The Healthiest City: Milwaukee and the Politics of Health Reform [Paperback]

Judith W. Leavitt (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: May 15, 1996

Between 1850 and 1900, Milwaukee’s rapid population growth also gave rise to high death rates, infectious diseases, crowded housing, filthy streets, inadequate water supplies, and incredible stench. The Healthiest City shows how a coalition of reform groups brought about community education and municipal action to achieve for Milwaukee the title of “the healthiest city” by the 1930s. This highly praised book reminds us that cutting funds and regulations for preserving public health results in inconvenience, illness, and even death.
    “A major work. . . . Leavitt focuses on three illustrative issues—smallpox, garbage, and milk, representing the larger areas of infectious disease, sanitation, and food control.”—Norman Gevitz, Journal of the American Medical Association
    “Leavitt’s research provides additional evidence . . . that improvements in sanitation, living conditions, and diet contributed more to the overall decline in mortality rates than advances in medical practice. . . . A solid contribution to the history of urban reform politics and public health.”—Jo Ann Carrigan, Journal of American History

Editorial Reviews

Review

"A model study of its kind."—Choice

About the Author

Judith Walzer Leavitt is professor of the history of medicine and women’s studies at the University of Wisconsin–Madison. She is the editor of Women and Health in America and coeditor of Sickness & Health in America, both published by the University of Wisconsin Press.

Product Details

• Paperback: 318 pages
• Publisher: University of Wisconsin Press (May 15, 1996)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0299151646
• ISBN-13: 978-0299151645
• Product Dimensions: 8.5 x 5.6 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 14.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,054,117 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #36 in Books > Travel > United States > States > Wisconsin

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Outstanding book, Especially for public health officials, May 10, 1999

By 

[e-mail] (Miami, Florida) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Healthiest City: Milwaukee and the Politics of Health Reform (Paperback)

I have to say that this is one of the best books that I've ever read. Once you start reading the healthiest city, you won't wanna put it down. I enjoy the fact that the author talked about the problems Milwaukee was facing and how the city officials were able to solve those problems. The problems ranged from garbage, smallpox, milk and many others. This book can truly enlighten one's knowledge. I truly recommend it.

5.0 out of 5 stars Disease, Sanitation, and Cities, September 17, 2008

By 

leen_7 - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Healthiest City: Milwaukee and the Politics of Health Reform (Paperback)

Leavitt's Healthiest City provides one of the only comprehensive reviews of the history of public health in Milwaukee. While the topic may seem obscure, public health in U.S. cities has played a prominent role in both the formation of political policies and the quality of life in our urban areas. Leavitt's book takes a look at the importance of public health in a city once slated as "America's Healthiest".