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Killer Germs
Everything readers ever wanted to know about deadly viruses, killer parasites, flesh-eating microbes, and other lifethreatening beasties but were afraid to ask
What disease, known as "the White Death" has killed 2 billion people, and counting?
What fatal disease lurks undetected in air conditioners and shower heads, waiting to become airborne?
How lethal is the Ebola virus, and will there ever be a cure for it?
How do you catch flesh-eating bacteria?
Killer Germs takes readers on a fascinating (sometimes horrifying) journey into the amazing world of viruses, bacteria, protozoa, fungi, and worms and explores the roles they have played in shaping the course of human history. From biblical plagues, to the AIDS crisis, to supergerms of the future, this updated and revised edition of the original covers the whole gamut of diseases that have threatened humanity since its origins.
It also includes a new chapter on the history of bioterrorism and the deplorable role it has played and is likely to play in the phenomenal diversity of diseases.
What disease, known as "the White Death" has killed 2 billion people, and counting?
What fatal disease lurks undetected in air conditioners and shower heads, waiting to become airborne?
How lethal is the Ebola virus, and will there ever be a cure for it?
How do you catch flesh-eating bacteria?
Killer Germs takes readers on a fascinating (sometimes horrifying) journey into the amazing world of viruses, bacteria, protozoa, fungi, and worms and explores the roles they have played in shaping the course of human history. From biblical plagues, to the AIDS crisis, to supergerms of the future, this updated and revised edition of the original covers the whole gamut of diseases that have threatened humanity since its origins.
It also includes a new chapter on the history of bioterrorism and the deplorable role it has played and is likely to play in the phenomenal diversity of diseases.
272 pages, Paperback
First published September 6, 2002
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3482 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 57 reviews
May 19, 2009
This is the book that began my love affair with all things infectious and lethal. Some people worry about North Korea becoming a nuclear power. Read this book and I guarantee nuclear weapons will be the least of your concerns.
February 1, 2019
Labai gerai struktūruota ir įdomi knyga apie bakterijas, virusus, parazitus - apie jų sukeliamas ligas, apie atradimų kelią iki vaistų ir vakcinų, apie bioterorizmo pavojus ir daug kitų įdomių dalykų.
Keli įdomūs dalykai:
• Alexander Fleming pavadino savo atradimą "mould juice" (pelėsių sultys), bet vėliau pasirinko kiek neutralesnį "penicilinas".
• Vienas iš naujų kovos su patogenais metodų - "mikroburbuliukai", t.y.sukuriami kažkokie labai maži (skaičiuojami nanometrais) burbuliukai, kurių paviršiaus įtempimo energija išlaisvinama jiems atsitrenkus į, tarkim, bakterijos sienelę, ir taip pastaroji pažeidžiama.
• Užsikrėsti galima labai daug kuo visuuuurrrr! Gali gauti streptokoką įsipjovęs skusdamasis arba su tamponu.
• Retrovirusai (tokie kaip ŽIV) įkopijuoja savo genetinės medžiagos į šeimininko DNR. Greičiausiai jų buvo daug per žmonijos ir gyvūnijos istoriją, o kai kurie mokslininkai mano, kad virusų DNR svarba genetinei įvairovei prilygintina lytinio dauginimosi svarbai.
• 1928 m. Nobelio premiją gavo bičas, kuris sugalvojo gydyti sifilį užkrėsdamas pacientą maliarija, nes maliarija sukelia stiprią karštinę, o sifilio bakterijos yra kaip sykis gana jautrios karščiui. Įdomu, kad tai netgi veikdavo ir kažkoks procentas pacientų pasveikdavo nuo sifilio (dar kažkoks turbūt po to numirdavo nuo maliarijos).
• Botulinas yra vienas paklausiausių bioginklų, kurio pusės stiklinės užtektų išnaikinti visus dabar gyvenančius žmones. Nuo jo yra kažkokie skiepai (lyg ir Persijos įlankos kare JAV kareiviai buvo skiepijami), bet problema - jei pasiskiepijai nuo botulino, tau nebeveiks botulino terapijos, tame tarpe ir botokso procedūros. Įsivaizduojat? Jei galvoji, kad metams bėgant užsimanysi prisileisti botokso ir kvailai atrodysi, gali iš anksto nuo to pasiskiepyti!
Iš esmės šita knyga labai gerai perduoda tam tikrą mintį - tai, kad būtina skirti laiko ir pinigų virusų, bakterijų, parazitų tyrimams ir jų sukeliamų ligų prevencijai. Net jei nri gyventi "natūraliai", pasaulis jau nebėra toks, koks anksčiau. Netgi ekologiški sprendimai leidžia atsirasti naujiems patogenams arba jau esamiems patekti į naujas populiacijas. Pavyzdžiui, neturtingoje šalyje statoma hirdoelektrinė, kad gyventojai gautų ekologiškos ir pigios energijos. Taip sukuriamas didelis stovinčio vandens rezervuaras, kuriame greit apsigyvena vandeninės sraigės, kurios yra pagrindinės kraujinių siurbikių perdavėjos žmonėms. O nuo kraujinių siurbikių jau ir taip miršta 3/4 milijono žmonių kasmet.
Iš gyvūnų žmonėms nuolatos pereina kokių nors virusų, bet dabar jie nebelieka izoliuoti mažose bendruomenėse ir gali plisti daug efektyviau. O kuo naujesnis virusas, tuo paprastai jis ir baisesnis, nes dar "neišmoko" nenužudyti savo šeimininko pačiu brutaliausiu būdu.
Baisiai įdomu.
Vienintelis nusiskundimas - knyga labai Amerika-centriška, atrodo, kad autoriui svarbiausia, kiek būtent amerikiečių numirė nuo kokios ligos, ką būtent JAV daro, kad apsisaugotų nuo to ar ano ir t.t. Knyga turbūt skirta JAV publikai, bet būtų smagu, jei ir kitos pasaulio dalys nebūtų taip probėgšmais paliečiamos.
Keli įdomūs dalykai:
• Alexander Fleming pavadino savo atradimą "mould juice" (pelėsių sultys), bet vėliau pasirinko kiek neutralesnį "penicilinas".
• Vienas iš naujų kovos su patogenais metodų - "mikroburbuliukai", t.y.sukuriami kažkokie labai maži (skaičiuojami nanometrais) burbuliukai, kurių paviršiaus įtempimo energija išlaisvinama jiems atsitrenkus į, tarkim, bakterijos sienelę, ir taip pastaroji pažeidžiama.
• Užsikrėsti galima labai daug kuo visuuuurrrr! Gali gauti streptokoką įsipjovęs skusdamasis arba su tamponu.
• Retrovirusai (tokie kaip ŽIV) įkopijuoja savo genetinės medžiagos į šeimininko DNR. Greičiausiai jų buvo daug per žmonijos ir gyvūnijos istoriją, o kai kurie mokslininkai mano, kad virusų DNR svarba genetinei įvairovei prilygintina lytinio dauginimosi svarbai.
• 1928 m. Nobelio premiją gavo bičas, kuris sugalvojo gydyti sifilį užkrėsdamas pacientą maliarija, nes maliarija sukelia stiprią karštinę, o sifilio bakterijos yra kaip sykis gana jautrios karščiui. Įdomu, kad tai netgi veikdavo ir kažkoks procentas pacientų pasveikdavo nuo sifilio (dar kažkoks turbūt po to numirdavo nuo maliarijos).
• Botulinas yra vienas paklausiausių bioginklų, kurio pusės stiklinės užtektų išnaikinti visus dabar gyvenančius žmones. Nuo jo yra kažkokie skiepai (lyg ir Persijos įlankos kare JAV kareiviai buvo skiepijami), bet problema - jei pasiskiepijai nuo botulino, tau nebeveiks botulino terapijos, tame tarpe ir botokso procedūros. Įsivaizduojat? Jei galvoji, kad metams bėgant užsimanysi prisileisti botokso ir kvailai atrodysi, gali iš anksto nuo to pasiskiepyti!
Iš esmės šita knyga labai gerai perduoda tam tikrą mintį - tai, kad būtina skirti laiko ir pinigų virusų, bakterijų, parazitų tyrimams ir jų sukeliamų ligų prevencijai. Net jei nri gyventi "natūraliai", pasaulis jau nebėra toks, koks anksčiau. Netgi ekologiški sprendimai leidžia atsirasti naujiems patogenams arba jau esamiems patekti į naujas populiacijas. Pavyzdžiui, neturtingoje šalyje statoma hirdoelektrinė, kad gyventojai gautų ekologiškos ir pigios energijos. Taip sukuriamas didelis stovinčio vandens rezervuaras, kuriame greit apsigyvena vandeninės sraigės, kurios yra pagrindinės kraujinių siurbikių perdavėjos žmonėms. O nuo kraujinių siurbikių jau ir taip miršta 3/4 milijono žmonių kasmet.
Iš gyvūnų žmonėms nuolatos pereina kokių nors virusų, bet dabar jie nebelieka izoliuoti mažose bendruomenėse ir gali plisti daug efektyviau. O kuo naujesnis virusas, tuo paprastai jis ir baisesnis, nes dar "neišmoko" nenužudyti savo šeimininko pačiu brutaliausiu būdu.
Baisiai įdomu.
Vienintelis nusiskundimas - knyga labai Amerika-centriška, atrodo, kad autoriui svarbiausia, kiek būtent amerikiečių numirė nuo kokios ligos, ką būtent JAV daro, kad apsisaugotų nuo to ar ano ir t.t. Knyga turbūt skirta JAV publikai, bet būtų smagu, jei ir kitos pasaulio dalys nebūtų taip probėgšmais paliečiamos.
October 25, 2018
I remember reading this book for summer for Mr. Silva's AP Biology summer work, and it was the biggest drag to read. Non fiction isn't my favorite genres to read in literature so you can understand why I didn't enjoy this book much. Killer Germs is very informative though if you want to know who started diseases, who formed them, what scientists did to get vaccines. There is a whole section dedicated to what doctors, from the past and some in the present, did to treat people with diseases like Aids, Chicken Pox, Small Pox, Herpes, Cows disease, Lime, The Black Death, The Plague, and many others similar to those. There is very interesting facts in this book like how scientists create a vaccine. They take a dead, frozen skin patch of a person with a disease and rub it onto an open wound of a person and right after they would give them that same dead wound but alive, and rub it onto the same person who was exposed to it, and they would not get that disease. There is also chemicals and natural earth resources that would be injected into the person, but they would give you the fake disease on purpose, but it is already in your body which makes the real disease not able to spread to your body because your cells know it is not something that should be in your body. (Sorry for the spoilers)
March 11, 2008
I learned how common TB is compared to what I thought. Which actually was rather unnerving. Plus this book was really good and up to date about all the issues we have concerning treating these "bugs" and the research being done.
February 17, 2019
4.5 stars
July 26, 2013
I loved this book, except for the last few pages. He starts getting into conspiracy theories, and I hate that crap, no matter how plausible. Still well worth the read. I learned a lot. For instance, don't be barefoot in the Southeast US, and don't go to remote Africa.
September 22, 2016
Another fabulous non fiction book that will teach you, scare you and fascinate you. This is a biography of many people and many germs. Germs, germs, germs. They are everywhere. It's a wonder any of us survive. They were here first and they will surely outlive even the billions of bugs, too.
January 4, 2023
uma obra interessante e bastante dinâmica com uma leitura bem fluida assim como os seus antecessores, se trazendo inúmeras informações e curiosidades sobre, além de uma linguagem técnica, atenta aos detalhes
September 10, 2025
Definitivamente o melhor livro da série (junto com o terceiro, o primeiro e segundo pode enterrar). Mesmo tendo um foco em dados dos EUA, mostra não só a importância do assunto quanto a germes e micróbios, como a ameaça de ataques bioterroristas. Não tem como ler esse livro sem ficar agoniado.
January 31, 2021
Informative for a person with little bio/medical background. I thought it was pertinent reading during the year of the pandemic. Learned a lot - material is well presented.
August 9, 2017
I've read a couple of books about germs recently and found this one to be a nice addition. While the others were telling a particular story about a specific germ or lab, this book was more of a comprehensive overview of all the super nasty germs out there as well as the struggle to discover cures and vaccines for them. As with the others it's full of some pretty scary stuff.
This book was written by two brothers who both have master of science degrees in microbiology and really know their germs. They have both also been teachers and I think this shows in their writing. It reads like a textbook at times and becomes a little tedious and overly scientific for my tastes. It actual put me to slept a few times even though I am very interested in the subject.
Tediousness aside this is a good book and I recommend it for anyone looking for an overview of the worst germs out there. I would, however, point out that this book is over ten years old so some of it is a little outdated, especially parts of the last chapter dealing with bioterrorism. Other than that, really informative book.
This book was written by two brothers who both have master of science degrees in microbiology and really know their germs. They have both also been teachers and I think this shows in their writing. It reads like a textbook at times and becomes a little tedious and overly scientific for my tastes. It actual put me to slept a few times even though I am very interested in the subject.
Tediousness aside this is a good book and I recommend it for anyone looking for an overview of the worst germs out there. I would, however, point out that this book is over ten years old so some of it is a little outdated, especially parts of the last chapter dealing with bioterrorism. Other than that, really informative book.
July 2, 2012
One of the most interesting look at diseases I've seen. The authors do a nice job of describing various bacteria, viruses, prions, protozoa, and worms, and the havoc they have wreaked throughout history. They also describe some of the technical aspects and physical symptoms of how these diseases operate. Some parts, quite honestly, are difficult to read, due to how graphic the authors get in their descriptions. My biggest complaint, and it is one that is not the fault of the authors, is that the book was published in 2002. They discuss vaccines and treatments, quite a few of which I am certain are out of date or updated in the past decade. I hope the authors eventually release a revised edition. Either way, it is a great general introduction if you're wanting to learn more about the proliferation of some of the world's deadliest diseases.
August 23, 2010
one of the most informative and interesting books you will ever read. you wont put it down
July 4, 2012
Very informational and interesting. The bioterrorism stuff was particularly frightening. Your average, non-biology-interested person would probably find this pretty blah, but I liked it.
June 21, 2012
Excellent!
December 30, 2012
Excellent book on the topic. One of the best I've ever read. Factual, accessible, non histrionic.
January 1, 2015
He goes deep into the science and explains thing very well. I have read many epidemiology books and this was one of the best.
Read
March 2, 2020Despite the prominent "Revised and Updated" claim on the cover, everything in this book was very clearly written in 2002. For the first part, which discusses the history of medicine, this isn't a big deal. There are a few areas where our knowledge has expanded, but overall it's fine.
The second half of the book, however, is about emerging diseases, such as AIDS and Ebola, and issues like bioterrorism. It is very strange to read an entire chapter about Ebola from before the epidemic, especially when discussing it as a potential future threat. I don't expect the whole text to be rewritten, but if it's going to advertise itself as "revised and updated," it should at least have an addendum for major events and developments.
Setting that aside, the good news is that the information in the text seems to be largely accurate, although there are (pretty much inevitably) a few places where timelines are shuffled a bit or claims are overstated. For a non-professional text, I didn't notice any significant factual errors (though, to be clear, while this is a subject I'm interested in and have studied, I am not a professional). In fact, I was pleasantly surprised at how many things I learned that I hadn't come across before (all of which held up to quick fact-checking). For example, the use of agar as a culturing medium was suggested by a woman who worked for Robert Koch, Fanny Hesse, who unsurprisingly was not credited for her contribution. It's unfortunate that many such people have been forgotten, but we really need to do better about crediting those we do know about.
However, I do have one major issue with this book. Some editorializing in a book like this is fine (preferable, really, to keep it from becoming too dry), but it should still be fairly neutral. There are a number of occasions where discussions about "Indians" (Native Americans; from what I remember, this switch was already solidly in place by 2002) and "homosexuals" get...questionable:
"It was apparent from the outset that AIDS was preferentially attacking gay men...One common factor among all the initial cases of 1980 and early 1981 was a promiscuous lifestyle. Ever since the 1969 Stonewall riots in Greenwich Village--when police tried to shut down a gay bar called Stonewall and arrest its patrons--the gay community had 'come out of the closet.' Homosexuals began demonstrating, becoming vocal and politically active in their demands for equal rights. Gay bathhouses opened up that were nothing short of orgy centers. This sudden sense of freedom caused a small but significant group of gay men to overindulge in casual sex. For some men that meant as many as several hundred partners a year!"
One part talks about the country of "Korea," post-war, with no differentiation between North and South, and while I do think there was an attempt to be reasonably objective, suffice to say that American views of Iraq in 2002 are not going to be the most balanced. It's not quite egregious enough to make me write off the book entirely--it's clear in the paragraph above, for instance, that the authors weren't trying to condemn gay people as a whole, and even seem to approach equality as an inherent right in a way that was unusual for 2002--but it's definitely a major problem and made it an increasingly uncomfortable read. At the same time, there was repeated acknowledgment of the fact that countries like the US place far lower value on the lives of people in places like Africa:
"Robin Marantz Henig makes the interesting observation in her book A Dancing Matrix that, were a seasoned African epidemiologist to be asked, 'What constitutes an epidemic worth looking into?' he would most likely answer, 'The death of one white person.'"
There was clearly some level of awareness, so I don't think it'd be too difficult to fix with a real updated version. But a proper update needs to happen before I would recommend this book, both due to those issues and sheer outdatedness.
The second half of the book, however, is about emerging diseases, such as AIDS and Ebola, and issues like bioterrorism. It is very strange to read an entire chapter about Ebola from before the epidemic, especially when discussing it as a potential future threat. I don't expect the whole text to be rewritten, but if it's going to advertise itself as "revised and updated," it should at least have an addendum for major events and developments.
Setting that aside, the good news is that the information in the text seems to be largely accurate, although there are (pretty much inevitably) a few places where timelines are shuffled a bit or claims are overstated. For a non-professional text, I didn't notice any significant factual errors (though, to be clear, while this is a subject I'm interested in and have studied, I am not a professional). In fact, I was pleasantly surprised at how many things I learned that I hadn't come across before (all of which held up to quick fact-checking). For example, the use of agar as a culturing medium was suggested by a woman who worked for Robert Koch, Fanny Hesse, who unsurprisingly was not credited for her contribution. It's unfortunate that many such people have been forgotten, but we really need to do better about crediting those we do know about.
However, I do have one major issue with this book. Some editorializing in a book like this is fine (preferable, really, to keep it from becoming too dry), but it should still be fairly neutral. There are a number of occasions where discussions about "Indians" (Native Americans; from what I remember, this switch was already solidly in place by 2002) and "homosexuals" get...questionable:
"It was apparent from the outset that AIDS was preferentially attacking gay men...One common factor among all the initial cases of 1980 and early 1981 was a promiscuous lifestyle. Ever since the 1969 Stonewall riots in Greenwich Village--when police tried to shut down a gay bar called Stonewall and arrest its patrons--the gay community had 'come out of the closet.' Homosexuals began demonstrating, becoming vocal and politically active in their demands for equal rights. Gay bathhouses opened up that were nothing short of orgy centers. This sudden sense of freedom caused a small but significant group of gay men to overindulge in casual sex. For some men that meant as many as several hundred partners a year!"
One part talks about the country of "Korea," post-war, with no differentiation between North and South, and while I do think there was an attempt to be reasonably objective, suffice to say that American views of Iraq in 2002 are not going to be the most balanced. It's not quite egregious enough to make me write off the book entirely--it's clear in the paragraph above, for instance, that the authors weren't trying to condemn gay people as a whole, and even seem to approach equality as an inherent right in a way that was unusual for 2002--but it's definitely a major problem and made it an increasingly uncomfortable read. At the same time, there was repeated acknowledgment of the fact that countries like the US place far lower value on the lives of people in places like Africa:
"Robin Marantz Henig makes the interesting observation in her book A Dancing Matrix that, were a seasoned African epidemiologist to be asked, 'What constitutes an epidemic worth looking into?' he would most likely answer, 'The death of one white person.'"
There was clearly some level of awareness, so I don't think it'd be too difficult to fix with a real updated version. But a proper update needs to happen before I would recommend this book, both due to those issues and sheer outdatedness.
October 18, 2023
3,5
No Brasil, esse é o volume 3 da coleção Medicina Macabra lançado pela Darkside books.
Bom, como os volumes anteriores, esse é mais um livro sobre fatos históricos e interessantes sobe medicina (obviamente) e nesse volume vamos saber mais sobre doenças ocorridas por vírus, bactérias, parasitas, entre outros. Também vai falar bastante sobre vacinas. E é aí, que, talvez, o problema more.
O estilo de escrita desse livro é bem menos informal do que os outros dois livros, o que pode deixar a leitura bem mais maçante. Não foi necessariamente um problema, mas me deixou um pouco cansada no final.
Em relação aos fatos, tiveram momentos bem interessantes, mas em outros achei que o fato de o livro ser focado para o público estadunidense, teve vários comentários sobre coisas relacionadas a dúvidas sobre as vacinas. É claro, nesse momento já sabemos que o movimento antivacina é grande nos EUA, mas é ainda mais chocante ler os fatos e ver como, em boa parte das situações, são os únicos a duvidar. Isso atrapalha o livro? Em partes, é lógico que foi interessante ver as diferenças culturais, mas gostaria que um livro sobre essas doenças fosse um pouco mais global.
No mais, é um livro interessante, mas é o mais fraco dos três.
No Brasil, esse é o volume 3 da coleção Medicina Macabra lançado pela Darkside books.
Bom, como os volumes anteriores, esse é mais um livro sobre fatos históricos e interessantes sobe medicina (obviamente) e nesse volume vamos saber mais sobre doenças ocorridas por vírus, bactérias, parasitas, entre outros. Também vai falar bastante sobre vacinas. E é aí, que, talvez, o problema more.
O estilo de escrita desse livro é bem menos informal do que os outros dois livros, o que pode deixar a leitura bem mais maçante. Não foi necessariamente um problema, mas me deixou um pouco cansada no final.
Em relação aos fatos, tiveram momentos bem interessantes, mas em outros achei que o fato de o livro ser focado para o público estadunidense, teve vários comentários sobre coisas relacionadas a dúvidas sobre as vacinas. É claro, nesse momento já sabemos que o movimento antivacina é grande nos EUA, mas é ainda mais chocante ler os fatos e ver como, em boa parte das situações, são os únicos a duvidar. Isso atrapalha o livro? Em partes, é lógico que foi interessante ver as diferenças culturais, mas gostaria que um livro sobre essas doenças fosse um pouco mais global.
No mais, é um livro interessante, mas é o mais fraco dos três.
June 10, 2025
Completamente Paranoica Construindo Um Bunker
- Medicina Macabra 3 deixou um gosto agridoce, mas que livro INCRÍVEL! Impecável, interessante, curioso e extremamente bem escrito.
- Esse volume tem uma abordagem totalmente diferente dos outros livros da série. O tom humorístico característico foi deixado de lado, mas isso de forma alguma o torna inferior. Pelo contrário, é o mais informativo e impactante da saga, trazendo reflexões e informações de grande relevância (inclusive, a parte que aborda a Covid-19 deveria ser leitura obrigatória).
- Único ponto negativo: a paranoia inevitável que surge durante a leitura. Confesso que, ao chegar na parte dos vírus, tive até pesadelos! No entanto, os autores reforçam que o pânico nunca é a melhor forma de prevenção para nenhuma das doenças exploradas no livro.
- Sinceramente, não tenho do que reclamar. Se você gosta de medicina, história, biologia ou temas afins, leia! Garanto que não vai se arrepender.
- Medicina Macabra 3 deixou um gosto agridoce, mas que livro INCRÍVEL! Impecável, interessante, curioso e extremamente bem escrito.
- Esse volume tem uma abordagem totalmente diferente dos outros livros da série. O tom humorístico característico foi deixado de lado, mas isso de forma alguma o torna inferior. Pelo contrário, é o mais informativo e impactante da saga, trazendo reflexões e informações de grande relevância (inclusive, a parte que aborda a Covid-19 deveria ser leitura obrigatória).
- Único ponto negativo: a paranoia inevitável que surge durante a leitura. Confesso que, ao chegar na parte dos vírus, tive até pesadelos! No entanto, os autores reforçam que o pânico nunca é a melhor forma de prevenção para nenhuma das doenças exploradas no livro.
- Sinceramente, não tenho do que reclamar. Se você gosta de medicina, história, biologia ou temas afins, leia! Garanto que não vai se arrepender.
September 26, 2018
This book is one one of many in the field of infectious diseases I have read. What I like in it are the interesting facts and the fascinating narrative. The book treats also the topic of multicellular parasites which is often omitted.
The information is somewhat outdated - the book is written in 2002 but is interestingly presented.
I would recommend it to the readers who are not very well introduced to epidemiology and want to start with interesting and understandable book.
The information is somewhat outdated - the book is written in 2002 but is interestingly presented.
I would recommend it to the readers who are not very well introduced to epidemiology and want to start with interesting and understandable book.
December 17, 2020
This is an excellent review of public health info on diseases. It provides significant background information on the origins and naming of diseases. It was published in early 2002 so is dated. It really needs updating in the same writing style. Some of the suggestions are spot on with COVID-19 and some predictions of then future activities needs to be updated. I recommend the book for anyone who wants to understand the science of diseases and their impact on Public Health.
July 22, 2022
Aw, this is awfully interesting. It’s well-researched and gives us a good number of reasons why we’re all going to die (joy! Man, it’s like reading a climate change book). It was boring for me though, personally, and served to replace Larry Olivier’s autobiography as “book you read when you want to sleep”.
I think anyone who has more of a passion for biology would find this much more valuable than me though!!
I think anyone who has more of a passion for biology would find this much more valuable than me though!!
February 11, 2023
This is an interesting book and very readable. I read the older edition (1997 or so). The book looks at a variety of ways that microbes and diseases invade and use the human body to replicate themselves, causing disease along the way. The book looks at a variety of microbes that are of serious danger to human life. By reading this book, we can realize that medical science still has important work to do and that the mysteries of life are still being unraveled.
March 6, 2025
2.5/5
The Zimmermans cover the material very well and explain scientific concepts in a way that is digestible by those unfamiliar with the field. But I would not say this was a fun read by any stretch. There were times where I wondered if I wanted to finish it. It is not very pleasurable material to read about how many horrible ways we may one day succumb to these illnesses.
The Zimmermans cover the material very well and explain scientific concepts in a way that is digestible by those unfamiliar with the field. But I would not say this was a fun read by any stretch. There were times where I wondered if I wanted to finish it. It is not very pleasurable material to read about how many horrible ways we may one day succumb to these illnesses.
July 21, 2022
The book was alright, I read it for an intro micro-bio class so while a bit tedious it was easy to understand for someone who isn't following the science track (that is to say it's factual without being too technical). One of the writers definitely has a distinct feel as occasionally they'll try to make things more entertaining by hitting you with the micro-bio version of a dad joke. All in all, if I had to I wouldn't mind rereading this book but otherwise, I think once was enough.
June 24, 2017
For those who want a page turner on viruses this a wonderful book!
September 11, 2019
Definitely a good reference book, if you're a writer or a medical science student. Probably would want to take notes as you go, as there are some lengthy sections (naturally).
December 29, 2019
Not as academic as I typically read or would have liked, but it’s a quick introduction to molecular biology. I learned some things, so I’m happy.
May 7, 2022
Very good breakdown of common diseases and the history of pathology. 4/5 since the book was published in 1996, so a bit dated. (still very good though).
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