Little Book of Pandemics [Paperback]

Peter Moore (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: February 12, 2008

As the world waits once again to see if the latest virus will decimate the population, The Little Black of Pandemics looks at the greatest natural killers of all time.

This concise and intelligent look at the most deadly viral and bacterial diseases includes expert opinion on likely future outbreaks, method of contagion, identification of systems, and likelihood of survival.

Includes influenza, smallpox, West Nile virus, AIDS, Ebola, SARS, plague, typhus, cholera, tuberculosis, Rocky Mountain spotted fever, leprosy, meningitis, vCJD, hepatitis, yellow fever, Lassa fever, and many more.

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

Adult/High School—Moore answers questions about Ebola-including where it came from and what would happen if terrorists acquired the virus-and 49 other diseases. They are grouped by means of transmission and include headline grabbers such as SARS, avian flu, and anthrax, as well as conditions considered relatively mild in Western countries, such as measles and chicken pox. Basic information is provided in two to four pages and illustrated with a map of where the disease is active, a drawing of the human body showing the areas affected, and bar graphs indicating how infectious and severe the disease is, its fatality rate, and how dangerous it would be as a bioweapon. Owen's companion volume has a similar format, with brief narratives of 50 crimes, mostly murders, and an emphasis on explaining the methods by which the cases were solved by forensic science, including fingerprints, bite marks, fabric analysis, and computer records. Many of the accounts are illustrated with drawings or photographs. Teens interested in forensics and true crime will avidly devour Owen's work.—Sandy Schmitz, Berkeley Public Library, CA
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About the Author

Dr. Peter Moore is the author of many books on medicine and science, among them the award-winning Superbugs/Killer Germs, now in its third edition. Recipient of the Medical Journalists' Association Award for excellence in medical journalist, Dr. Moore is also an Honorary Fellow and visiting lecturer in ethics at Trinity College Bristol, a Member of the Physiological Society, and was the Chairman of the Medical Journalists' Association, a Member of the NHS Health Technology Assessment Programme—Expert Advisory Network, and Post-doctoral Research Fellow and Honorary Fellowship in the Department of Physiology, University College London.

Product Details

• Paperback: 144 pages
• Publisher: Harper Perennial; 1 edition (February 12, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0061374210
• ISBN-13: 978-0061374210
• Product Dimensions: 7.5 x 5.2 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #328,101 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Interesting concept that is flawed by sloppy editing, August 12, 2009

By 

E. A. Lovitt "starmoth" (Gladwin, MI USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Little Book of Pandemics (Paperback)

This book on '50 of the world's most virulent plagues and infectious diseases' is interesting in concept, but flawed in execution, and poorly edited. A few of the author's sentences are cut off abruptly in mid-thought to make room for an illustration that doesn't add much content. Some of the text such as "Rabies is a bullet-shaped virus that is carried by large carnivorous mammals, such as dogs, cats, and cattle, as well as bats..." should have been proof-read and corrected. All of the maps in this book show the southern-most provinces of Canada as having been annexed by the United States. The map illustrating the distribution of Leishmaniasis shows this disease in Australia and South-east Asia, even though the author specifically states that: "If you want to live in the tropics and still be certain of avoiding [leishmaniasis], you could move to Australia, the South Pacific, or South-east Asia, as it hasn't been found there---yet."

Poor editing and construction aside, "The Little Book of Pandemics" is quite interesting, and at times even jaunty. The reader is treated to a short history of a particular plague such as giardia, its symptoms and effects, plus how a person becomes infected. Treatment (if there is one) is given a paragraph, and the author usually ends by speculating on whether a particular disease could be effective as a weapon of biological terrorism.

The book is divided into sections by method of transmission, and high-profile diseases such as Tuberculosis and SARS are covered, as well as less-familiar ones like English Sweating Sickness and Nipah Virus. I enjoyed reading "The Little Book of Pandemics" but was left with the feeling that I couldn't really trust all of its data, because of the errors that even I could find.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Missed three of my "favorites", December 26, 2009

By 

Mary A. Swaty (Phoenix, AZ) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Little Book of Pandemics (Paperback)

I agree that this book is marred by sloppy editing and maps. Further, it missed a few of my favorites. Don't know if they missed the definition of pandemic or if the author is showing a geographic bias. I would have liked to see Chagas disease, Hantavirus pulmonary syndrome, and Valley fever (Coccidioidomycosis) included. All can be deadly. Millions in Latin America have Chagas disease and it may well become established in the United States. HPS was first recognized in 1993 and has been found throughout the United States. Valley fever occurs in the Southwest U.S. and arid regions in Latin America; it's generally mild but can turn deadly. All three turn up in Arizona!