Friday, February 12, 2010

Plagues & Poxes: The Rise and Fall of Epidemic Disease PDF

Rating: (4 reviews) Author: Alfred J. Bollet ISBN : 9780939957064 New from $266.06 Format: PDF
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  • Hardcover: 196 pages
  • Publisher: Demos Medical Publishing (June 1, 1987)
  • Language: English
  • ISBN-10: 093995706X
  • ISBN-13: 978-0939957064
  • Product Dimensions: 9.7 x 6.2 x 1 inches
  • Shipping Weight: 15.2 ounces

Plagues & Poxes: The Rise and Fall of Epidemic Disease PDF

The "M.D." stands prominently after the author's name on the cover of this book and that's probably for a good reason: this text would fit better in the pages of a medical journal then as a book for public consumption. As a reader with a science background (albeit in physics) I am always ready to read a new science book. I also have an interest in the study of disease, particularly as it relates to the historical development of the human race. Still, this book was a disappointment.

Consider the following passage from the chapter on anthrax: "Most naturally occurring anthrax strains are sensitive to penicillin, which historically has been the preferred anthrax therapy. Doxycycline is the preferred option among the tetracycline class of agents, because it has been proved efficacious in monkey studies. Other members of this class of antibiotics are suitable, and animal studies suggest that such prophylaxis should be effective. The floroquinolone antibiotics (such as ciprofloxacin [Cipro])should have equivalent efficacy, but no data are available..." Not only is this dull prose, it is unimportant to the thread of the story that Dr. Bollett claims he is telling. And this is only one of the most prominent examples of poor prose (besides making me wonder whether or not Dr. Bollett has any financial interest in Cipro).

According to the introduction, this book is a revised edition to an earlier book on the same subject. I didn't read the first edition but I have a feeling it is much better than this book. Mainly because the last three chapters on emerging diseases are the poorest in the book and are probably new to this addition. As are what I expect are new paragraphs near the end of every chapter that relates how every single disease in history could be weaponized.

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