Encyclopedia of Plague and Pestilence: From Ancient Times to the Present [Paperback]

George C. Kohn (Editor)

Editorial Reviews

From Booklist

We found that there is not a huge difference between this and the previous edition, which was published in 1995. Among the new entries are Angolan poliomyelitis epidemic of 1999, British "mad cow" disease outbreak, Ugandan Ebola outbreak of 2000, and U.S. West Nile virus outbreak. Also new is an appendix listing entries by disease, a helpful addition given the somewhat idiosyncratic entry headings. This is a useful resource for high-school and public libraries, especially given recent events. However, because the focus is historical rather than scientific, libraries that own the first edition may not need to update. RBB
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Product Details

• Paperback: 454 pages
• Publisher: Checkmark Books; Revised edition (March 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0816048932
• ISBN-13: 978-0816048939
• Product Dimensions: 10.7 x 8.3 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.8 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,955,434 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5.0 out of 5 stars IT'S ALL HERE, June 24, 2005

By 

Severin Olson (Hyattsville, Maryland United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Encyclopedia of Plague and Pestilence: From Ancient Times to the Present (Paperback)

Above all an encyclopedia should be comprehensive. It is most disappointing to read one covering only material one already knows. This one does not disappoint. The author, (editor), has done his homework and given the reader a glimpse of how destructive infectious disease can be. From Canada to New Zealand; ancient times to the present; and Aids to Yellow Fever, we learn how mankind has had to cope with pestilence. Kohn even includes outbreaks of diseases I never knew existed (Miliary Fever?).

Although I like the A-Z format used here, I have to agree with the last reviewer that it can be a touch confusing. One doesn't always know if an epidemic should be looked up under the name of a city, locality or country. But this is a small flaw. Readers should also be aware that the book has been updated.