Had it not been for viruses, the U.S. and Canada might today be one country; the African slave trade may not have been as extensive; and the Spanish almost certainly wouldn't have conquered the Aztecs and other New World native peoples. In fact, viruses have affected world history more extensively than most of us can imagine. Viruses, Plagues, & History not only shows us what viruses are and how they work, but looks at what newer ones such as Ebola and HIV might mean to our future. Even more frightening, Oldstone discusses the influenza virus of 1918 to 1919--which may have killed as many as 50 million people worldwide and certainly helped England, France, and the U.S. defeat Germany in World War I--and wonders if it's due for a return visit. Granted, a book with a chapter titled "Mad Cow Disease and Englishmen: Spongiform Encephalopathies--Virus or Prion Disease?" isn't for everybody, but it's a fascinating for anyone interested in health and wellness and the medical future of our planet.
The current interest in emerging diseases has led many virologists to write their own popular books on the subject. Many incorporate the entertaining if lurid detail popularized by Richard Preston's bestselling The Hot Zone (LJ 8/94). Some, like Frank Ryan in his Virus X (LJ 1/97), use accounts of emerging virus outbreaks as a lead-in to fascinating discussions on the ecology and evolution of viruses. Oldstone, who directs a laboratory of viral immunobiology at the Scripps Research Institute, takes a more traditional approach, intending to write in the spirit of Paul de Kruif's classic Microbe Hunters (1926). After a short introduction to the principles of virology and immunology, Oldstone describes the partial or total conquests of four major killers?smallpox, yellow fever, measles, and polio?then discusses old and emerging diseases that are serious threats?Lassa fever, Ebola, Hantavirus, AIDS, and influenza. Unfortunately, Oldstone's writing lacks de Kruif's prose style and engrossing detail; much, if not all, of his work reads like a rather terse textbook. Also of concern is Oldstone's tendency to ignore controversies or make unsupported statements that go against generally accepted scientific consensus. His competent but unexciting book is an optional choice for general science collections.?Marit MacArthur, Auraria Lib., Denver
Copyright 1997 Reed Business Information, Inc.
From Kirkus Reviews
Familiar but compelling, the story of mankind's undoing by epidemic infectious diseases never fails to fascinate and appall. This retelling, by Scripps Research Institute virologist Oldstone, is less passionate than Laurie Garrett's The Coming Plague, being more or less a prosaic, factual account of viral plagues in recorded history. Oldstone provides background chapters on the nature of viruses and the ways the body's immune system combats them, then launches into a detailed description of the plagues themselves. He devotes a fair amount of space to smallpox, following its depredations from ancient Greece all the way up to the work of the Centers for Disease Control in Atlanta. Modern strategies have led to the total eradication of smallpox-- a major success, given that the disease killed 300 million people in the 20th century. Other success stories cited by Oldstone include the treatment of yellow fever, measles, and polio, although the lack of immunization programs still racks up enormous tolls. The World Health Organization estimates that in the 1980s and early '90s as many as 2.5 million children died of measles annually. The second half of the book deals with such unconquered viral diseases as Lassa fever, Ebola, Hantavirus, and AIDS. The role of urbanization and air travel in spreading viruses to large pools of susceptible people, the unpredictable nature of viral genetics and evolution, and the impact of politics on medicine are among the variables Oldstone cites to remind us that as a species we are always vulnerable. Interestingly, while the author loudly condemns governments and corporations for suppressing information, he is silent on the rivalries and contentions among scientists themselves: nary a word on Salk vs. Sabin, for example, nor Gallo vs. Montagnier. A bit of the old-boy network? In sum, a somewhat sanitized, professorial account of the ever-fascinating legacy of viral disease on human history. (64 illustrations, not seen) -- Copyright ©1997, Kirkus Associates, LP. All rights reserved.
Review
"Oldstone's love of history and scholarship as well as his wisdom and hands-on knowledge of science makes this book engrossing. Everyone from the interested layman to the infectious diseases expert will enjoy his timely ecounting of man's battles with viruses that can kill. This is today's version of DeKruifs Microbe Hunters.―Thomas C. Merigan
"Oldstone's love of history and scholarship as well as his wisdom and hands-on knowledge of science makes this book engrossing. Everyone from the interested layman to the infectious diseases expert will enjoy his timely accounting of man's battles with viruses that can kill. This is today's version of DeKruif's Microbe Hunters.―Thomas C. Merigan, Director, Center for AIDS Research, Stanford University School of Medicine
"All educated people need to have some understanding of what viruses are and how we deal with them. Viruses, Plagues, and History provides us with a very timely and accessible account of the ways that these minute parasites have indluenced civilization. Dr. Oldstone's narrative should convince us, both collectively and as individuals, that we cannot afford to be complacent. He shows us the face of some terrible enemies. He tells us of the courage of the few who have didicated, and sometimes given, their lives to protect humanity. Though there have been major triumphs, the threat from virus infections is ever present and evolving."―Peter Doherty, Professor of Immunology, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital
"Altogether, this is a fascinating book that puts the triumphs of preventive medicine, based on patient and sometimes brilliant scientific research, into an historical perspective and enables the lay person to appreciate better the significance of the periodical `scare' headlines about new viral diseases that appear from time to time in the media."―Dr. Frank Fenner, John Curtin School of Medical Research, Austrailan National University
"A worthy successor to classics such as Zinsser's Rats, Lice, and History, and O'Neill's Plagues and People, this highly readable account describes a number of the most interesting and significant episodes in the history of virology and viral diseases. It will interest and inform both the lay reader and the research professional alike."―Dr. Neal Nathanson, Emeritus Professor and Chair, Department of Microbiology, University of Pennsylvania Medical Center, and Editor in Chief of Viral Pathogenesis
"All educated people need to have some understanding of what viruses are and how we deal with them. Viruses, Plagues, and History provides us with a very timely and accessible account of the ways that these minute parasites have indluenced civilization. Dr. Oldstone's narrative should convince us, both collectively and as individuals, that we cannot afford to be complacent. He shows us the face of some terrible enemies. He tells us of the courage of the few who have dedicated, and sometimes given, their lives to protect humanity. Though there have been major triumphs, the threat from virus infections is ever present and evolving."―Peter Doherty, Professor of Immunology, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital
"Oldstone...brings new clinical, epidemiological, and research material to his discussion of a currently popular topic.... His chapter on yellow fever, a major plague in colonial and early American history, is a particularly excellent example of detailed investigation readably coupled with logical narration."―Booklist
"...this book is fascinating. It serves to entertain and to give us a sense of where we stand as humans in the universe of microorganisms. More importantly, it relates the history of our battles with these agents of disease, in the hope that we can learn from the past, go forward with as much courage as did the medical pioneers who fought to save our ancestors, and avoid the pettiness that often led them astray."―Annals of the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada
"The author has made a clear effort to make the subject uinderstandable to those outside biomedical research and he has achieved this goal...an excellent read for healthcare workers, biomedical students, scientists, virologists, immunologists and those interested in the history fo man's battle with infectious disease."―Nature Medicine
"Oldstone provides concise, telling accounts of the most dreaded viral epidemic diseases and of the virologists who pioneered their identification, pathogenesis, and prevention through vacciantion.... accessible reading for the non-specialist, and reminds virologists of our debt to the field's founders."―Scienc
"The author has made a clear effort to make the subject uinderstandable to those outside biomedical research and he has achieved this goal...an excellent read for healthcare workers, biomedical students, scientists, virologists, immunologists and those interested in the history of man's battle with infectious disease."―Nature Medicine
"Viruses, Plagues, and History is an excellent resource book for biological science instructors of both high schools and colleges."―The American Biology Teacher
" ... combines scientific information about the infectious diseases that have altered human history with a narrative style that is easy to read and engrossing for lay and ascientific readers alike. ... caught up by the author's story-telling ability and his penchant for revealing interesting trivia about the viruses and virus hunters that have changed history ... well-research tome. .... this book is fascinating." RCPSC Annals (Oct 1998)
" ... strength of his book lies in its engaging accounts of the nature and control of modern viral plagues ... a memorable and absorbing excursion into seldom visited areas of medical history. ... the nature and impact of the disease are made palpable through lively narrative that weaves together disease statistics, historical accounts and well-chosen anecdotes. ... I would recommend... to anyone involved in public health, immunization and infectious disease." CMAJ (vol.160, no.3, Feb 1999)
About the Author
About the Author: Michael B. A. Oldstone is a Member oProfessor) at the Scripps Research Institute in La Jolla, California, where he directs a laboratory of viral immunobiology. He is currently a member of the World Health Organization steering committee concerned with the eradication of measles and
poliovirus, an editor of the journal Virology, and the recipient of numerous scientific honors. He was also Scientific Counselor for the intramural program of the Allergy and Infectious Disease Unit of the National Institute of Health and was recently elected to the Institute of Medicine of the
National Academy of Sciences.
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