A Good Time to Be Born: How Science and Public Health Gave Children a Future

by Perri Klass

The fight against child mortality that transformed parenting, doctoring, and the way we live.
Only one hundred years ago, in even the world’s wealthiest nations, children died in great numbers—of diarrhea, diphtheria, and measles, of scarlet fever and tuberculosis. Throughout history, culture has been shaped by these deaths; diaries and letters recorded them, and writers such as Louisa May Alcott, W. E. B. Du Bois, and Eugene O’Neill wrote about and mourned them. Not even the powerful and the wealthy could of Abraham and Mary Lincoln’s four children, only one survived to adulthood, and the first billionaire in history, John D. Rockefeller, lost his beloved grandson to scarlet fever. For children of the poor, immigrants, enslaved people and their descendants, the chances of dying were far worse.
The steady beating back of infant and child mortality is one of our greatest human achievements. Interweaving her own experiences as a medical student and doctor, Perri Klass pays tribute to groundbreaking women doctors like Rebecca Lee Crumpler, Mary Putnam Jacobi, and Josephine Baker, and to the nurses, public health advocates, and scientists who brought new approaches and scientific ideas about sanitation and vaccination to families. These scientists, healers, reformers, and parents rewrote the human experience so that—for the first time in human memory—early death is now the exception rather than the rule, bringing about a fundamental transformation in society, culture, and family life.
Previously published in hardcover as A Good Time to Be Born .

Genres: Nonfiction, Science, History, Medicine, Medical, Audiobook, Health Care

Audio CD

Published December 8, 2020

About the author

Perri Klass is a pediatrician who writes fiction and non-fiction. She writes about children and families, about medicine, about food and travel, and about knitting. Her newest book is a novel, The Mercy Rule, and the book before that was a work of non-fiction, Treatment Kind and Fair: Letters to a Young Doctor, written in the form of letters to her older son as he starts medical school.
She lives in New York City, where she is Professor of Journalism and Pediatrics at New York University, and she has three children of her own. She is also Medical Director of Reach Out and Read, a national literacy organization which works through doctors and nurses to promote parents reading aloud to young children.
source: www.perriklass.com

Reviews

[Andy · Rating 2 out of 5]

Not my cup of tea. A good chunk of the book is a series of sad stories about dead children from history, literature and elsewhere. The author makes numerous interesting cultural observations about motherhood, but I was looking for more objective information about what led to the dramatic decline in childhood mortality. Instead, on that front, I felt the reader was often getting an unclear version of things. For example:
-The title sets up a false dichotomy between "science and public health." Especially now in the midst of the COVID pandemic, do we want to be implying that public health is not science?
-In the chapter on SIDS, we hear about Back to Sleep decreasing SIDS rates, but there's not a word about the preceding pandemic of SIDS that increased those rates in the first place.
-There's a general impression given that infant mortality rates have decreased steadily over time, but that doesn't seem correct. As noted on page 73, infant mortality was increasing in New York City in the 19th Century. Did infant mortality peak with the industrial revolution?
-There's a good section on the market milk problem, but other sanitary reforms with sewers, clean water supplies and such get short shrift (p. 60).

Other books to consider:
The Origins of Human Disease
Factfulness: Ten Reasons We're Wrong About the World – and Why Things Are Better Than You Think
The Role Of Medicine: Dream, Mirage, Or Nemesis?
Centuries of Childhood: A Social History of Family Life

[Kathryn Bashaar · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book is a survey of the medical breakthroughs of the past couple hundred years that have led to an astounding decline in infant and child mortality. The infant mortality rate in the U.S. in 2017 was 5.8 deaths for every 1000 births. As recently as 1915, the rate was 100 deaths for every 1000 births.

Klass tells her story somewhat chronologically. In the 19th and early 20th century, medical science learned a lot about the contributions that contaminated waters and milk made to infant deaths. Improved municipal water supplies and the practice of pasteurizing milk led to a big decline in infants deaths from diarrheic diseases in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Over the course of the rest of the 20th century, diphtheria, strep infections, TB, and measles were conquered by vaccines and improved treatments. And premature babies who would have died as recently as the 1970s can now be saved. It is a great, heroic story, and Klass tells it in terms that a lay reader can understand.

As a Boomer who grew up in the 1960s and raised my own children in the 1990s the book was a little time travel through my own life, too. I got measles, mumps and chicken pox as a child, but was vaccinated for smallpox and polio. My own children never even needed the smallpox vaccine, but were vaccinated for measles, mumps and polio. They were among the last cohort of children to get chicken pox, though.

My only complaint about this book is that it started to get a little repetitive about 2/3 of the way through.

Like my reviews? Check out my blog at http://www.kathrynbashaar.com/blog/
Author of The Saints Mistress https://camcatbooks.com/Books/T/The-S...

[Joseph · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received a digital galley of "A Good Time to be Born," from Net Galley in exchange for a fair review.

In general, this book gives an insightful overview of the medical advances over the past few centuries that have been critical in improving infant and child mortality. Klass does a nice job reviewing primary source material from public health workers, nurses, physicians and researchers that intelligently includes the contributions of African-Americans and women that have taken an event--childhood death--that used to be so common among both impoverished and wealthy families to where as now a childhood death is looked upon as unusual.

When I first started reading the book, I became worried about the repetitiveness of how many similarities of the following statement occurred, "In previous centuries, no matter how rich and powerful parents were, no matter how many important doctors they could summon, they had a very limited ability to protect the children they loved," in the introduction and first chapter. The first chapter is essentially a review of how childhood death was portrayed in literature that emphasized the above quote. Portions of the first chapter could have been integrated into the other chapters to humanistically represent what cultural productions like plays, literature and movies portrayed about children's health. Fortunately, Klass eliminated my frustrations in the first sentence of Chapter 2 by starting it with the following sentence quoted from the anti-slavery newspaper ,The Liberator: "American mothers! Can you doubt that the slave feels as tenderly for her offspring as you do for yours?...Will you not raise your voices, and plead for her emancipation?" She then gives a forceful, inspiring narrative (including an 1860 document listing the prices of enslaved people), how African-American children suffered under the savagery of slavery and how African-American writers poignantly captured the grief of seeing their infants die, experiencing the same grief and loss as Caucasians and then continuing throughout the book highlights the important contributions that African-American pubic health workers, nurses and physicians contributed to improving childhood mortality. This is history that is inclusive and inspiring.

The book goes on to highlight what you would expect a medically-focused history of childhood mortality to address--breastfeeding, infectious diseases, vaccine, the development of Neonatal Intensive Care Units, etc. All of which appear to be grounded by historical research and her clinical experience as a pediatrician when some of these developments occurred. She does a nice job explaining medically-related concepts in an easy to understand format but does not lose a more general reader who might be less interested in a scientific explanation of how these advances led to improved mortality.

That said, a medical focus on improved mortality will necessarily not provide a comprehensive overview of the entire story of improved childhood mortality. Although Klass mentions other factors as early as the introduction-- poverty, education, environmental, personal behaviors--that contribute just as much, if not more, to improved mortality, these are not explained to any substantial degree, nor is HIV/AIDS in "A Good Time to be Born." Legislative and legal contributions, including regulatory improvements in environment, housing and labor, are also not given equal treatment compared to medical advances. This is not necessarily a fatal flaw, just that the book reflects the author's background in the medical sciences. Klass also mentions and laments how there is still a difference between African-American infant mortality versus Caucasian infant mortality. Even though rates have dropped precipitously compared to prior decades and centuries, we can't declare victory until this rate narrows and here is where a broader view of overall health rather than just medical care can help better inform these disparities of care and what needs to be done to advances these social determinants of health. Lastly, there is no discussion on how medical harm through the delivery of care sometimes contributes to less than optimal pediatric health outcomes.

I don't want this review to focus on the potential omissions of Klass's book on why childhood mortality has improved over the past centuries, particularly because in her skillful telling she highlights the humanity in children and their families that you end up inspired by reading her narrative and want all of us to continue to ensure that all children grow up loved, cared for and supported by their parents and their communities. Although I didn't give this 5 stars, it still should be read for its literary and medical history merits.

[Steve · Rating 4 out of 5]

Reading about the rampant infant mortality a hundred years ago was hard to take, but the book got happier as mortality decreased over the 20th century. A lot of things helped, and especially interesting to read about how the many vaccines were developed and put into use over the years.

[Kathleen Gray · Rating 5 out of 5]

I admit first that I have been a fan of Perri Klass for years because of her ability to bring difficult medical information into clear and humane focus. This latest volume, which is more medical history than anything else, is a fascinating look at infant mortality and, thankfully, how things have improved over the years. She delves into how race and class impact a child's prospects (or don't). childhood diseases, the value of vaccination, and other topics. Her writing is, as always, clear and direct but with a tone that never hectors (even where it might be easy to do so). This has been deeply and carefully researched and her conclusions are supported by data which, rest assured, never overwhelms the narrative. She's encouraged by how things have changed and that comes through loud and clear. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC. This is well worth a read.

[Mary Northrup · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you are concerned about people who refuse vaccines or who do not take disease seriously, or if you worry about your children or grandchildren or young relatives, read this book. Klass takes the reader through the whole grim history of child mortality -- and how medical and public health professionals have vastly improved children's lives. Sanitation, education, diphtheria, scarlet fever, polio, TB, measles, prematurity -- they are all here, with the history and anecdotes that only a practicing pediatrician and prolific writer can provide. This book will make you appreciate modern medicine!

[victoria.p · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fascinating, if a little heavy on Victorian child death anecdotes. I guess there were so many people who lost kids - and so many famous people - that there was a wealth to choose from.

[Margaret Butler · Rating 5 out of 5]

My daughter bought this and it's a fascinating mix of history and science. Klass is a pediatrician who tells the story of the fights to bring down infant mortality. Lots of really great stories and amazing women who engaged to change the whole experience of parenting. We no longer expect to lose a baby or young child.

[Karenclifford61 · Rating 3 out of 5]

While the author provided background related to past childhood mortality issues, I felt this read more as a term paper (with footnoted sources) showing how progress in the 20th century has saved lives, and is probably a fine book to recommend to (insecure) first time parents.

While I know childhood mortality has been greatly reduced through penicillin and knowledge/education/safer environments, I guess i was looking for more specific information on the actual suffering associated with loss. (Yes, incredibly petty of me)

The conclusion summarizes the author's ideas best by saying "...we are, no question the luckiest parents in history. However much we whine and cry about the hazards of parenting, none of us would trade any of our first world problems for a supposedly simplier world that doubled the chance of losing a child. A century ago, the chance was more than doubled and a century before that even greater...." She further goes on to say "...(today's) parents are haunted by the fear of making the wrong decision, forgetting a precaution, or exposing a child to the risks that continue to haunt parental nightmares."

I suppose my insecurities toward parenting are more common than I thought. Still, this book just wasn't for me (a non-parent)

[Steve · Rating 5 out of 5]

Science writing done right

I loved everything about this book. Dr. Perri Klass’s excellent writing carried me along with her clever wording and some well placed humor. I couldn’t put the book down. Some parts of the book, where Klass discussed the bad old days, are absolutely heart-breaking but conversely, Klass explains how things have improved since then. The other aspect of the book I liked is that Klass puts herself into the story as we learn more about her and her journey. This book is an example of great science writing and is a must-read.
Disclosure: I received a complimentary copy of this book via Netgalley for review purposes.

[Maddie Clark · Rating 1 out of 5]

i was tempted to say that this was a textbook and not a novel, but that is too high of a praise. ive never given a book one star in my life. this is the first. this was someone who cannot write a book. facts and stories were simply regurgitated. charles darwin, ok we've heard of him before. dr. spock, again old news. i have never read something so boring and horribly written. the author has no literary talents, employs no language techniques and the vocabulary is juvenile at best. the author is not an expert in any sense. they are not a historian, and it's evident when they just provide information without any analysis, connection, or explanation. very disappointed.

[Krystelle · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book illuminates the way in which public healthcare has developed over the decades, and there's some fascinating insights into how the world has changed. Children were somewhat hit or miss, and nowadays the death of a child is a rare and incredibly painful thing for all society- whereas it used to be a matter of a lottery.

All-in-all, an interesting insight into the world of public health, and how much things have changed for the better.

[Lionel Taylor · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book traces the development of pediatric medicine from the 19th century to today and as the title implies, children living today live in a time of safety and prosperity unprecedented in human history.
The book begins in the mid-19th century focusing on the ubiquity of death among infants and children and how the loved ones of these children dealt with the devastating loss. Childhood death was such a common occurrence at this time that it was a popular topic in pop culture at that time. It was depicted in several works of literature and works of art. While, just like today, those on the margins of society suffered from it disproportionately, no one was completely safe from it. The author gives several examples of prominent people such as Charles Darwin, Harriet Beacher Stowe, and W.E.B Dubois who experienced the loss of a child. Before the advent of effective treatments and vaccines, no child was safe from the scourages of common communicable diseases. Despite the grim beginning of the book, however, Klass's story is one of progress. From the bleak early 19th century she paints a picture of scientific progress to the point that many diseases that once struck fear into the hears of new parents are virtually unknown to us today.
As the book progresses it uses a combination of specific examples from medical history to show this progress. Starting with the earliest attempts to confront challenges like smallpox and child malnutrition to the development of the Chicken Pox vaccine in the late 1990s. What makes the story especially interesting is the author's stories and anecdotes from her own career as a pediatrician spanning over 3 decades. She points out that a century ago, it would have been a minor miracle for a child to make it to age 5 without being afflicted with one of several different diseases that put their lives at risk. The focus of medicine at the time was to save the lives of these children. Now that such illnesses are no longer prominent the work of pediatricians has shifted to treating what are considered quality-of-life illnesses such as the proper development of the child. But despite this progress, the author warns, we should not become lax as many childhood illnesses are making a comeback due to the recent increase in vaccine hesitancy. The book ends with a warning that while the bad old days of high infant mortality from illness are in the past, that does not mean that they will not come back if given the chance.
This book is an interesting and very readable story about medical history as well as a memoir of one physician’s very interesting career. Klass’s book is very readable and highly recommend it.

[Dar]

Perri Klass is one of my heroes, as a pediatrician, author and medical director of Reach Out and Read. I discovered her stories and novels (with medical themes) in the late 80s!

I must say this book was grim reading, with its accounts of the impacts of baby and child deaths on families, from diseases and conditions that are now either preventable or treatable: diphtheria, scarlet fever, "blood poisoning," cholera, TB, typhoid, polio and measles, to name a few. Before germ theory, neither doctors nor parents knew what caused communicable illnesses, and they were often attributed to the children being "feeble" or "not fit to live." Parents and congregations told stories of children "too good for this world." Access to wealth and medical care did not improve outcomes because the knowledge and treatments just weren't there. Every rich family lost children too (for example, almost all American presidents lost children to communicable illnesses, until the late 20th century).

Klass traces the history of improved sanitation (including control of childbirth infections), food inspection, nutrition, the comeback of breastfeeding, the development of antibiotics and vaccines, and the spread of safety equipment and knowledge (such as efforts to decrease SIDS deaths and the promotion of car seats). She doesn't shy away from harms caused by contaminated foods, formulas and medicines, and the ethics of medical trials.

For anyone who would like to go back to the good old days before Western medicine was prevalent, I would not like to see the return of 10-50% childhood death rates. Hygiene and preventative medicine are wonderful but not sufficient when something new breaches your defenses (e.g. look at the fate of Indigenous North Americans when exposed to smallpox). We have largely left "survival of the fittest" behind us and agree that every child deserves to grow up. It is strange to live in times when the chances of a child being impacted by a severe illness, and the chances of being impacted by a rare vaccine complication or allergy to a medicine are so unequal, yet so politicized. For example, 1 in 1000 children develops encephalitis and brain injury from measles, but only 1 child since 1970 has developed it from a vaccine. Since vaccines have made measles rare in North America, there is a tendency not to care how it impacts children in less developed countries. Lots of food for thought here.

[Scott Pearson · Rating 5 out of 5]

The life-or-death fate of children has changed dramatically over the past 200 years due to research, medicine, and public health. Abraham and Mary Todd Lincoln famously grieved the loss of their child in the White House years ago, but they were hardly alone. Rather in that era, losing a child, often due to illness or mishaps, was pretty much normal though still tragic. Today, such an experience is the exception, and we are all better for it. In this book, pediatrician Perri Klass examines the slow but steady triumph of science over common childhood ailments.

Science, especially in the twentieth century, witnessed advances over most diseases of childhood. A list of the most common causes of death in 1900 looks very different than a similar list in 2000. Tuberculosis, rheumatic fever, scarlet fever, measles, and diphtheria are presently known – or forgotten – as historical anomalies, yet they were all dreaded entities decades ago. Research advances in treatment and vaccines prevention spare us today.

Disease by disease, Klass describes the story behind each of these victories. Reading this work can open a reader’s eyes to the power of science and the power of empowering researchers. She concludes by dwelling on how societal attitudes have changed due to these breakthroughs. We are now hyperaware – and thus often overprotective – of dangers to the young. Childhood death sometimes casts shame over a family today. We can expect too much perfection instead of too little, as we did in prior eras. We also deal with massive misinformation and mistrust of medicine… despite all its triumphs.

This book is well suited to those interested in medical history. It’s also good preparation for those entering health professions to learn about these diseases through the engaging lens of history. Klass tells a good story that shouldn’t pass into the dustheaps of a forgotten past. Life is a treasure, and remembering prior successes can refine our focus towards engaging present challenges – and hopefully winning future successes. This book offers a nice narrative to dwell upon these themes.

[José Antonio Lopez · Rating 4 out of 5]

A well balanced, documented narrative of how humanity has achieved the lowest child mortality ever. As MD and prolific writer, Perri Klass supports her thesis with a wide and deep reference pool.

One of the first lessons from A Good Time to be Born is that despite high child mortality in the past, families were not "used" and "toughen" with the death of children. Somehow the pain and impotence of the pervasive experience of loosing a child fueled the research for solutions at all levels. However, it was until recently that humanity could provide enough pregnancy and child support to assure high rates of survival.

From prenatal care to safety, a myriad of solutions had become common practice. Sometimes they needed government intervention, others it was community concern, or individual who having faced child mortality, envision a solution; but always it was a joint effort to save more children. Despite some well known names, history is incapable of recognize all the heroes that made progress possible. Klass work is a tribute to them, a tribute to their contribution.

Among all the cases developed in A Good Time to be Born one seems specially interesting; vaccines. It is possible to draw parallels between the early vaccines, specially for measles that was considered a mild desease, with the current COVID-19 pandemic. Topics like the urgency to immunize as many people as possible, the dilemma of using government force to reach wide coverage, or dealing with anti-vax movement that back then had reasonable doubts, but after almost 100 yrs of experience with vaccines appeal to conspiracy theories.

Let's celebrate life reading Perri Klass A Good Time to be Born. There is still work to be done, but working together humanity can achieve an even better time to be born.

[Roberta Wright · Rating 5 out of 5]

An absolutely fascinating book fiction book about childhood health and diseases. The author is a pediatrician who had been working for decades, and tells us about her historical research and personal experience of what were once common childhood ailments, like measles, scarlet fever and diphtheria. It is amazing to think about how within living memory we have moved from virtually every parent having to live with the expected death of a child, to a world where childhood death is thankfully incredibly rare. It really makes you realise how much we owe to sanitation, knowledge of germs and hygiene and vaccination to have changed our lives so fundamentally. The author did a great and very even handed job of explaining how vaccinations and the care of premature babies became contentious issues, and how both have changed family life. I read this book in one sitting, and although it might seem like a morbid subject, ultimately I felt uplifted by the massive progress we have made across the world in child life expectancy. A really great read.

[Margaret · Rating 4 out of 5]

Until this book I've only known the author, Perri Klass, as a writer in the realm of knitting (she's a prolific knitter and writes great knitting essays - yes, that's a thing). I knew she was also a doctor, and this book brings that home. It's a fascinating read about children's health and mortality, and how both have improved over the last 200 years due to advances in science and public health, including developments in understanding viruses and bacteriology, vaccines, improvements in milk and water sources and sanitation, and also improvements in safety, such as seatbelts and sleep practices. Each chapter is a dip into various aspects of the foregoing, including details as to the vicious "old" diseases, such as diphtheria. Published in 2020, the Dr. Klass and the publisher were able to squeeze in some mentions of the Covid-19 pandemic, so this is pretty up to the minute.

[Steve · Rating 4 out of 5]

There have been great advances in public health, medicine, and laws to protect children that have taken us from my grandparents generation, where it was not at all uncommon for someone to have a sibling that died in childhood, to my generation where that is very uncommon. Well researched and written in a lively style that combines the authors personal experiences with the history of the topics discussed I enjoyed this read. Covering the discovery of bacteria and battling tuberculosis, cholera, Diphtheria, scarlet fever, the discovery of sulfa compounds and antibiotics, vaccinations against polio and measles (including the debunked autism/vaccine study), parenting methods including Dr. Spock and child protection laws such as car seats and sids prevention. received a free Kindle Edition of this book through the Goodreads First Reads giveaways.

[Michael · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am very glad I read this book. It is just what the title says. It was a stunning reminder to me that through the course of most of human history children have died very young, very often. The moment that we live in now is due to the dedicated work of many thinkers, parents, physicians, government workers and more. The author does an excellent job of laying out the history, the practices - small and large, which have changed the survivability of childhood for the better. It is even crazier making for our present moment and so many of the responses to Covid that spread the disease rather than ease it.

[Lori · Rating 4 out of 5]

An accessible history of how we went from losing about one-quarter (or more) of our children before the age of five to losing less than one percent. Now losing a child is a terrible exception. The book is light on numbers (there's only one graph) but the numbers before about 1900 are not complete. (Many people never recorded miscarriages or stillborn children.)

This book is a quick read gathering information from many areas to show how the world has 'conquered' childhood death. I recommend it to historians, mothers, and anyone interested in learning how the modern world came to be.

This book was acquired through Goodreads Giveaway.

4 stars - interesting to just about anyone.

[Rick Elinson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Perri Klass reviews in a fresh way all of the medical and social advances that have led to the huge decreases in infant and child mortality since 1850. She ranges over diphtheria, contaminated milk, TB, antibiotics, vaccines, scarlet fever, sulfa drugs, polio, measles, premature birth, breast feeding, SIDS, and many other things. Somehow she makes this enjoyable reading. Klass does this in part by relating the medical history to popular literature and culture and to her own experiences in training to be a pediatrician. Quite a remarkable presentation.

[Becky · Rating 5 out of 5]

In A Good Time to Be Born, Perri Klass reminds us that the expectation that almost all our children will live to grow up and lead healthy lives is a gift. This book is a fascinating journey that takes us through the history of infant and childhood immortality giving insight to the heroic work that has nearly eliminated the devastation of childhood diseases to more recent advocacy efforts to lessen the unnecessary deaths from automobile accidents before car seats. It’s encouraging to see how far we’ve come and that we will overcome again.

[Cass · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a moving and humbling book. Dr. Klass is very good at putting us into the world of the past, when children’s lives were immeasurably more fragile than today. The writing is friendly and accessible, just what we would hope for from a physician and parent.

I wouldn’t have minded a little more statistical context, even as an annex, but that’s not really this author’s style. She also leaves aside the big question of what happens in a world with too many people, now that these children survive. That’s a tough one, and a totally different question, so it’s hard to fault her.

[Felicity · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love Perri Klass--always so informative and practical and taking the side of the child. This is a fascinating history of children dying young throughout history. My own grandmother's tragic loss of two children now seems to fit into history instead of being a terrible stroke of bad luck. We are so lucky this pandemic has not affected children. In my own childhood, children were still dying of and being maimed by polio. Our children now are so lucky. We ought to take better care of them, all of them. We have the means.

[Emily Waldron · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.5 -3 stars. Interesting history with some specifically fascinating nuggets, but I found this book dry with waaaayy too many topics. Would be much more interesting if Klass focused on only one or two childhood diseases instead of so many. The book became repetitive, and I struggled to get through the last third of the book.

I liked how Klass brought up references to childhood diseases thoughout literature (Little Women, Uncle Tom's Cabin ect) but again she went overboard and it become very repetitive with the slew of books and diseases she referenced.

[Evan Þ. · Rating 4 out of 5]

Only a hundred years ago, many children did not reach their first birthday - let alone adulthood. And that was still an improvement over two hundred years ago, when it would have been "most." This book tells the story of the public health doctors and interventions that, point by point, fought away each avenue of death.

I'd heard of a lot of these before, but it was great seeing them spelled out on the page. The telling isn't the most organized or engaging, but it's a story well worth reading.

[Jennifer Schultz · Rating 4 out of 5]

Read if you: Want an eye-opening, heartbreaking, and inspiring look at how science and public health efforts have lowered the severity of formerly deadly childhood diseases, along with current social/health issues that affect children today. Racial/economic barriers and inequalities to health acess are discussed, which makes this wide-ranging.

Librarians/booksellers: This is a fascinating medical history read, and quite timely as well. One of my favorite reads so far of 2020.

Many thanks to W.W. Norton & Company and Edelweiss for a digital review copy in exchange for an honest review.

[Sue Flaherty · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thinking how dangerous a world we live in now? This book describes in sometimes rambling detail how dangerous the world was to infants and children in the past decades of time. Most families experienced the loss of a child, whether an infant or teenager. Indeed we are at a much better time in our world. Science will save us if we use it wisely.

[Daniel Farabaugh · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a timely homage to the good the public health initiatives have done over the last century to dramatically lessen child mortality. The author does a very good job of setting up the cultural changes as well as our expectations for children have changed. It was a bit unfocused at times but overall very good.