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The Next Pandemic: On the Front Lines Against Humankind's Gravest Dangers
An inside account of the fight to contain the world’s deadliest diseases—and the panic and corruption that make them worse
Throughout history, humankind’s biggest killers have been infectious diseases; the Black Death, the Spanish Flu, and AIDS alone account for over one hundred million deaths. We ignore this reality most of the time, but when a new threat (Ebola, SARS, Zika) seems imminent, we send our best and bravest doctors to contain it--people like Dr. Ali S. Khan.
In his long career as a public health first responder—protected by a thin mask from infected patients, napping under nets to keep out scorpions, making life-and-death decisions on limited, suspect information—Khan has found that rogue microbes will always be a problem, but outbreaks are often caused by people. We make mistakes, politicize emergencies, and, too often, fail to imagine the consequences of our actions.
The Next Pandemic is a firsthand account of disasters like anthrax, bird flu, and others and how we could do more to prevent their return. It's both a gripping story of our brushes with fate and an urgent lesson on how we can keep ourselves safe from the inevitable next pandemic.
Throughout history, humankind’s biggest killers have been infectious diseases; the Black Death, the Spanish Flu, and AIDS alone account for over one hundred million deaths. We ignore this reality most of the time, but when a new threat (Ebola, SARS, Zika) seems imminent, we send our best and bravest doctors to contain it--people like Dr. Ali S. Khan.
In his long career as a public health first responder—protected by a thin mask from infected patients, napping under nets to keep out scorpions, making life-and-death decisions on limited, suspect information—Khan has found that rogue microbes will always be a problem, but outbreaks are often caused by people. We make mistakes, politicize emergencies, and, too often, fail to imagine the consequences of our actions.
The Next Pandemic is a firsthand account of disasters like anthrax, bird flu, and others and how we could do more to prevent their return. It's both a gripping story of our brushes with fate and an urgent lesson on how we can keep ourselves safe from the inevitable next pandemic.
286 pages, Kindle Edition
First published May 3, 2016
125 people are currently reading
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 260 reviews
December 12, 2017
The writing style isn't the best, and sometimes his asides of personal stories seem misplaced- but that is forgiven because of the content explanations. This is difficult for nomenclature, IMHO, and he's made it nearly easy read for the non-medical and unscientific. Or as close to that as it is possible.
And coupled with that is the danger and the sacrifice given to travel into serious and possibly deadly situations for the study. Not primarily from the disease but from the conflicts and cultural impasses needed to harvest the facts and the stats. Those points that are absolutely essential to detected origins and outcomes for these epidemics.
Especially interesting was the vector particulars of some many cross-overs. And unknown to me, the Monkeypox prairie dog vector occurrence.
In this day of air travel and other means of huge populations of interactions occurring and then dispersing to all directions- the human to human contact pandemics are going to be our most vile opponents.
Having had one of these flus (and despite auto correct you CAN make flu plural - there are many types of mutation designated flu descended virus from H1N1 origins and it does NOT have an es ending) in 1977 that was a close relative to the 1918 Spanish Influenza (and not a less powerful Hong Kong flu descendant virus as I was told) and having the Last Rites, not remembering at least 3 whole days or having my kidneys work for 2 more after that, and knowing how sick, sick one can get quickly- this book made me remember. And how that would have been if others had not taken care of my two very little ones and/or not gotten me to a hospital. I kept thinking of King's The Stand- which was a human to human air borne virus plague that leaves few survivors.
The Anthrax sections were powerful to emotion. When you think of the horror that could be unleashed by war and terror upon huge populations so quickly. And without leveling so much else of the infrastructure. I had no idea that there had been an accident in the Soviet Union during this production.
The insects, germs and virus really do rule the world. Tiny and yet can alter all. And do.
And coupled with that is the danger and the sacrifice given to travel into serious and possibly deadly situations for the study. Not primarily from the disease but from the conflicts and cultural impasses needed to harvest the facts and the stats. Those points that are absolutely essential to detected origins and outcomes for these epidemics.
Especially interesting was the vector particulars of some many cross-overs. And unknown to me, the Monkeypox prairie dog vector occurrence.
In this day of air travel and other means of huge populations of interactions occurring and then dispersing to all directions- the human to human contact pandemics are going to be our most vile opponents.
Having had one of these flus (and despite auto correct you CAN make flu plural - there are many types of mutation designated flu descended virus from H1N1 origins and it does NOT have an es ending) in 1977 that was a close relative to the 1918 Spanish Influenza (and not a less powerful Hong Kong flu descendant virus as I was told) and having the Last Rites, not remembering at least 3 whole days or having my kidneys work for 2 more after that, and knowing how sick, sick one can get quickly- this book made me remember. And how that would have been if others had not taken care of my two very little ones and/or not gotten me to a hospital. I kept thinking of King's The Stand- which was a human to human air borne virus plague that leaves few survivors.
The Anthrax sections were powerful to emotion. When you think of the horror that could be unleashed by war and terror upon huge populations so quickly. And without leveling so much else of the infrastructure. I had no idea that there had been an accident in the Soviet Union during this production.
The insects, germs and virus really do rule the world. Tiny and yet can alter all. And do.
August 5, 2016
The Next Pandemic is largely Ali S. Khan's autobiographical account of his career as a public health first responder. Some intriguing accounts are given of various infectious diseases and life-threatening bacterium. A small portion of the book is dedicated to Khan's request that more preventative measures be established to deter the next global pandemic. When viewing the book under a microscope, the careful observer will discover needless pop-culture references. Khan occasionally wobbles in his narrative by inserting rants or personal beliefs.
July 14, 2020
An amazing book, by an epidemiologist who hands-on investigated Ebola, West Nile, and many other diseases. This is a straight autobiography, but what an interesting professional life he has led. I've read pretty much all the books on this topic for a popular audience. This is by far the best. It's the most accurate and authoritative, it's the most interesting, it's dramatic without being inaccurate for the sake of scaremongering, it has the right balance of detail and variety, and he has a wonderful cross-cultural perspective . I ended up really liking Dr. Khan, not only for his risking his life to protect us all from epidemics, but in larger part because he is not shy about doling out praise and blame. When a doctor catches an incipient epidemic because he is paying attention to his patients, he gets praise. When a new CDC employee discovers a new disease vector, and Dr. Khan himself refuses to believe her, he praises her for persisting in her arguments. But when you are a flipping idiot, watch out because Dr. Khan will not let that pass without comment. In particular the FBI and the mayor of New Orleans get raked over the coals here, as well as the media and anti-vaxxers, and in every case I could not agree with him more. He's witty, too.
I learned a good deal here. More people should read this. It has substance and style.
I learned a good deal here. More people should read this. It has substance and style.
March 15, 2024
This is an inside account of the fight to contain the world’s deadliest diseases and the panic and corruption that make them even worse.
Throughout history, humankind’s biggest killers have been infectious diseases and modern technology enabling a level of globalization prior unimaginable, multiplied their possible disease vectors. We ignored this reality most of the time until the current outbreak of COVID-19, a Corona-type respiratory disease very reminiscent of the 2002 SARS.
Ali Khan, MD, MPH, an Assistant Surgeon General, leader of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) Office of Public Health Preparedness and Response (OPHPR) shows us how we make mistakes, politicize emergencies, and, too often, on an individual level lack the imagination, information, or even responsibility to react properly to a pandemic threat. Most importantly, he provides the reader with a perspective to compare the current COVID-19 with prior outbreak of related diseases and containment measures then affected.
The Next Pandemic is a firsthand account of disasters like anthrax, bird flu, ebola and most importantly SARS for its close realation to COVID-19.
A must read for anybody who understands that one must not - cannot rely on the popular media for perspective and a deep understanding that can lead to the big picture and consequently enables one to react proper to an infectious threat. After all, the media is akin a person that chooses to illuminate with a flashlight a corner of an otherwise dark room and then deceives you, quite purposefully so, into believing you know it all - when in fact you merely know what they want you to know.
Throughout history, humankind’s biggest killers have been infectious diseases and modern technology enabling a level of globalization prior unimaginable, multiplied their possible disease vectors. We ignored this reality most of the time until the current outbreak of COVID-19, a Corona-type respiratory disease very reminiscent of the 2002 SARS.
Ali Khan, MD, MPH, an Assistant Surgeon General, leader of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) Office of Public Health Preparedness and Response (OPHPR) shows us how we make mistakes, politicize emergencies, and, too often, on an individual level lack the imagination, information, or even responsibility to react properly to a pandemic threat. Most importantly, he provides the reader with a perspective to compare the current COVID-19 with prior outbreak of related diseases and containment measures then affected.
The Next Pandemic is a firsthand account of disasters like anthrax, bird flu, ebola and most importantly SARS for its close realation to COVID-19.
A must read for anybody who understands that one must not - cannot rely on the popular media for perspective and a deep understanding that can lead to the big picture and consequently enables one to react proper to an infectious threat. After all, the media is akin a person that chooses to illuminate with a flashlight a corner of an otherwise dark room and then deceives you, quite purposefully so, into believing you know it all - when in fact you merely know what they want you to know.
May 27, 2020
Remember that viral tweet about being ready for the zombie apocalypse? Well that was Ali Khan. And if a zombie apocalypse was a stand-in for the next pandemic, well we were not ready, and the zombies are upon us.
This book culled Khan’s frontline experience over the course of the past few decades dealing with viral and bacterial outbreaks. Until now, the CDC experience was containing outbreaks, which they managed to keep on a much smaller scale. That’s why they needed hurricanes, e.g. in this book his Katrina experience, (and the zombie apocalypse) to bring home the ramifications of the big one.
It’s a compelling read, well written, and should’ve served as a warning that we need to be ready for the next one which could be the big one. Khan made clear time and again, through past CDC experiences, that the correct response depends upon local, state, and federal government. The effective response is a political issue as much as a public health one. Well the big one came, the advice and warnings of the experts and grown ups in the room were not heeded, and we were caught with our pants down. Already the human and economic cost dwarfs that of Katrina and 9/11. As of the end of May 2020, according to the New York Times, the US death toll stands at 100,000 people.
The main criticism, and this wasn't a fault at the time of writing, is that public's general knowledge of public health and pandemics has advanced decades in a matter of months. Living inside the public health pressure cooker of 2020, there has been a tremendous diffusion, dissemination, and adoption of public health experience and knowledge. This is a function of the scale of the global 2020 pandemic as something that has not been experienced in a century since the 1918 Spanish Flu pandemic and in a very different experience the Polio epidemic. Perversely, Khan's previous more successful experiences at containing previous pandemics seem, at uncritical moments, in comparison quaint and small potatoes.
Khan and his publisher should probably add an epilogue or publish a second edition taking into account the global pandemic of 2020. We should be mindful, very mindful, that the Spanish Flu really got bad with the second wave that hit during the fall. As Yogi Berra famously quipped: it ain’t over till it’s over. The pandemic isn’t over until it’s eradicated, as Khan demonstrated amply with the Ebola and SARS experiences. States across the nation are reopening in May and June 2020. Yes, I know there is fatigue and readiness for this thing to be over, but this thing--the novel coronavirus pandemic--isn’t over yet.
This book culled Khan’s frontline experience over the course of the past few decades dealing with viral and bacterial outbreaks. Until now, the CDC experience was containing outbreaks, which they managed to keep on a much smaller scale. That’s why they needed hurricanes, e.g. in this book his Katrina experience, (and the zombie apocalypse) to bring home the ramifications of the big one.
It’s a compelling read, well written, and should’ve served as a warning that we need to be ready for the next one which could be the big one. Khan made clear time and again, through past CDC experiences, that the correct response depends upon local, state, and federal government. The effective response is a political issue as much as a public health one. Well the big one came, the advice and warnings of the experts and grown ups in the room were not heeded, and we were caught with our pants down. Already the human and economic cost dwarfs that of Katrina and 9/11. As of the end of May 2020, according to the New York Times, the US death toll stands at 100,000 people.
The main criticism, and this wasn't a fault at the time of writing, is that public's general knowledge of public health and pandemics has advanced decades in a matter of months. Living inside the public health pressure cooker of 2020, there has been a tremendous diffusion, dissemination, and adoption of public health experience and knowledge. This is a function of the scale of the global 2020 pandemic as something that has not been experienced in a century since the 1918 Spanish Flu pandemic and in a very different experience the Polio epidemic. Perversely, Khan's previous more successful experiences at containing previous pandemics seem, at uncritical moments, in comparison quaint and small potatoes.
Khan and his publisher should probably add an epilogue or publish a second edition taking into account the global pandemic of 2020. We should be mindful, very mindful, that the Spanish Flu really got bad with the second wave that hit during the fall. As Yogi Berra famously quipped: it ain’t over till it’s over. The pandemic isn’t over until it’s eradicated, as Khan demonstrated amply with the Ebola and SARS experiences. States across the nation are reopening in May and June 2020. Yes, I know there is fatigue and readiness for this thing to be over, but this thing--the novel coronavirus pandemic--isn’t over yet.
December 16, 2021
The apparent plus-value of this book about epidemics is the author's personal biographical commentary: whatever. The deal-breaker is the sloppy science. For example, in discussing flu, he confuses case-fatality rate and death-to-infection ratio!
A few better books:
The Origins of Human Disease
Rats, Lice, and History: Being a Study in Biography, Which, After Twelve Preliminary Chapters Indispensable for the Preparation of the Lay Reader, Deals With the Life History of Typhus Fever
Plagues and Peoples
Evolution of Infectious Disease
A few better books:
The Origins of Human Disease
Rats, Lice, and History: Being a Study in Biography, Which, After Twelve Preliminary Chapters Indispensable for the Preparation of the Lay Reader, Deals With the Life History of Typhus Fever
Plagues and Peoples
Evolution of Infectious Disease
September 7, 2019
First of all, the title of this book is a bit misleading. It isn't really about "the next pandemic." Only a small portion of the last chapter is dedicated to discuss potential pandemics of the future and how to prepare for them. Instead, this is a book about those who travel throughout the world, from the most remote and dangerous locations to modern population centers, to combat the microbes, bacteria, and viruses that are poised to destroy us, one host body at a time. It is a fascinating book, but unless you are a serious microbiology geek, I HIGHLY recommend that you get this as an audio book. Ben Sullivan's narration is wonderful, and hearing Ali Khan's words spoken aloud make them more gripping and interesting. I'm not sure I could have gotten through all the medical talk if I had been reading myself, but hearing the narration helped it come to life. I really did enjoy this book.
Like I say, this is a book about Ali Khan's experiences traveling the world fighting to ensure that localized medical diseases and sicknesses stay localized and contained before they can become a worldwide pandemic. His job is hampered by inept or corrupt local governments, cultural practices that are hard to change, and lack of coordination between different government agencies. Most of the book was interesting. I especially found the chapter about the anthrax scare of the early 2000s to be gripping and suspenseful. It was a like a mini episode of CSI. There was a chapter about Hurricane Katrina that was interesting but seemed out of place and unnecessary in this book since he talked more about the horrible humanitarian response to the disaster instead of any real disease responses. It is obvious that Dr. Khan harbors a bit of sour feelings regarding President Bush, I think. There were times during the book when I seriously considered becoming a vegetarian or maybe just raising my own chickens to eat ... but even that held chances for my family and I to die an ugly and painful death, so I guess I'll take my chances with Tyson foods. I was a little freaked out to hear that Dr. Khan called his wife during the SARS outbreak and told her to stockpile three months of food and water because he was worried that things were going to get ugly really fast if that virus couldn't be contained. Yikes! I don't normally grab the non-fiction books when I want to listen to a book as I go through my daily tasks, but this one was a good one that kept my attention. I do still wonder what awful potential pandemic is lurking in the wings, ready to decimate mankind. This book gives me some hope that there are people out there working for our good, but at the same time it freaked me out to think that those people are not going to be enough if things get really crazy. I think I'm going to grab a fluffy romance and decompress now. Three stars for this. I liked it.
Like I say, this is a book about Ali Khan's experiences traveling the world fighting to ensure that localized medical diseases and sicknesses stay localized and contained before they can become a worldwide pandemic. His job is hampered by inept or corrupt local governments, cultural practices that are hard to change, and lack of coordination between different government agencies. Most of the book was interesting. I especially found the chapter about the anthrax scare of the early 2000s to be gripping and suspenseful. It was a like a mini episode of CSI. There was a chapter about Hurricane Katrina that was interesting but seemed out of place and unnecessary in this book since he talked more about the horrible humanitarian response to the disaster instead of any real disease responses. It is obvious that Dr. Khan harbors a bit of sour feelings regarding President Bush, I think. There were times during the book when I seriously considered becoming a vegetarian or maybe just raising my own chickens to eat ... but even that held chances for my family and I to die an ugly and painful death, so I guess I'll take my chances with Tyson foods. I was a little freaked out to hear that Dr. Khan called his wife during the SARS outbreak and told her to stockpile three months of food and water because he was worried that things were going to get ugly really fast if that virus couldn't be contained. Yikes! I don't normally grab the non-fiction books when I want to listen to a book as I go through my daily tasks, but this one was a good one that kept my attention. I do still wonder what awful potential pandemic is lurking in the wings, ready to decimate mankind. This book gives me some hope that there are people out there working for our good, but at the same time it freaked me out to think that those people are not going to be enough if things get really crazy. I think I'm going to grab a fluffy romance and decompress now. Three stars for this. I liked it.
February 11, 2019
Thanks to climate change and the increased presence of mosquitos in regions and seasons where they formerly didn't exist, many of the diseases that are currently afflicting the world are more prevalent than ever.
While other diseases, like Ebola, have scarier and nastier symptoms, viral infections that can more easily be spread are what we should really fear (see: Spanish Influenza).
This is really a fascinating book and a great breakdown of the top viral threats we currently face in the 21st century. It's also a personal look into the author's day job at the Center for Disease Control in Atlanta as well as the challenges he faces as a Muslim man in post-9/11 America. Thank whatever god you do or don't believe in that we have people like Ali Khan working to keep us all safe. Better yet, thank people like Ali Khan.
You'll know whether or not you'll like this book just by reading the title. If viruses get your heart pumping and Richard Preston's "The Hot Zone" is one of the scariest books you've ever read, then you'll love "The Next Pandemic".
While other diseases, like Ebola, have scarier and nastier symptoms, viral infections that can more easily be spread are what we should really fear (see: Spanish Influenza).
This is really a fascinating book and a great breakdown of the top viral threats we currently face in the 21st century. It's also a personal look into the author's day job at the Center for Disease Control in Atlanta as well as the challenges he faces as a Muslim man in post-9/11 America. Thank whatever god you do or don't believe in that we have people like Ali Khan working to keep us all safe. Better yet, thank people like Ali Khan.
You'll know whether or not you'll like this book just by reading the title. If viruses get your heart pumping and Richard Preston's "The Hot Zone" is one of the scariest books you've ever read, then you'll love "The Next Pandemic".
November 20, 2019
I probably would have given this 3 or 4 stars if it had been a straight forward narrative about various pandemics and human crises. I felt like this book was titled oddly because of the inclusion of Hurricane Katrina. It really isn't a pandemic. Seemed like sensationalism to title a book "The Next Pandemic" and include Katrina along with Ebola, SARS, and the like. But Khan is extremely skilled at not only recounting the history of different crises in public health (anthrax, bird flu, ebola), he took the extra and necessary step of detailing exactly what human actions health officials and other officials have taken that actually harm our efforts to provide a safe environment for the citizens of the world. The way in which the Western world has reacted to various dangers-- anthrax, bird flu, plague, or a coming hurricane, is often ineffective in similar ways. According to Khan, we make heuristics errors that can make things worse in very predictable ways. He really focused on these errors when masterfully detailing the history of each crisis. Some of his arguments that were particularly important:
When dealing with a chemical weapon like anthrax, make sure to engage Kahneman system one and system two. In other words, only using system one, a knee jerk reaction, to a crisis, can only get us so far. In fact with system two, a more thought out and rational approach that includes multiple lines of logic, can we be optimally effective in capturing individuals who use chemical weapons as well as being effective in the containment of the threat.
He forcefully and often argued that what seems like a local concern (e.g. health crisis far away from America) should be viewed as a global concern because these illnesses make their way around the world. With air travel and differing incubation periods, many pathogens are extremely successful at making their way around the globe. It is important to be able to recognize and contain a serious outbreak. When we treat diseases like a local phenomenon, we actually help that virus spread.
Include shamans in the health process and even defer to them. It won't matter what science has discovered if people profoundly mistrust you. If you, the scientist, interacts with a community only when there is a serious outbreak (e.g. Ebola), they will likely think scientists react this way to all deaths. They might not realize the difference between Ebola and a less threatening disease that caused death. Shamans are highly respected. If you try to team up with them during outbreaks as well as when less severe diseases, not requiring quarantine, occur. That way, the locals can see that Western officials are reasonable during normal states of illness and are capable of respecting local customs, such as touching the body to wash it. They will then realize that when these reasonable officials then say that a body cannot be touched, it is because these circumstances are very different. You might imagine that people coming into their villages in hazmat suits would give them that impression, but these people are outsiders to them. They see it as an intrusion and look to their local healer for guidance.
His discussion of what went wrong with the handling of Hurricane Katrina was particularly good. I began the chapter feeling confused as to why it was included, but his analysis of the way it was handled by officials really made clear why he thought so much about it and had to include it. He has a vision for how crises should be addressed and I think his suggestions are something all officials around the globe should note.
When dealing with a chemical weapon like anthrax, make sure to engage Kahneman system one and system two. In other words, only using system one, a knee jerk reaction, to a crisis, can only get us so far. In fact with system two, a more thought out and rational approach that includes multiple lines of logic, can we be optimally effective in capturing individuals who use chemical weapons as well as being effective in the containment of the threat.
He forcefully and often argued that what seems like a local concern (e.g. health crisis far away from America) should be viewed as a global concern because these illnesses make their way around the world. With air travel and differing incubation periods, many pathogens are extremely successful at making their way around the globe. It is important to be able to recognize and contain a serious outbreak. When we treat diseases like a local phenomenon, we actually help that virus spread.
Include shamans in the health process and even defer to them. It won't matter what science has discovered if people profoundly mistrust you. If you, the scientist, interacts with a community only when there is a serious outbreak (e.g. Ebola), they will likely think scientists react this way to all deaths. They might not realize the difference between Ebola and a less threatening disease that caused death. Shamans are highly respected. If you try to team up with them during outbreaks as well as when less severe diseases, not requiring quarantine, occur. That way, the locals can see that Western officials are reasonable during normal states of illness and are capable of respecting local customs, such as touching the body to wash it. They will then realize that when these reasonable officials then say that a body cannot be touched, it is because these circumstances are very different. You might imagine that people coming into their villages in hazmat suits would give them that impression, but these people are outsiders to them. They see it as an intrusion and look to their local healer for guidance.
His discussion of what went wrong with the handling of Hurricane Katrina was particularly good. I began the chapter feeling confused as to why it was included, but his analysis of the way it was handled by officials really made clear why he thought so much about it and had to include it. He has a vision for how crises should be addressed and I think his suggestions are something all officials around the globe should note.
Read
September 16, 2019I’m the Indian Jones of medicine! I go from Nashville to Norway down into Zimbabwe fight Anthrax and slay Ebola - I rock!
This long self-congratulatory introduction has set the tone and it’s not what I was looking for, I wanted Hot Zone not McDreamy.
I’m going to ask Audible for a refund.
This long self-congratulatory introduction has set the tone and it’s not what I was looking for, I wanted Hot Zone not McDreamy.
I’m going to ask Audible for a refund.
March 27, 2020
Pandemics/history of diseases is one of my (minor) interests. It is a subject that I've been interested in for years and have read about on-and-off again for over 2 decades.
I cannot say that this was the best book I've read on the subject, but it was thoroughly enjoyable (even during the COVID-19 pandemic.)
Arguably, my favorite sections were the chapters wherein he didn't talk about specific epidemics/pandemics, but rather reflected upon the history of his unit at the CDC and why he ultimately started to wear his formal uniform all the time.
I'll be honest, watching our local official wearing an official uniform struck me as odd---I mean, prior to COVID I had never seen her (or her predecessor) wear a uniform. But that section hit a chord with me (a military brat.)
If you are looking for hard core science or heavy details on diseases, this is NOT the book for you. If you are looking for a high level overview of the past 40 or so years written from a more or less first person point of view---then yes.
This was an enjoyable short synopsis on the subject.
I cannot say that this was the best book I've read on the subject, but it was thoroughly enjoyable (even during the COVID-19 pandemic.)
Arguably, my favorite sections were the chapters wherein he didn't talk about specific epidemics/pandemics, but rather reflected upon the history of his unit at the CDC and why he ultimately started to wear his formal uniform all the time.
I'll be honest, watching our local official wearing an official uniform struck me as odd---I mean, prior to COVID I had never seen her (or her predecessor) wear a uniform. But that section hit a chord with me (a military brat.)
If you are looking for hard core science or heavy details on diseases, this is NOT the book for you. If you are looking for a high level overview of the past 40 or so years written from a more or less first person point of view---then yes.
This was an enjoyable short synopsis on the subject.
July 28, 2020
This was a very good book for my tastes in science books that are biology-focused. It has some technical information but is not overly-technical; he structured it around personal experiences while working for the CDC and expressed personal opinions at times, and castigated those who he thought worthy of it (anti-vax'ers like Jenny McCarthy, former FEMA director Michael Brown ("his primary relevant experience was as a director of the Arabian Horse Association") and New Orleans' former mayor Nagin, etc).
It was published in 2016. I was particularly interested in the chapter on SARS under the circumstances, and jumped forward to that- it's ok to jump around in the chapters if you want- then I went back to the previous chapters and read it in full. Very worthwhile and at times amusing.
It was published in 2016. I was particularly interested in the chapter on SARS under the circumstances, and jumped forward to that- it's ok to jump around in the chapters if you want- then I went back to the previous chapters and read it in full. Very worthwhile and at times amusing.
December 10, 2019
Fascinating
October 18, 2018
Audiobook.
This book was my jam. It’s been a while since I read a book by a ‘virus hunter’ but I used to be super into them, so it was nostalgic for me to read another one. This one was a lot more memoirish than I thought it would be. I thought it would be a public health dude’s treatise on why the world will be taken by surprise by our foolish ways in ignoring public health, messing up with antibiotics, and fiddling with the natural world. But it was more about the author’s own exploits traveling the world and solving outbreaks of one kind or another. Which is not what I was expecting, but was fascinating nonetheless.
I found the book to be very engaging, and it would also serve well to a lay reader with very little understanding of public health or epidemiology because the author makes sure to explain everything in a very accessible way, which is nice. If you want an inside look at the 2001 anthrax response, 1995 Ebola in kikwit, 2002 SARS, 2014 Ebola, or just run of the mill hantavirus.... this author was there and in the thick of it for all of it. So it serves well as a fascinating memoir.
However, as I said before, that’s not what I was expecting. I had to wait until the last chapter to really get into the future of public health and his thoughts on that (and, it was also worth it to get toward the end and read his excellent rant on why the western world needs to shut up about ‘ignorant africans’ in the context of the Ebola outbreak in Sierra Leone - loved it).
Overall, I was very satisfied with it. And the audiobook was great minus the narrator’s horrendous attempts at French pronunciations (RIP medicins sans frontieres).
This book was my jam. It’s been a while since I read a book by a ‘virus hunter’ but I used to be super into them, so it was nostalgic for me to read another one. This one was a lot more memoirish than I thought it would be. I thought it would be a public health dude’s treatise on why the world will be taken by surprise by our foolish ways in ignoring public health, messing up with antibiotics, and fiddling with the natural world. But it was more about the author’s own exploits traveling the world and solving outbreaks of one kind or another. Which is not what I was expecting, but was fascinating nonetheless.
I found the book to be very engaging, and it would also serve well to a lay reader with very little understanding of public health or epidemiology because the author makes sure to explain everything in a very accessible way, which is nice. If you want an inside look at the 2001 anthrax response, 1995 Ebola in kikwit, 2002 SARS, 2014 Ebola, or just run of the mill hantavirus.... this author was there and in the thick of it for all of it. So it serves well as a fascinating memoir.
However, as I said before, that’s not what I was expecting. I had to wait until the last chapter to really get into the future of public health and his thoughts on that (and, it was also worth it to get toward the end and read his excellent rant on why the western world needs to shut up about ‘ignorant africans’ in the context of the Ebola outbreak in Sierra Leone - loved it).
Overall, I was very satisfied with it. And the audiobook was great minus the narrator’s horrendous attempts at French pronunciations (RIP medicins sans frontieres).
July 20, 2016
I had high hopes for this book after hearing the author interviewed, and while I learned some things it wasn't an amazing book. Not quite a memoir, it was largely a recounting of his travels as an epidemiologist. After awhile the stories sounded the same (poor sanitation, animal vectors, human error). If you interested in learning more about infectious disease read "Pandemic: Tracking Contagions From Cholera to Ebola and Beyond" by Sonia Shah.
November 14, 2017
Ali's life as an official of CDC (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention), going around the world to fight pandemics.
His personal anecdotes and observations are very interesting (and humorous at times). He listed out many hardships of his personal background as a Pakistani American Muslim who flies frequently to new places, meets new people and outbreak situations.
I learn one or two things about the brief history of many diseases: cholera, smallpox, types of influenza, malaria, anthrax... The recent bird flu, Ebola, Zika reminds us very well of the imminent threat. It is shocking to know how an epidemic developed into a pandemic (local to global scale): human to human contact, avian birds, superstitions and the lack of medical knowledge.
There is also a not so fun fact: people use biological weapons to kill other people. The act takes multiple form: By putting dead, infected corpses in catapult then firing them into cities during ancient siege at Kafa, Crimea by the Mongol or by mailing anthrax to places (happaned in the US)...
His personal anecdotes and observations are very interesting (and humorous at times). He listed out many hardships of his personal background as a Pakistani American Muslim who flies frequently to new places, meets new people and outbreak situations.
I learn one or two things about the brief history of many diseases: cholera, smallpox, types of influenza, malaria, anthrax... The recent bird flu, Ebola, Zika reminds us very well of the imminent threat. It is shocking to know how an epidemic developed into a pandemic (local to global scale): human to human contact, avian birds, superstitions and the lack of medical knowledge.
There is also a not so fun fact: people use biological weapons to kill other people. The act takes multiple form: By putting dead, infected corpses in catapult then firing them into cities during ancient siege at Kafa, Crimea by the Mongol or by mailing anthrax to places (happaned in the US)...
September 11, 2023
Книга оставляет глубокие впечатления и заставляет з��думаться над современными вызовами, связанными с пандемиями и здоровьем вообще.
У книги много плюсов. Например, способность разъяснить сложные научные концепции и термины таким образом, что они становятся доступными для широкой аудитории. Используется ясный и легко читаемый стиль, что делает книгу доступной как для профессионалов в области медицины, так и для обычных читателей-непрофессионалов.
Также предоставляется интересный обзор истории пандемий и их воздействия на общество. Книга исследует не только научные и медицинские аспекты пандемий, но и их социальные, экономические и культурные последствия. Это помогает читателям лучше понять, как пандемии влияют на наш мир и какие уроки мы можем извлечь из прошлого, чтобы лучше подготовиться к будущим вызовам.
В целом, это отличное введение в проблематику пандемий и их влияния на мировое сообщество.
У книги много плюсов. Например, способность разъяснить сложные научные концепции и термины таким образом, что они становятся доступными для широкой аудитории. Используется ясный и легко читаемый стиль, что делает книгу доступной как для профессионалов в области медицины, так и для обычных читателей-непрофессионалов.
Также предоставляется интересный обзор истории пандемий и их воздействия на общество. Книга исследует не только научные и медицинские аспекты пандемий, но и их социальные, экономические и культурные последствия. Это помогает читателям лучше понять, как пандемии влияют на наш мир и какие уроки мы можем извлечь из прошлого, чтобы лучше подготовиться к будущим вызовам.
В целом, это отличное введение в проблематику пандемий и их влияния на мировое сообщество.
June 11, 2021
本來有點擔心在三級警戒階段看這本書會不會壓力很大，沒想到作者的敘事方式很吸引人，甚至有些滿幽默的地方XD
很喜歡作者在自序中提到：
「在寫作本書的過程中，我發現不自限於某一特定疾病，或者拘泥於像期刊或新聞稿的死板文字，而能以個人故事說明疾病偵探如何辨識、因應和阻止流行病傳播的幕後真相，讓我揮灑自如。透過這種方式，我不僅能敘述病菌和它們所造成的疾病，也能描寫受到這些疾病折磨的個人和社群。這些永遠是他們的故事。」
看一看對公衛領域滿有興趣的～
特別喜歡第八章〈洪水過後——紐澳良卡崔娜颶風的教訓〉和第九章〈讓疫情歸零的戰爭挑戰——終結獅子山伊波拉病毒〉。
雖然第八章讓我讀了好生氣，但這兩章讓我知道，原來防疫時會遇到的各種阻礙，諸如當地人的習俗與生活習慣、確診者不配合疫調、具煽動性的新聞或謠言四起、中央與地方首長缺乏溝通與協調等等，其實都有前例可循。人類並不是第一次面對流行病，過去的經驗，讓我們在面對COVID-19時，有不少可以參考借鏡之處。
至少，在薩伊伊波拉病毒那一章，看到「莫山戈的情況很有意思，因為那裡只有一位醫師沒受感染，而她所做唯一的防疫措施就是拚命洗手」讓我瞬間有種安心感，覺得勤洗手也太強了吧！！！
其他書摘放在圖片（黑底是我覺得此刻讀來特別諷刺ㄉ 🙄）。
如果對這本書有興趣的話，除了購買紙本書或電子書之外，有些圖書館也能借閱電子書，可以到「台灣圖書館電子書搜尋」這個網站查查看。
🛒 讀墨電子書AP連結：
http://moo.im/a/6owxCX
很喜歡作者在自序中提到：
「在寫作本書的過程中，我發現不自限於某一特定疾病，或者拘泥於像期刊或新聞稿的死板文字，而能以個人故事說明疾病偵探如何辨識、因應和阻止流行病傳播的幕後真相，讓我揮灑自如。透過這種方式，我不僅能敘述病菌和它們所造成的疾病，也能描寫受到這些疾病折磨的個人和社群。這些永遠是他們的故事。」
看一看對公衛領域滿有興趣的～
特別喜歡第八章〈洪水過後——紐澳良卡崔娜颶風的教訓〉和第九章〈讓疫情歸零的戰爭挑戰——終結獅子山伊波拉病毒〉。
雖然第八章讓我讀了好生氣，但這兩章讓我知道，原來防疫時會遇到的各種阻礙，諸如當地人的習俗與生活習慣、確診者不配合疫調、具煽動性的新聞或謠言四起、中央與地方首長缺乏溝通與協調等等，其實都有前例可循。人類並不是第一次面對流行病，過去的經驗，讓我們在面對COVID-19時，有不少可以參考借鏡之處。
至少，在薩伊伊波拉病毒那一章，看到「莫山戈的情況很有意思，因為那裡只有一位醫師沒受感染，而她所做唯一的防疫措施就是拚命洗手」讓我瞬間有種安心感，覺得勤洗手也太強了吧！！！
其他書摘放在圖片（黑底是我覺得此刻讀來特別諷刺ㄉ 🙄）。
如果對這本書有興趣的話，除了購買紙本書或電子書之外，有些圖書館也能借閱電子書，可以到「台灣圖書館電子書搜尋」這個網站查查看。
🛒 讀墨電子書AP連結：
http://moo.im/a/6owxCX
August 19, 2019
One of these books, that gives another perspective to a problem, but too long from my point of view.
September 4, 2019
I’m in healthcare and I found this book fascinating, but if you’re looking for some heart pounding, gory, epic (like “The Hot Zone” - which I also liked) you should look elsewhere. This book is meant to be informative but still narrative. Huge props to Dr. Khan for all the things he’s done and not died!
September 1, 2019
Excellent read for those wishing to know more about the mechanics of pandemics or even a history of some of the greatest global pandemics.
August 29, 2016
This memoir by a soldier of a different kind made me appreciate all the people who protect us from harm every day. As a retired FBI agent I am well aware how government officials and employees are sometimes revered without good reason but just as often disparaged, resented, or even reviled for being less than impossibly perfect. Dr. Khan is one of those adventurous epidemiologists who has spent a career charging into Ebola-infested regions of Africa, SARS hotbeds in Asia, and, closer to home, outbreaks of West Nile Virus, hantavirus, and many other threatening diseases here in the U.S. The book will fascinate anyone with an interest in science in general and the excitement and challenges of medical field work in particular. We all owe a great debt to Dr. Khan and his colleagues.
Most interesting to me, largely because of the FBI involvement, was his account of the anthrax attacks that hit Washington D.C., some media outlets, and a few other spots in the U.S. in 2001 right after the 9/11 World Trade Center attack. I have no qualms in saying the FBI bungled that investigation from day 1, while I still maintain that it is the finest law enforcement agency in the world. Khan is a Muslim American and was placed under suspicion briefly at an airport, an incident he recounts with surprisingly good humor, but the real miscarriage of justice was how the FBI quickly focused their investigation on an innocent scientist named Hatfill, who worked only with viruses (anthrax is a bacterium, not a virus), while allowing the actual perpetrator, an anthrax expert named Ivins, to inject himself into the investigation. It took seven years for them to finally come down hard on Ivins, who promptly committed suicide once they got the goods on him. He was clearly mentally disturbed yet held a sensitive position at a military base in bioweapons research. The author justifiably jabs the FBI hard, but later in the book describes the many missteps that various elements in the medical and public health infrastructure have made in many if not all of the outbreaks described. The reality is that when you don't know the who, what, or how of some crisis, it's easy to make mistakes and neither doctors nor FBI agents are immune. In all these cases, though, eventually the government agencies managed to contain the problem, whether criminal or epidemiological.
That's something else I really appreciated about the book. He skewers so many myths, rumors, and outright lies about various epidemics or outbreaks that it makes one wonder if we can believe anything the news agencies report. Scary headlines or TV teasers bring readers and viewers so even the most ludicrous rumors get trumpeted without checking. I've certainly seen my share of inaccurate reporting about the FBI cases I worked.
The writing is very readable and lighthearted in style without seeming patronizing or lacking in seriousness. The tribulations of travel to and in third world countries is the subject of many humorous anecdotes. Khan has a ghost writer, William Patrick, who in this case is given credit on the front cover and even a photo credit on the inside back flap, something I like to see. As a writer myself I know that having a good story is not enough in an of itself; one needs good writing skills to make it come alive for the reader. Patrick deserves credit for a top-notch job. I greatly enjoyed this book.
Most interesting to me, largely because of the FBI involvement, was his account of the anthrax attacks that hit Washington D.C., some media outlets, and a few other spots in the U.S. in 2001 right after the 9/11 World Trade Center attack. I have no qualms in saying the FBI bungled that investigation from day 1, while I still maintain that it is the finest law enforcement agency in the world. Khan is a Muslim American and was placed under suspicion briefly at an airport, an incident he recounts with surprisingly good humor, but the real miscarriage of justice was how the FBI quickly focused their investigation on an innocent scientist named Hatfill, who worked only with viruses (anthrax is a bacterium, not a virus), while allowing the actual perpetrator, an anthrax expert named Ivins, to inject himself into the investigation. It took seven years for them to finally come down hard on Ivins, who promptly committed suicide once they got the goods on him. He was clearly mentally disturbed yet held a sensitive position at a military base in bioweapons research. The author justifiably jabs the FBI hard, but later in the book describes the many missteps that various elements in the medical and public health infrastructure have made in many if not all of the outbreaks described. The reality is that when you don't know the who, what, or how of some crisis, it's easy to make mistakes and neither doctors nor FBI agents are immune. In all these cases, though, eventually the government agencies managed to contain the problem, whether criminal or epidemiological.
That's something else I really appreciated about the book. He skewers so many myths, rumors, and outright lies about various epidemics or outbreaks that it makes one wonder if we can believe anything the news agencies report. Scary headlines or TV teasers bring readers and viewers so even the most ludicrous rumors get trumpeted without checking. I've certainly seen my share of inaccurate reporting about the FBI cases I worked.
The writing is very readable and lighthearted in style without seeming patronizing or lacking in seriousness. The tribulations of travel to and in third world countries is the subject of many humorous anecdotes. Khan has a ghost writer, William Patrick, who in this case is given credit on the front cover and even a photo credit on the inside back flap, something I like to see. As a writer myself I know that having a good story is not enough in an of itself; one needs good writing skills to make it come alive for the reader. Patrick deserves credit for a top-notch job. I greatly enjoyed this book.
October 11, 2019
Fascinating adventure stories from a CDC epidemiologist. After reading, I now am much more freaked out by anthrax and oddly less freaked out by Ebola. A good dose of arrogance comes across in the guy’s tone, but I am certainly happy he decided to share his memories
January 17, 2019
This is the guy who came up with the CDC Zombie Apocalypse scenario and campaign. But don’t get your hopes up, this book isn’t nearly as inspired or brilliant. Even with a ghost writer, this book fails.
While it is an easy read, and pretty interesting, it leaves things hanging too many times. For instance, in describing a drunken businessman in the DRC whose home was the shelter for the health team, Khan says it all ended when the businessman woke up a sleeping colleague in an amorous assault. What ended? The drunkenness? Their stay in the house? If so, where did they go?
Anyway, here are a few important facts I derived from the book:
-Ebola type infections are probably in bat reservoirs worldwide, with varying levels of mortality and virulence. Crimean Congo Hemorraghic Fever , CCHF, is the bloodiest one, not Ebola.
-During the anthrax events, they secretly went in in the middle of the night to clean up buildings, in order to avoid panic. No one was to admit how widespread the contamination actually was. Ultimately it cost hundreds of millions of dollars.
-The anthrax spores in this event were not in any way military grade. They were pure simple laboratory spores available to anyone in the US. Even once that was known, media people and experts continued to say it was special.
-Ignoramus culture. Khan spends some wasted time ranting about the antivax and anti-global warming people. Anyone reading this book is unlikely to lean that way. Even if they do, his short dealings are not terribly persuasive.
-Monkeypox in prairie dogs. Why are prairie dogs illegal? They carry lots of nasty stuff. And I didn’t know monkeypox could be fatal. It was just a minor animal disease like cowpox to me. But it is fatal in about 10% of humans.
While it is an easy read, and pretty interesting, it leaves things hanging too many times. For instance, in describing a drunken businessman in the DRC whose home was the shelter for the health team, Khan says it all ended when the businessman woke up a sleeping colleague in an amorous assault. What ended? The drunkenness? Their stay in the house? If so, where did they go?
Anyway, here are a few important facts I derived from the book:
-Ebola type infections are probably in bat reservoirs worldwide, with varying levels of mortality and virulence. Crimean Congo Hemorraghic Fever , CCHF, is the bloodiest one, not Ebola.
-During the anthrax events, they secretly went in in the middle of the night to clean up buildings, in order to avoid panic. No one was to admit how widespread the contamination actually was. Ultimately it cost hundreds of millions of dollars.
-The anthrax spores in this event were not in any way military grade. They were pure simple laboratory spores available to anyone in the US. Even once that was known, media people and experts continued to say it was special.
-Ignoramus culture. Khan spends some wasted time ranting about the antivax and anti-global warming people. Anyone reading this book is unlikely to lean that way. Even if they do, his short dealings are not terribly persuasive.
-Monkeypox in prairie dogs. Why are prairie dogs illegal? They carry lots of nasty stuff. And I didn’t know monkeypox could be fatal. It was just a minor animal disease like cowpox to me. But it is fatal in about 10% of humans.
April 19, 2020
This was a decent book. Author Ali S. Khan is a Pakistani-American practicing physician and former Director of the Office of Public Health Preparedness and Response (PHPR) at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
"The Next Pandemic" is basically the author's career history in dealing with infectious disease threats. Khan covers much of the standard fare here; the 1918 Spanish Flu, Smallpox, Hantaviruses, Ebola, HIV, and even Anthrax.
This was an interesting book, and I am reading everything about epidemiology that I can get my hands on.
The start of the book had a great part about virology 101; antigenic shift, drift and universal vaccines. This was a good book, but was more focused on his career, and stories, than epidemiology and virology.
I would recommend it to anyone interested in virology and/or epidemiology.
3.5 stars.
"The Next Pandemic" is basically the author's career history in dealing with infectious disease threats. Khan covers much of the standard fare here; the 1918 Spanish Flu, Smallpox, Hantaviruses, Ebola, HIV, and even Anthrax.
This was an interesting book, and I am reading everything about epidemiology that I can get my hands on.
The start of the book had a great part about virology 101; antigenic shift, drift and universal vaccines. This was a good book, but was more focused on his career, and stories, than epidemiology and virology.
I would recommend it to anyone interested in virology and/or epidemiology.
3.5 stars.
May 21, 2017
A book that reinforces what many people choose not to believe, that we are and will become more so, at the mercy of microbes. The book is factual and accessible. However, there is a muchness to many of the details within the pages of the book that makes the book drag on a bit; each chapter, reiterates many of the underlying causes to the diseases that governments choose to ignore (poor housing, food insecurity, wars, access to adequate health care) and states rightly that govenments need to take a much more proactive approach in the areas of public health.
June 13, 2019
Although the writing was at times disjointed, the subject matter was fascinating. Dr. Khan has had an impressive career, and I loved reading about his experiences traveling all over the world to help manage disease outbreaks. He also goes into detail about the failed system in New Orleans that made Hurricane Katrina so devastating and heartbreaking. If you ever needed a reason for why it's critical to invest time and resources to make sure solid public health response systems are in place, this is it.
June 18, 2018
Interesting, enlightening, and more than a little scary. Told in plain language with a very human edge.
August 28, 2019
I am loving that this is the second "sciencey" book I've read recently where they have recognized that all the science in the world won't solve the world's problems without social scientists - it's critical of course to understand germ theory and doctors and epidemiologists are impressive amazing people. But Khan's travels around the world into crowded cities and remote villages in the throws of epidemics remind him time and time again that culture is powerful, and that scientists need to understand cultural practices and beliefs if they are going to successfully treat disease.
I am glad that Khan recognizes the value of traditional healers and acknowledges that they need to be brought into the care team as efforts are made to fight epidemics. But why on earth does he use the term "witch doctors" ugh, why??? Despite this offense, he does discuss the need to build long term relations, to be available to treat all illnesses and build up trust, not just show up when some scary ebola or something that frightens Western minds appears. He understands why people who be mistrustful of Western doctors who show up out of the blue dressed in frightening gear who snatch bodies. Where were they last year when everyone was dying of malaria? or guinea worm? They only care when it might impact Western bodies?
Much of this book is actually Khan's personal story of his life as an epidemiologist working with and for the World Health Organization and the CDC, traveling around the world everytime some epidemic pops up. It definitely focuses more on his personal experience than on disease and epidemic. However, the end has an interesting look at how climate change might impact the spread of disease. Obviously there will be another pandemic, we just don't know when or what it will look like. And climate change will bring about many deaths as people die of heat, of "weather events," of starvation as food becomes harder to grow in some areas (I did not know the protein level of grains was impacted by the climate). Interestingly he points out there may be some "good" side effects of climate change from an epidemiologist' point of view - more drought means fewer pools of standing water to breed mosquitos - the deadliest animal. Cheers to that.
I am glad that Khan recognizes the value of traditional healers and acknowledges that they need to be brought into the care team as efforts are made to fight epidemics. But why on earth does he use the term "witch doctors" ugh, why??? Despite this offense, he does discuss the need to build long term relations, to be available to treat all illnesses and build up trust, not just show up when some scary ebola or something that frightens Western minds appears. He understands why people who be mistrustful of Western doctors who show up out of the blue dressed in frightening gear who snatch bodies. Where were they last year when everyone was dying of malaria? or guinea worm? They only care when it might impact Western bodies?
Much of this book is actually Khan's personal story of his life as an epidemiologist working with and for the World Health Organization and the CDC, traveling around the world everytime some epidemic pops up. It definitely focuses more on his personal experience than on disease and epidemic. However, the end has an interesting look at how climate change might impact the spread of disease. Obviously there will be another pandemic, we just don't know when or what it will look like. And climate change will bring about many deaths as people die of heat, of "weather events," of starvation as food becomes harder to grow in some areas (I did not know the protein level of grains was impacted by the climate). Interestingly he points out there may be some "good" side effects of climate change from an epidemiologist' point of view - more drought means fewer pools of standing water to breed mosquitos - the deadliest animal. Cheers to that.
May 8, 2020
I am not sure how smart it was to read this during a pandemic, especially since Dr. Khan seems to have about as much faith in some parts of the US political system as I do (that would be "none"), but it was interesting to read about Dr. Khan's career with the CDC and gain some insight about how they and the WHO work to investigate and contain outbreaks of dangerous diseases such as Ebola, Rift Valley Fever, hantavirus, West Nile, bubonic plague (still a thing), various influenze, etc. Oh, right, and let's not forget SARS, MERS, and other coronavirus epidemics.
The title is misleading since the book talks more about Dr. Khan's career and experiences, and only the last chapters start to speculate on future outbreaks. The book jumped back and forth through time (and epidemics), making it feel disjointed.
So I'd probably go for a 2.5 or 3.0 for the organization and writing style and a solid 4.0 for information and interest level.
The title is misleading since the book talks more about Dr. Khan's career and experiences, and only the last chapters start to speculate on future outbreaks. The book jumped back and forth through time (and epidemics), making it feel disjointed.
So I'd probably go for a 2.5 or 3.0 for the organization and writing style and a solid 4.0 for information and interest level.
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