pages reviewed on 7/3/2010 + 26 more book reviews

Not only is this about the devastating influenza outbreak, it's an excellent introduction to the history of germ theory and the development of the scientific method in the early 1900s. It's striking how little we knew back then and how relatively quickly we learned. Those false starts and blind alleys that the pioneers in labs struggle with are full of drama and tragedy. The author's prose can turn a little purple on occasion, but it's still a fascinating work.

If you have a choice between this and "Flu : The Story Of The Great Influenza Pandemic" by Gina Kolata, skip Kolata's book. This is the one to read.

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