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Evolution of Infectious Disease 1st Edition

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Paul W. Ewald (Author)
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Paul W. Ewald (Author)
4.5 out of 5 stars 12 customer reviews
ISBN-13: 858-0000481624
ISBN-10: 019506058X
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Product Details

  • Hardcover: 320 pages
  • Publisher: Oxford University Press; 1 edition (January 6, 1994)
  • Language: English
  • ISBN-10: 019506058X
  • ISBN-13: 978-0195060584
  • Product Dimensions: 6.4 x 1.2 x 9.6 inches
  • Shipping Weight: 1.4 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
  • Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (12 customer reviews)
  • Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,882,878 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Top Customer Reviews

5.0 out of 5 starsA Pathogen's Survival Manual
By ealovitt HALL OF FAMETOP 100 REVIEWER on May 24, 2002
Format: Paperback Verified Purchase
Paul W. Ewald is a professor of biology at Amherst College. He was the first recipient of the George E. Burch Fellowship in Theoretic Medicine and Affiliated Sciences. He conceived a new discipline called 'evolutionary epidemiology,' and "Evolution of Infectious Disease (1994)" is widely acknowledged as the watershed event for the emergence of this discipline, although I haven't yet seen many references to it ("Parasite Rex" by Carl Zimmer is an exception). This is a shame, because "Evolution of Infectious Disease" explains many medical mysteries, such as why people with multiple sex partners tend to harbor a more virulent version of AIDS, and why the Great Flu Pandemic of 1918 killed so many people (20 to 100 million).
'Darwinian medicine' is the science of trying to find evolutionary explanations for vulnerabilities to disease. A pathogen can survive in a population, explains Ewald, only if it can easily transmit its progeny from one host to another. One way to do this is to take a long time to disable a host, giving him plenty of time to come into contact with other potential victims. This would cause selection for a beneficial form of the disease. If the disease can pass quickly from one host to another, it will select for virulence in order to infect more hosts. Therefore if host-to-host passage can be delayed (by screened windows in the case of malaria), the disease will select for longevity---it makes no evolutionary sense to kill a host before the disease can be passed on.
Some diseases such as Ebola Fever kill the host too quickly, which is why Ewald believes this particular infection will not become pandemic.Read more ›
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5.0 out of 5 starsInformative and Thought Provoking
By Michael Lima VINE VOICE on December 31, 2002
Format: Paperback Verified Purchase
If Plague Time can be considered to be "Evolutionary Epidemiology for Dummies", then Evolution of Infectious Disease is the technical foundation behind the ideas presented in that other work. Ewald builds this foundation by showing that evolutionary causes are behind many diseases plaguing mankind today. He also takes great care in pointing out how crafting treatment programs with evolutionary factors in mind would likely control these scourges. By presenting the information in this manner, Ewald gives his audience with a workable plan to control disease that bypasses many of the shortfalls associated with conventional medicine.
Evolution of Infectious Disease has already been called a milestone in the history of epidemiology. It is easy to understand why. The ideas presented in the book are revolutionary; the level of research to support them is impeccable; and they are conveyed in a manner which is both accessible and applicable. Given these qualities, it is no surprise that Evolution of Infectious Disease is now recognized as an essential text for understanding and combating disease.
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4.0 out of 5 starsAn excellent review of a timely subject
By A Customer on August 23, 1998
Format: Paperback
This is an excellent review of the application of evolution theory to understanding disease. Lacking the melodrama of Garrett's "The Coming Plague," it presents a comprehensive view of how to understand disease evolution. The analyses are clear and the data fascinating. A gold mine of dissertation subjects.
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5.0 out of 5 starsEnormously Satisfying and Rich book.....
By Ross M on December 10, 2001
Format: Paperback
This was one of the most intellectually exciting books I have read in a long time. Ewald covers biochemistry, history, social policy, medicine, and academic research in a wonderfully thoughtful, logical, innovative and exciting 'new' way of looking at germ theory.
I wholeheartedly and unreservedly recommend this book as an excellent contribution to scientific literacy, intelligent conversation, and global health policy. (...)
Happy Reading!
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5.0 out of 5 starsExtremely well researched work
By Marvyy on November 23, 2010
Format: Paperback Verified Purchase
This book is not for everyone. It is loaded with technical scientific jargon (although there is a detailed glossary at the end) and is complete with references for each statement made by the author. For those interested in evolutionary biology and its clinical implications however, this book is a goldmine. Ewald takes his readers through the evolution of virulence, debunking the unsubstantiated notion that parasitic organisms ultimately evolve towards benigness with innumerable references from the scientific literature. He sheds light on why vector born diseases are generally more severe than non-vector born ones and reveals instances in which the latter can evolve increased virulence (waterborne transmission, war...). He then embarks on explaining the evolution of the HIV virus, from a relatively benign virus to today's dangerous pandemic, using the same concepts developed in his earlier chapters. The main premise of this book is the evolutionary concept that parasitic organisms will evolve increased virulence if opportunities for transmission are increased. This is because parasites can afford to reproduce to the point of severely harming their hosts if new hosts abound. Benigness, on the other hand, evolves when there are fewer opportunities for transmission. I recommend this book for all clinicians, because of the strong clinical implications that are contained within its pages. If we are to come a step closer to containing infectious diseases, we must understand how they evolve, how they operate and we must work with evolution rather than against it in order to achieve our ambitious goals.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews

5.0 out of 5 starsGreat Read

This book made a seemingly boring subject into a really interesting read from an anthropological/ecological viewpoint. Definitely plan on reading it again!

Published 23 months ago by Jill Ann
5.0 out of 5 starsFive Stars

I love this stuff

Published on April 17, 2014 by David H. Baum
4.0 out of 5 starsA milestone in the evolutionary medicine field.

In spite of the author's disclaimer, this is not a divulgation book. It is a technical work. A very detailed, well reasoned, with a lot of notes and examples when are needed. Read more

Published on December 1, 2009 by Victor Amoros
5.0 out of 5 starsThe Beginning of Evolutionary Medicine

Paul Ewald is the true founder and father of evolutionary medicine. Instead of being a physician, like authors of many of the current books on evolutionary medicine, he is a true... Read more

Published on November 5, 2008 by T. M. Doan
4.0 out of 5 starsVery well presented ideas.

As a book this is an excellent introduction with quite a bit of development, to the role of evolution in infectious disease. Read more

Published on June 6, 2007 by Reluctant Badger
4.0 out of 5 starsHeavy Reading- Very Enjoyable

Chapter 1 says it all- "Why this book" a well laid out discussion of the conflicing ideas surrounding evolution of infectious diseases. Read more

Published on May 19, 1998
3.0 out of 5 starsHeavy reading, not very enjoyable.

Evoultion of Infectious Diseases by Paul Ewald, in my opinion, is not a very good book. The author makes a compilation of all the research done in the past years on several... Read more

Published on May 4, 1998

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