzeniania się chorób. mam wrażenie, że takiego podejścia brakuje w analizie aktualnej pandemii i mało kto łączy ze sobą późny kapitalizm, wynikające z niego powrót tendencji faszystowskich i katastrofę klimatyczną z wybuchem i rozprzestrzenianieniem się covidu.
July 28, 2015
This is a wonderful primer on disease whether or not you have any medical background. Well written, everything is clearly and simply explained. The book does a great job of taking you through the history of disease and man's experience with it.
I received this book for free as part of an early reads program but the opinions expressed are solely my own.
I received this book for free as part of an early reads program but the opinions expressed are solely my own.
June 22, 2017
Great introduction and interesting revelations on diseases (origins, names, mutations), but some biases.
February 11, 2017
After reading David Quammen's Spillover, I read this in an attempt to broaden my understanding of diseases in general, which it did and more! It was immensely readable, and covers the side of disease I am most interested in, namely the social history of disease and disease management. With lots of first-person quotes scattered throughout and legitimate compassion for those who have passed away in epidemics, the author brings to life the impact of diseases on ordinary people, even as far back as thousands of years ago. He also drew meaningful connections between public health responses and other contextual factors for each situation, such as war, money, trade and cultural practice, which I found incredibly useful to envisage the hows and whys of government responses to crises.
Ultimately, this was a really well-rounded and well-presented book on disease, drawing on everything from mythology to medieval blood-letting practices to microbiology and virology, and including politics and history to boot. My only niggle would be that I would have liked to have seen more information about the impacts of diseases outside of Europe and Africa - sometimes diseases were referenced as beginning elsewhere but it was just to show how something got to Europe/northern Africa, which feels like a bit of a gap.
Ultimately, this was a really well-rounded and well-presented book on disease, drawing on everything from mythology to medieval blood-letting practices to microbiology and virology, and including politics and history to boot. My only niggle would be that I would have liked to have seen more information about the impacts of diseases outside of Europe and Africa - sometimes diseases were referenced as beginning elsewhere but it was just to show how something got to Europe/northern Africa, which feels like a bit of a gap.
July 18, 2017
How fascinating! The history of disease came alive before my eyes. It was well and good when it was from a distance or had been cured but the closer it got with 20th and 21st century epidemics and outbreaks the more I was itching everywhere. I didn't mind the rant on capitalism and white man's burden because I do believe they have contributed immensely to the problem. What could have been better was the glossary because it added little (if any) to the information we had already received in the chapters themselves.
August 26, 2017
Great overview/taster for disease generally (there's some science, some humanities, a good mix). I loved it and will be lending it out to everyone because it's an quick, entertaining read whilst being informative.
I gave it five stars because to me it fulfils its purpose very well and I thoroughly enjoyed it.
I gave it five stars because to me it fulfils its purpose very well and I thoroughly enjoyed it.
October 29, 2018
Some diseases have been helped through human intervention of a different kind. Fearing that certain vaccines might lead to conditions like autism, many parents have refused to get their children vaccinated... if we're going to count capitalism as a disease for a sake of argument, then we should probably also label stupidity as one.
A Short History of Disease ditulis begitu sistematis dengan urutan waktu dari awal kehidupan sampai abad milenial. Buku ini merangkum secara singkat dan tepat segala peristiwa yang terjadi sebelum dunia kesehatan maju seperti saat ini, dimana bakteri dan virus telah lama hidup dan berevolusi bahkan sebelum peradaban maju manusia, salah satunya adalah kuman Mycobacterium Tuberculosis yang telah ada sekitar 7000 BC (based on this book). Faktanya, kuman itu terus berkembang sampai saat ini. Buku ini menggambarkan bagaimana manusia mencoba untuk memahami dan melampaui segala penyakit yang ada di alam semesta. Para ilmuan berbondong-bondong melakukan segala cara untuk meneliti sifat dari penyakit, apa penyebabnya? siapa vektor nya? apa saja faktor risikonya? bagaimana mencegah sekaligus mengobatinya? Di saat titik temu sudah muncul, di saat manusia merasa yakin bahwa mereka sudah menaklukan para bedebah-bedebah kecil yang tak kasat mata itu, mereka ternyata berevolusi lebih cepat dibandingkan manusia. Kehidupan yang lebih baik juga membentuk penyakit-penyakit baru, yaitu penyakit kronik yang berhubungan dengan gaya hidup dan pola makan. Obesitas yang berujung dengan Diabetes lalu berakhir dengan penyakit kardiovaskular.
Namun manusia yang di berkahi akal oleh Tuhan Yang Maha Esa selalu mencari cara untuk mencari dan menggali sumber kehidupan, layaknya kalimat dalam tv series Game of Thrones, "Death is Enemy." maka manusia akan selalu berusaha untuk menaklukan kematian, yang tentu saja bagiku yang ber-agama merasakan hal itu terdengar begitu konyol. Kematian adalah sebuah proses dalam kehidupan. It's unavoidable event for all the living.
A Short History of Disease ditulis begitu sistematis dengan urutan waktu dari awal kehidupan sampai abad milenial. Buku ini merangkum secara singkat dan tepat segala peristiwa yang terjadi sebelum dunia kesehatan maju seperti saat ini, dimana bakteri dan virus telah lama hidup dan berevolusi bahkan sebelum peradaban maju manusia, salah satunya adalah kuman Mycobacterium Tuberculosis yang telah ada sekitar 7000 BC (based on this book). Faktanya, kuman itu terus berkembang sampai saat ini. Buku ini menggambarkan bagaimana manusia mencoba untuk memahami dan melampaui segala penyakit yang ada di alam semesta. Para ilmuan berbondong-bondong melakukan segala cara untuk meneliti sifat dari penyakit, apa penyebabnya? siapa vektor nya? apa saja faktor risikonya? bagaimana mencegah sekaligus mengobatinya? Di saat titik temu sudah muncul, di saat manusia merasa yakin bahwa mereka sudah menaklukan para bedebah-bedebah kecil yang tak kasat mata itu, mereka ternyata berevolusi lebih cepat dibandingkan manusia. Kehidupan yang lebih baik juga membentuk penyakit-penyakit baru, yaitu penyakit kronik yang berhubungan dengan gaya hidup dan pola makan. Obesitas yang berujung dengan Diabetes lalu berakhir dengan penyakit kardiovaskular.
Namun manusia yang di berkahi akal oleh Tuhan Yang Maha Esa selalu mencari cara untuk mencari dan menggali sumber kehidupan, layaknya kalimat dalam tv series Game of Thrones, "Death is Enemy." maka manusia akan selalu berusaha untuk menaklukan kematian, yang tentu saja bagiku yang ber-agama merasakan hal itu terdengar begitu konyol. Kematian adalah sebuah proses dalam kehidupan. It's unavoidable event for all the living.
September 16, 2021
Review in Indonesia
[SEJARAH SINGKAT WABAH]
Ada suatu masa dimana penyakit merupakan hal yang paling menakutkan bagi umat manusia. Dimana pengetahuan medis saat itu belum mampu untuk mengentikan keganasannya. Menjadikannya pembunuh no.1 manusia disamping perang tiada akhir.
.
Itulah yang tergambar dalam buku ini. Membahas secara kronologis mengenai keberadaan penyakit dan wabah dari zaman prasejarah hingga kini. Menjalaskan juga bahwa penyakit memiliki peran signifikan pada perkembangan peradaban manusia. Membuat kita bersyukur bahwa kita hidup di mana kita tak perlu terlalu khawatir akan suatu penyakit.
.
Perlu digarisbawahi bahwa ini bukanlah teks medis, sehingga untuk pembaca umum tak perlu khawatir akan bahasa yang njelimet. Selain itu jangan berharap buku ini membahas dengan detail mengenai penyakit yg bersangkutan, karena seperti judulnya, ini hanyalah sejarah SINGKAT mengenai keberadaan penyakit.
.
Meski singkat, penulisan dan penyusunan kronologi dari buku ini bisa dibilang mantab, sehingga tidak menyebabkan kebingungan untuk pembaca. Akan tetapi untuk pembaca yg tidak terbiasa membaca buku bahasa inggris mungkin harus sedikit ditemani kamus, karena ada beberapa kata yg tidak umum digunakan di percakapan sehari-hari.
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Sangat DIREKOMENDASIKAN terkhusus untuk kolega dokter dan tenaga medis lain (termasuk veteriner). Jangan melupakan sejarah! #JASMERA. Rating Personal: 8/10
[SEJARAH SINGKAT WABAH]
Ada suatu masa dimana penyakit merupakan hal yang paling menakutkan bagi umat manusia. Dimana pengetahuan medis saat itu belum mampu untuk mengentikan keganasannya. Menjadikannya pembunuh no.1 manusia disamping perang tiada akhir.
.
Itulah yang tergambar dalam buku ini. Membahas secara kronologis mengenai keberadaan penyakit dan wabah dari zaman prasejarah hingga kini. Menjalaskan juga bahwa penyakit memiliki peran signifikan pada perkembangan peradaban manusia. Membuat kita bersyukur bahwa kita hidup di mana kita tak perlu terlalu khawatir akan suatu penyakit.
.
Perlu digarisbawahi bahwa ini bukanlah teks medis, sehingga untuk pembaca umum tak perlu khawatir akan bahasa yang njelimet. Selain itu jangan berharap buku ini membahas dengan detail mengenai penyakit yg bersangkutan, karena seperti judulnya, ini hanyalah sejarah SINGKAT mengenai keberadaan penyakit.
.
Meski singkat, penulisan dan penyusunan kronologi dari buku ini bisa dibilang mantab, sehingga tidak menyebabkan kebingungan untuk pembaca. Akan tetapi untuk pembaca yg tidak terbiasa membaca buku bahasa inggris mungkin harus sedikit ditemani kamus, karena ada beberapa kata yg tidak umum digunakan di percakapan sehari-hari.
.
Sangat DIREKOMENDASIKAN terkhusus untuk kolega dokter dan tenaga medis lain (termasuk veteriner). Jangan melupakan sejarah! #JASMERA. Rating Personal: 8/10
January 21, 2019
While this book stays a bit on the surface where it concerns the medical science, it does cover a LOT of ground. You're curious about diseases in Antiquity? This book has got you covered! (Admittedly, there's a lot of supposition going on in that chapter but this is not hidden, either). More interested in the Black Plague? Yup!
Ready to get the willies while reading about modern menaces like ebola and SARS? Just keep going!
All the information is well-presented and never did I have the feeling the author was talking down to me, which is often a trap in popular science books.
Overall, I enjoyed the read itself and feel smarter for having read this book!
Ready to get the willies while reading about modern menaces like ebola and SARS? Just keep going!
All the information is well-presented and never did I have the feeling the author was talking down to me, which is often a trap in popular science books.
Overall, I enjoyed the read itself and feel smarter for having read this book!
November 23, 2025
This was a good introduction to the history of diseases. While it started strong with information about diseases in the ancient world, the sections about diseases from the 1930's and later felt rushed, with less information given than there should have been, due to more factual information being available about these modern illnesses. It's best to take the information of this book with a grain of salt, since the author's personal speculations aren't rooted in strong research like the rest of the cited information.
May 5, 2023
Quite good, with a lot of information about the common evolution of diseases and human society/race. Plenty of useful, little known and often surprising details about the ”plagues” that tormented humanity and the never-ending war against them.
One star less than 5/5 because I felt that the historical part was not as well developed as the medical one (I expected more about the impact on the fall empires etc.).
Recommended.
One star less than 5/5 because I felt that the historical part was not as well developed as the medical one (I expected more about the impact on the fall empires etc.).
Recommended.
November 16, 2025
This is an interesting book that discussed the history of infectious diseases (mainly) and the discovery of microbes and the development of vaccines. It briefly mentions other non-contagious diseases and how they were identified and characterized, such as epilepsy, diabetes, and cardiovascular problems.
The book is narrated in a chronological order from the prehistoric era until today. It carries a lot of interesting information and statistics; though, some parts sounded a bit redundant.
It's good for those interested in history, medicine, and public health.
The book is narrated in a chronological order from the prehistoric era until today. It carries a lot of interesting information and statistics; though, some parts sounded a bit redundant.
It's good for those interested in history, medicine, and public health.
September 5, 2021
"It's all started with a rumor. Then found we were dealing with a disease. Then we realized it was an epidemic. And now, we have accepted it as a tragedy."
Membaca buku ini ketika semua manusia di seluruh dunia masih terlibat dalam sebuah pandemi... Human being should come out stronger from this too...!
Membaca buku ini ketika semua manusia di seluruh dunia masih terlibat dalam sebuah pandemi... Human being should come out stronger from this too...!
June 4, 2020
A fun read.
Basically a backstory about diseases I learn in class. I don't know whether I'd enjoy it without my medical background because it touches everything without actually elaborating much. And sometimes it just end abruptly on a topic.
Basically a backstory about diseases I learn in class. I don't know whether I'd enjoy it without my medical background because it touches everything without actually elaborating much. And sometimes it just end abruptly on a topic.
December 12, 2022
It is good, a little bit of everything.
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There is one error, in the chapter about Nipah Virus, the virus first appeared in Negeri Sembilan, Malaysia.. not Indonesia as the book stated.
Indonesia and Malaysia is two different coutries althought they seat next to each other.
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There is one error, in the chapter about Nipah Virus, the virus first appeared in Negeri Sembilan, Malaysia.. not Indonesia as the book stated.
Indonesia and Malaysia is two different coutries althought they seat next to each other.
March 21, 2024
Pretty decent recount of diseases throughout history, despite the random amusing left wing bashing of “macro parasitic capitalism” and blaming spread of disease on the downfall of communism post USSR. Otherwise a good collection of history
June 26, 2018
Frightening.
July 30, 2018
Informative and concise, with some very vivid descriptions of some horrible diseases.
Good example of what non-fiction should be.
Good example of what non-fiction should be.
April 30, 2020
Captivating storytelling on development of diseases from the antiquity time to recent times.
May 7, 2021
Good informative easy read.
June 25, 2021
Someone please tell Sean that, well, Pandora's Box he mentioned at the end of his book has been opened again.
March 12, 2023
A better title would be “A Series of Conjectures”
August 29, 2023
Interesting
October 18, 2024
Fun read, very interesting and well cited. Also great concluding message
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July 17, 2025Read for Maverick Milestone, Summer 2025, Colorado Mesa University
August 27, 2025
3.5/5.
Slightly outdated at this point but a concise and informative overview of the history of disease from ancient times to the modern era. Dull in places but a decent read overall.
Slightly outdated at this point but a concise and informative overview of the history of disease from ancient times to the modern era. Dull in places but a decent read overall.
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