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132nd out of 134 books
—
13 voters
Vaccine: The Controversial Story of Medicine's Greatest Lifesaver
by
Arthur Allen
A fascinating account of vaccination's miraculous, inflammatory past and its uncertain future.
In 1796, as smallpox ravaged Europe, Edward Jenner injected a child with a benign version of the disease, then exposed the child to the deadly virus itself. The boy proved resistant to smallpox, and Jenner's risky experiment produced the earliest vaccination. In this deftly writt...more
In 1796, as smallpox ravaged Europe, Edward Jenner injected a child with a benign version of the disease, then exposed the child to the deadly virus itself. The boy proved resistant to smallpox, and Jenner's risky experiment produced the earliest vaccination. In this deftly writt...more
Hardcover, 523 pages
Published
January 15th 2007
by W. W. Norton & Company
(first published 2007)
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Dec 07, 2008
Yasha Macdonald
added it
The history of vaccination in the the western world has displayed the driving force in medical advancements as mans' fight against disease and at times the not so noble intentions that back it.
Jun 17, 2008
Amber
rated it
2 of 5 stars
Recommends it for:
anyone wanting an in-depth history of vaccination
I was told to read this book by a professor whose current research is focused around creating a vaccine against tropical helminth disease. I'm preparing to join her research team in the fall so she wanted me to read this book in order to get an introduction on the history and controversies surrounding vaccines. While this book is probably a brief summary of the history of vaccines, I found it a little tedious to get through. The author did a great job explaining certain controversies but I feel...more
When I finished Vaccine, it seemed like I’d been reading it for months. In fact, I had been-this book took me forever and a day to finish and if it weren’t my intense fascination with the subject material, I don’t know if I would have made it through. That’s not necessarily a dig at the book, but many parts of it were definitely more exhaustive than I was looking for at the moment. It’s apparent that Arthur Allen spent a great amount of time and effort writing this book and although it’s more of...more
I deliberately started my vaccine research with this book - this is a history of vaccines from the times of Jenner and variolation to George Bush being vaccinated for now non-existent smallpox on TV to demonstrate his belief in the threat of bio-terrorism. I expected for this book to be as neutral as possible for a text on a controversial subject. As a parent to be, I am trying to go into the issue with an open mind - it is after all about the safety of my child, not which political group I happ...more
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An intriguing history of the controversy over vaccines--from smallpox to modern day. A fast read for non-fiction, but I would still recommend going straight the chapters on modern day controversies over the benefits vs. the risks of vaccination, the speculation about autism and vaccination, and the most recent attempts to mass vaccinate the US.
This book was at different times: boring, informative, interesting and confusing. Certain chapters focused on science, others on public health & science policy, and others on the drawbacks of the ease of communication made by the internet.
Ultimately I didn't feel that Allen was presenting a completely objective perspective, but this may be fair considering the statistics he presents do reveal that vaccinations are ultimately effective and have increased the safety of the population - though...more
Ultimately I didn't feel that Allen was presenting a completely objective perspective, but this may be fair considering the statistics he presents do reveal that vaccinations are ultimately effective and have increased the safety of the population - though...more
definitely read if you are a science nerd or are interested in some of the history behind vaccinations
Great insight into the pros/cons of public health requirements on the community
Straight-forward history of vaccination.
A very informative and honest book about the history of vaccine development, the impact vaccines had on modern medicine & life expectancies, and a look at the current controversies. I can also say it was inspiring: after reading the chapter "People Who Prefer Whooping Cough", I was inspired to get my overdue tetanus & diptheria vaccination & made sure I got the version that also included pertussis (TDaP). Good timing to, seeing as how this year saw a huge spike in the number of pertu...more
This book is well-suited for people interested in the history of vaccination, specifically people studying the history/sociology of medicine/science or STS (science, technology & society). It is well documented and thorough to a point that may be tedious to anyone that does not have a serious interest or background in these fields of study. If you are interested in the science of vaccines, I encourage you to have an open mind about this research. Allen does a good job of showing how politics...more
Vaccine is a well-researched history of both sides of the vaccine wars, where proponents are motivated by fear of disease, and the opponents by fear of the vaccines themselves. Beginning with 18th century work on smallpox vaccines by Cotton Mather and Edward Jenner, it chronicles the 20th century successes with vaccines for polio and other diseases, and concludes with some discussion of the current debate about vaccines.
Great overview of how vaccines came to be. Did you know, for instance, that the word vaccine comes from the Latin vacca, because the first vaccine came from scraping cowpox virus off of cow udders and then using the pus to innoculate people against smallpox? If you want to know more fascinating and disgusting facts to use at cocktail parties, this is the book for you.
Gah! I don't give a toss about how this or that researcher look like or how he's driven his wife mad to the point that she's comitted suicide!
Neither do I care much about the vaccines developers'politics if it has nothing to do with the outcome of the vaccine's safety/ efficacy.
I want to read about how the vaccines are developped, what were the pitfalls & side effets, how they were tested & whether or not I can trust the ones that are used now. Internationally. Not just in the USofA.
I st...more
Neither do I care much about the vaccines developers'politics if it has nothing to do with the outcome of the vaccine's safety/ efficacy.
I want to read about how the vaccines are developped, what were the pitfalls & side effets, how they were tested & whether or not I can trust the ones that are used now. Internationally. Not just in the USofA.
I st...more
Covers this complex topic thoroughly and quite objectively. Not a fast read but the slower sections give the scientific and policy history so that current issues can be understood. A more balanced journalistic approach that is a good comapanion to more inflammatory treatments from all sides of the public health debate.
I'll say straight up that his position (pro vaccine) is clear and that with me he's preaching to the choir.
Regardless, even if you are anti-vaccine, you can't fault the quality of his research and prose. Really really interesting stuff!
Regardless, even if you are anti-vaccine, you can't fault the quality of his research and prose. Really really interesting stuff!
A well written history about the development of vaccines. Yes, it touches on the autism to vaccinate or not to vaccinate controversy but allows the reader to decide for themselves where they stand on the issue.
I really enjoyed this book. Fanstastic balance of history, research, and willingness to identify gray areas of science. This is informative and lacks the conspiracy theories that domniate this topic in the media.
Interesting, well-researched, and balanced history of the development of vaccines and the controversies surrounding them. The book was very informative and thought-provoking, I would definitely recommend it!
Dec 11, 2008
Richard
rated it
5 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
medical-anomalies,
vaccines
A great read with plenty of controversial events. If this were a fiction, it would not be believed nor sold as someone's imagination.
Good overview of the history of this medicinal procedure, and the misguided intentions both for and against it.
This book provides a great history of vaccine from its inception. You'll not find this book impartial, but I would call it informative. Unlike many books about vaccination, I appreciated that this author cites references throughout each chapter!!! IT was a pleasure to be able to look up the information that he used in his book.
The book is not made to be a reference book, but instead tells the story of vaccination. Everything from its dirty history to how the minds of those who practiced medicine...more
The book is not made to be a reference book, but instead tells the story of vaccination. Everything from its dirty history to how the minds of those who practiced medicine...more
A smart and highly readable history of vaccines.
This is an interesting book about what I consider to be one of our great modern miracles, but I just don't have time for an in-depth nonfiction book right now. I learned of this book through reading an article by the author in a recent issue of Mother Jones.
I read this book so I would have a better understanding about vaccines. It worked. This book is the entire history plus a lot of side stories. This book is packed full of information, but it left me with my main question unanswered.
I didn't completely finish this because the library demanded it back. I really liked the history of how vaccines originated and the early politics surrounding them. Very interesting read, and good background coverage.
The vaccination debate is confusing and definitely heated. I was disappointed by this book. It did not provide the information I was hoping to find. It's great for the history of vaccines though.
Interesting, but I just couldn't get into it. I'll have to give it a try again some time later.
Spotty history of the vaccine industry...
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Arthur Allen, a former Associated Press foreign correspondent, has written for The New York Times Magazine, The New Republic, The Washington Post, The Atlantic Monthly, and Salon. He lives in Washington, D.C."
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