Sign in with Facebook
Loading...
44th out of 594 books
—
1,306 voters
The Coming Plague: Newly Emerging Diseases in a World Out of Balance
Unpurified drinking water. Improper use of antibiotics. Local warfare. Massive refugee migration. Changing social and environmental conditions around the world have fostered the spread of new and potentially devastating viruses and diseases—HIV, Lassa, Ebola, and others. Laurie Garrett takes you on a fifty-year journey through the world's battles with microbes and examines...more
Paperback, 768 pages
Published
October 1st 1995
by Penguin Books
(first published 1994)
Friend Reviews
To see what your friends thought of this book,
please sign up.
Community Reviews
(showing
1-30
of
3,000)
This is my kind of horror book. I think it scared me more than just about any other book I’ve ever read, but I loved it. I appreciated the author’s skillful and entertaining story telling and admired her scientific accuracy.
I can’t vouch that the information is current; I read this when it was first published. At the time it was pertinent and I can’t imagine that the basic theory (regarding epidemics) isn’t still valid. I’d continue to recommend this to anyone who’s interested in medicine, disea...more
I can’t vouch that the information is current; I read this when it was first published. At the time it was pertinent and I can’t imagine that the basic theory (regarding epidemics) isn’t still valid. I’d continue to recommend this to anyone who’s interested in medicine, disea...more
3 stars
This book is in-depth. The focus is on history, detailed facts and what we can do to prevent and cope with new maladies. Even if the book is no longer new, it still teaches a lot. We can learn from past mistakes. For me, parts read as a horror story. Then I calmed down. It first came out in 1994, and hey, we are still here! Did I become immune to the horror?! Or did it finally put me to sleep? In places, it sort of felt like a text book. My education was not adequate for a complete unders...more
This book is in-depth. The focus is on history, detailed facts and what we can do to prevent and cope with new maladies. Even if the book is no longer new, it still teaches a lot. We can learn from past mistakes. For me, parts read as a horror story. Then I calmed down. It first came out in 1994, and hey, we are still here! Did I become immune to the horror?! Or did it finally put me to sleep? In places, it sort of felt like a text book. My education was not adequate for a complete unders...more
Jun 13, 2011
Angela
rated it
4 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
2007,
bookcrossed-or-otherwise-set-free
This book terrified me.
If you think globalization and urbanization in distant places have had no ill effect on the quality of life on this planet, think again. We discover new diseases faster than we learn to treat them, and our current methods of treatment tend only to make the diseases stronger and more virulent. The author makes a grand case for a major change of mindset in funding not only medical research and health organizations, but also supporting basic human rights to safe living enviro...more
If you think globalization and urbanization in distant places have had no ill effect on the quality of life on this planet, think again. We discover new diseases faster than we learn to treat them, and our current methods of treatment tend only to make the diseases stronger and more virulent. The author makes a grand case for a major change of mindset in funding not only medical research and health organizations, but also supporting basic human rights to safe living enviro...more
Written by a UCSC graduate, this book covers all of the many ways are actions contribute to the spread of disease vectors. Fascinating, scary and informative.
Garrett, a medical reporter, has in this book taken the key pathogenic threats to human populations of the 20th century and written a powerful, nuanced (and very long) book telling the tales of not only these diseases but the patients they affected and the doctors and researchers who've battled them. It's a book for a lay readership but heavy on detail and the best, and I mean the very best, single book to introduce anyone to how public health works in modern America plus the evolution of a vari...more
Still on hiatus. It's exhaustively but not dully written. I'll get there. Anyone want it when I'm done?
So far: contentwise it's fantastic but formally it falls into that true-crime, appositive-phrase-filled narrative style--"When they studied their results under powerful microscopes, the mystery for Casals only deepened." (79), for example--that I dislike.
Fits well into the postapocalyptic groove I've been in lately.
So far: contentwise it's fantastic but formally it falls into that true-crime, appositive-phrase-filled narrative style--"When they studied their results under powerful microscopes, the mystery for Casals only deepened." (79), for example--that I dislike.
Fits well into the postapocalyptic groove I've been in lately.
The title puts me off a little, because it sounds like it will be a doomsday alarmist proclamation about how we are creating and ignoring new diseases, and that new diseases are somehow "winning" the evolutionary "war". But in essence, it is a thorough look at how and why "new" diseases emerge and the fight that goes on against new and old diseases every day.
although it's now somewhat out of date, this remains far and away the most comprehensive and interesting book about diseases i've read. what sets this apart from the rest of the disease books on my shelf is the sheer amount of ground covered and how well it's presented. it doesn't particularly seem like it would be a fast read, yet it is.
A couple weeks after I read this wonderful book (years ago) I was walking across the Brooklyn Bridge and saw a woman that looked just like the jacket photo of Laurie Garrett. I stopped and asked "Are you Laurie Garrett?" And, of course, she was. Then I said something impossibly stupid--like "You are to disease what the Beatles are to music." That wasn't what I actually said, but it was something equally idiotic and I'm sure I embarrassed the poor woman.
I attended a reading she gave a few years...more
I attended a reading she gave a few years...more
Jan 21, 2008
Sandy
added it
investigative reporting and science coinciding --two of my favorite things and Garrett methodically and encyclopedically shows the intersect between corporate, institutional, and political mercenaries and the unfolding ecological brilliance of microbes
A HUGE history of epidemiology since the 1960s, this book covers the emergence of diseases like Ebola, Hantavirus and AIDS. The author's research is impeccable- I read an autobiography by one of the doctors in this book that covered the same events and the accounts lined up exactly. I can't imagine how many people the author talked to to put together such comprehensive yet personal accounts of the events as they unfolded.
My one issue with the book would be that I want an updated version. Since i...more
My one issue with the book would be that I want an updated version. Since i...more
Aug 10, 2011
Tim
added it
A terrifying and humbling look at the manner in which human behavior is serving to intensify, spread and otherwise benefit viral and bacterial agents. Everything from anti-immunization efforts, prostitution, non-sterile hospital equipment, re-use of syringes, global warming, refugees, global animal trade, increased UV radiation, pollution... all make the world more hospitable to microbes, and less hospitable to humans. In an age when the most wealthy nation in the world can't agree to give healt...more
I read this book when it first came out and I was working in a biological chemical factory. This really hit home to me. We were in a way already dealing with some of the issues mentioned in the book. My job title at the time (my tongue-in-cheek title) was mad cow queen. I did research to verify the animal products we used and manufactured were bse-free.
You have to wonder what people who don't want universal health care are thinking. With so many people out of work and losing their health insura...more
You have to wonder what people who don't want universal health care are thinking. With so many people out of work and losing their health insura...more
The Coming Plague is my all time favorite about the history of diseases and the challenges that we face as a modern society in dealing with diseases. It is a little dated now as it is 13 years old, but the themes still hold true and the history doesn't change. I just re-read it. Unfortunately, we haven't done much to change the prognosis for rise of new, or old, diseases in the intervening years. Laurie Garrett, who I have loved since her time as an NPR reporter, does a thorough job of tracing t...more
it doesn't matter if it's viruses or bacteria, our species is doomed
A fascinating education in how new diseases emerge and the people who chase them around the world and try to find cures. It reads like a thriller at times and makes many of the thrillers written on the subject pale in comparison. The courage of the men and women who go to the heart of these outbreaks to determine their cause and try and bring about a cure is admirable to say the least. They are the soldiers on the front line of the war on disease. It is also an eduction in the value and importan...more
I'll first say: this book is LONG. Having it on my Kindle meant that I did not really understand how long this book would be. It is definitely a commitment.
Overall, it is terrifying. I would become a germophobe and start covering myself in anti-microbial hand sanitizers, but the germs will just evolve around it, become resistance, and kill me anyway. The best portions on this book are following the disease detectives from the CDC and other organizations as they investigated real-world outbreaks...more
Overall, it is terrifying. I would become a germophobe and start covering myself in anti-microbial hand sanitizers, but the germs will just evolve around it, become resistance, and kill me anyway. The best portions on this book are following the disease detectives from the CDC and other organizations as they investigated real-world outbreaks...more
Overall, I enjoyed this book, but I think the three-star rating is justified for several reasons.
First, I want to focus on what I liked about Garrett's dense and detailed work. Garrett is a dedicated and specialized journalist. Her knowledge of not only the history but also the science in this historical book is impressive. Her chapter regarding the history of AIDS impressed me. I learned more in that one chapter about AIDS than any news article I have stumbled upon. Although the book is outdat...more
First, I want to focus on what I liked about Garrett's dense and detailed work. Garrett is a dedicated and specialized journalist. Her knowledge of not only the history but also the science in this historical book is impressive. Her chapter regarding the history of AIDS impressed me. I learned more in that one chapter about AIDS than any news article I have stumbled upon. Although the book is outdat...more
The most impressive non-fiction read I've experienced in years. Make no mistakes, though...it's a bear. At somewhere around 700 pages (of which each page feels like you're reading 3 typical pages), there are times where you just are almost confounded by the amount of information you're receiving. No doubt, the end result is a masterpiece that should be far more lauded than it currently is.
With "The Coming Plague," Laurie Garrett has given us something truly special. She is a master researcher, n...more
With "The Coming Plague," Laurie Garrett has given us something truly special. She is a master researcher, n...more
I did it! I finished this book before the end of the year, albeit with only a few days to spare. I did have to put it down for a long time as I was buried in schoolwork and during that time a coworker borrowed it to start his way through it. When he needed a break from it, I borrowed it back and finished it up, so now it's back in his hands. He'll probably finish it next month some time so this book has been well read in the past six months I've had it.
I LOVED it. I was utterly fascinated throu...more
I LOVED it. I was utterly fascinated throu...more
Dec 11, 2009
Tippy Jackson
rated it
3 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
disease,
economics,
evolution,
genetics,
history,
medicine,
politics,
science-history,
social-sciences
As you can see from the number of shelves this book is on, this book has everything. Although it's a little outdated, a lot of it is history and her points there are still relevant. In particular, the AIDS stuff is outdated, but her comments on the spread of HIV and the reaction, timing, history and politics of the disease is still relevant and is important for evaluating where we could have improved and will hopefully be applied in the future, should another disease like this emerge.
Among my f...more
Among my f...more
Both fascinating and frightening, The Coming Plague explores the dark side of human life and death. From the deep Congo where the Ebola virus lurks, to the streets of New York and San Francisco where the AIDS virus made its American debut, this book is sure to keep you on the edge of your seat.
I highly praise Garrett for her medical storytelling abilities. She has a way of capturing her readers’ attention and keeping it--something rarely done in medically-descriptive writing. This book can be a...more
I highly praise Garrett for her medical storytelling abilities. She has a way of capturing her readers’ attention and keeping it--something rarely done in medically-descriptive writing. This book can be a...more
Aug 23, 2008
Antigone
rated it
5 of 5 stars
Recommends it for:
armchair scientists; the benign paranoid
I read this one one my honeymoon..... but full disclosure, it isn't a romantic lark. This book reawakens my desire for paranoia (every so often I just know I am being too complacent and a book like this will jog that right outta me). This was the author's Masters in Public Health thesis (I believe). I lay blame with her for starting the Hot Zone craze all those years ago. By my calculation, she was the first to write scientifically verifiable and relatively accurate accounts of the spreads of ma...more
Wow. This woman is amazing. I would never have thought that I'd spend entire days reading an 800-page book about diseases...but I did, because Laurie Garrett is one of those rare scientists who can write captivating sentences. This book chronicles both the emergence of, and response to, historically important deadly diseases and the role of the CDC, other government agencies, and nasty scientist political maneuvering in the attempts to contain said diseases.
I also like this book because it's ev...more
I also like this book because it's ev...more
Jun 24, 2009
Daniel
rated it
4 of 5 stars
Recommends it for:
Adults
Recommended to Daniel by:
Jo
Shelves:
non-fiction
This is a very informative book if your interested in learning something about some of the more serious viruses in the world, in particular the ones classified in Bio-hazard Level 3 or 4. Some of the worst Hemorrhagic Fevers around the world are discussed in the book. Histories and source material are included. There is also a large section on the HIV virus. Maps and research texts make it well rounded. This is a good book to read if you're taking a serious interest viral epidemics.
There are a few books that stay with us long after we put them down. That earn a permanent place on our bookshelves, and are frequently reached for and discussed. The Coming Plague is one of those books. It provides a comprehensive look at the history of civilization's war on disease-a war that we are frighteningly failing.
Garrett covers issues we're all aware of (the AIDS epidemic, for one), as well as some truly terrifying diseases that some of us have never even heard of (Lassa Fever anyone?...more
Garrett covers issues we're all aware of (the AIDS epidemic, for one), as well as some truly terrifying diseases that some of us have never even heard of (Lassa Fever anyone?...more
Jun 27, 2012
Jackline
rated it
5 of 5 stars
Recommends it for:
Future budding public health practitioners
I read this back in 2003 when I was convinced that I wanted to be an epidemiologist/microbe hunter in the vein of Dustin Hoffman and Rene Russo in "Outbreak". Nine years of biology coursework later I have realized that the life of a microbiologist and/or physician is very different. Despite this, however, Laurie Garrett's argument for greater public health infrastructure remains as true now as when originally published.
Just like her other book, best book ever. Relevant today, even though it's past subject matter. Very important, engrossing reading. Very dense with stories and information. Everypage is like a whole book. Not a quick read. Each bit is quick, but the whole entire thing will take you months. Re-reading would still be engrossing. There is just so much information! Yet it reads like a thrilling story or movie.
I picked this up without checking the publication date. I was surprised that Garrett didn't mention some of the outbreaks later in the nineties or more than glance at the Rwandan genocide. It was only afterward that I checked the copyright date: 1994. This book is fifteen years old! And while some of it is dated--biology has certainly advanced since then--so much of it is so pertinent that I was 400 pages through before I noticed the date oddity. Surprising that the issues have changed so little...more
This is one of the most interesting amazing books about the different viruses that plague us (as humankind) what started them, how we track them, what happened to the people who got it, amazing book. It is rather long and medical so if you are not in the medical field you might get bogged down. (not that you are any less smart but the general layperson may not know some of the terms, oh hell I am just digging a hole here aren't I?) This history of AIDS and its discovery, Ebola, Maurburg, Haunta,...more
| topics | posts | views | last activity | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| As you watch the news... | 1 | 2 | May 12, 2013 11:18am |
It is amazing that we haven't had a wo...more
Oct 19, 2008 01:01pm
updated Oct 19, 2008 01:15pm