Epidemics: The Impact of Germs and Their Power over Humanity

by Joshua S. Loomis

This book comprehensively reviews the 10 most influential epidemics in history, going beyond morbid accounts of symptoms and statistics to tell the often forgotten stories of what made these epidemics so calamitous.

Unlike other books on epidemics, which either focus on the science behind how microbes cause disease or tell first-person accounts of one particular disease, The Impact of Germs and Their Power over Humanity takes a holistic approach to explaining how these diseases have shaped who we are as a society. Each of the worst epidemic diseases is discussed from the perspective of how it has been a causative agent of change with respect to our history, religious traditions, social interactions, and technology. In looking at world history through the lens of epidemic diseases, readers will come to appreciate how much we owe to the oldest and smallest parasites.

Adults and students interested in science and history―and especially anyone who appreciates a good story and has a healthy curiosity for the lesser-known facts of life―will find this book of interest. Health-care workers will also benefit greatly from this text, as will college students majoring in biology or a pre-health field.

Genres: History, Science, Nonfiction, Medicine

336 pages, Hardcover

Published January 18, 2018

Reviews

[Song · Rating 5 out of 5]

相当精彩的医学史科普图书，介绍了鼠疫，霍乱，天花，结核，黄热病，疟疾，斑疹伤寒，脊髓灰质炎，西班牙大流感，艾滋病这几种人类文明史上最大规模传染病的历史，以及人类在与之斗争的过程中产生的医学发明，制度发明和社会变迁。毫无疑问，疾病绝对是塑造人类历史的最重要力量之一，而且丝毫不把所谓帝王将相放在眼里。

另外，读这本书，当然不能说与当前的 COVID-19 大流行没有关系，围绕这场全球大疫，当代人目睹了无数的悲剧和闹剧，而这一切，都在历史上相同的大瘟疫时代发生过。了解这些事实，给人安慰和信心，历史带给人的慰藉，可能正是如此。

[Trey S · Rating 3 out of 5]

This dude seems like an atheist/liberal and is annoying. Doesn’t use bc/ad but ce/bce which is just a way to say the same thing a different way to appease dumb atheists. Also calls christianity a cult because this dude is an “academic” or something but he gets on my nerves about it. Same vein as the lady who wrote the book zealot I read about cults. This books is not a peer reviewed work either of course so the stuff other than straight facts on diseases and germs and stuff I would take with a grain of salt. He makes claims that are not referenced. For example “we know that many of sub-Saharan African populations lived in cities that were equally large, well populated, and complex as those seen in 15th century Europe.” Okay I’m not disagreeing with that but there is no reference to a source provided, he sources other stuff and doesn’t some claims so I have to doubt the stuff he says, not a historian either and never claims to be but I’d you’re talking about stuff like that and making claims you need a source. He vastly over simplifies and gets some things wrong about Hernan Cortes and how he interacted with the Aztecs in the chapter about smallpox. On the malaria chapter it talks about Africa and history of Europe occupying Africa during the late 1800s/early 1900s and this guy just doesn’t site half the claims he makes. I guess you don’t need to really but I would like for it to be cited so I can see where he gets his ideas. Same with the tuberculosis chapter too, he claims corsets were sometimes pulled so tight that ribs would break, that’s interesting and I wonder where he learned that so I can see if it’s true. Oh of course, no citation or reference, he just said it to say it. Also calls the belief that prostitution and excessive drinking and them being the reason for TB “almost puritanical” they’re both bad awful things and should be looked at with disdain, this dude just says stuff that a typical academic leftist would say it’s annoying. In the cholera chapter he mentions people living in cities would rarely live past 35, that’s just wrong because child mortality is so high but if you lived past the age of 5 you were decently likely to live until your 60s. Also he mentioned Friedrich Engels and doesn’t mention his Marxist stuff or anything he just mentions him in passing and quotes him about describing London so it bolsters the authors claim about London. Typical leftist college academic behavior right here, it’s annoying to see this stuff that’s obvious only when you pay attention. In the HIV chapter he explains how it’s wrong that you can be prosecuted for not disclosing if you have aids/hiv to your partner, and also for having sex with someone and not disclosing that you have it even if they don’t contract hiv. Like what the hell is wrong with this authors opinion here, it should be illegal to not tell people that when doing those things. I don’t get it. All in all it was a decent book in science aspects and objective history, his opinions a decent amount of the time we’re just straight up dumb and I didn’t agree with them but he’s a leftist college professor (probably leftist I just assume they mostly are) but it was interesting to learn about each disease and learn the history of how they came to be and how they could’ve potentially influenced certain world events on a large/small scale. I recommend this book to people who are interested in biology or history just take his opinions with a grain of salt sometimes.

3.5/5

[Brandon Creel · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a really good read, and a good medical history of how various infectious diseases (many of which we take for granted today) impacted preceding generations and societies, as well with a decent description of the science behind each. The science is detailed, but not enough that an average layperson would get lost. To the extent vaccines or treatments were developed, this is explained as well. The main focus, however, is the historical and social impacts of various diseases, and each is discussed within its own chapter.

The author appears to be well-credentialed and would be good reading for "anti-vaxxers" to obtain the proper perspective on how bad things really were before the miracles of modern medicine. In addition, the beauty of this book is that it was published very recently (2018), but before the advent of COVID-19. It was nice to see an analysis without it being clouded by the experiences of the current situation, whatever one's views on it may be.

[Roberto Bovina · Rating 5 out of 5]

The most devastating Plague in human history was that of 1348, called the black death, swept out half of the world's population. It was due largely to unhygienic conditions, being transmitted by rats flea. Smallpox virus and the invention of vaccination by Edward Jenner. Malaria, each year more than four thousand people die of it, mainly in sub-Saharan Africa. Tuberculosis, the most lethal disease in human history, continues to kill one-two million people each year. All over the world, two billion infected by it. Since the '40s, starting with the discovery of Alexander Fleming, antibiotics became the main solution to fight the bacterial agent. Typhus, caused by the transmission of bacteria due to poor hygienic conditions, propagated during several wars between 1812 (Russian campaign of Napoleon) and 1922 (Russian civil war). Cholera, in the last two centuries, claimed the lives of 50 million people all around the world. Despite being curable, every year it infects 4 million and kills a hundred people. This disease enters the body via contaminated food and water. The seven pandemics that occurred in 1817 originated from the Gange river in India, brought in Asia and Europe by millions of peregrines who crowd its shore periodically to celebrate the local religious festival. In the '30s of the past century, it spread mainly into the metropolis like Paris and London, overcrowded and with poor hygiene.
Influenza, the worst epidemic in terms of mortality and rapidity of diffusion, with an estimate of fifty million people killed from 1918 to 1919. Polio, a virus that hit children under ten, cause disabilities for twenty million people, killing one million. In the '50s, a vaccine was finally developed, defining ultimately this disease. HIV-AIDS virus, 40 million victims since its discovery in 1981, every year it kills a million people, actually, together with TB, it's the most lethal infection.

[gabrielle · Rating 4 out of 5]

i was nicely surprised by this book i was scared it was going to be very scientific and jargony but it was actually pretty interesting and easy to understand. i liked that it focused on the history and social and technological advancements that certain diseases brought.

[Emg · Rating 4 out of 5]

Appreciated the approach - epidemics force change (if people are smart enough to realize it). It also helped to illuminate the thinking behind vaccine sceptics and explanation for antibiotic resistant bacteria. Would be interested in a revision to include COVID.

[Deirdre · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fascinating read tracing the impact various diseases have had on history and society

[Thomas Rosenthal · Rating 5 out of 5]

Details thoughtfully provided.

This is an epic fusion of science, medicine and history that is particularly relevant in this coronavirus pandemic. A must read.

[多余人-Lishnye Lyudi · Rating 4 out of 5]

人类发展的历史，可以说是一场与传染病抗争的历史……人类离全球灾难也只差一个传染病的距离。未来，抗生素耐药性的潜在威胁值得我们深思……

[Avid reader · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very informative book on diseases. The last chapter on AIDS was very timely and interesting.

[Sergio Bravo · Rating 5 out of 5]

每一次重大的公共医疗危机都深刻的改变过去，现在，毫无疑问，也将深刻型塑者未来. 站在当下，新冠已经肆虐人类生活三年，深刻，甚至不可逆的改变着人类日常传统生活方方面面. 而伴随着极端民族主义全世界范围内抬头，反全球化，政府进一步极权，紧张升温的地缘关系.后疫情时代，人类是否有充足的思想工具，科学武器走出困境？ 而我们离下一次大流行其实并不远.