Human Frontiers, Environments and Disease: Past Patterns, Uncertain Futures

by Tony McMichael

Charting the relentless trajectory of humankind across time and geography, Tony McMichael highlights the changing survival patterns of our ancient ancestors, who roamed the African savannahs several million years ago, to today's populous, industrialized, and globalized world. McMichael explores the changes in human biology, culture, and surrounding environments that have influenced patterns of health and disease over the course of humankind's history, arguing that the health of populations is primarily a product of the interaction of human societies with the wider environment, its various ecosystems, and other life-support processes. Tony McMichael is professor of epidemiology, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine. He has held positions in Australia, USA, and UK, and has taught widely in Asia, Africa, and Europe. He has advised WHO, UNEP, the World Bank and Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change on public health issues. His previous book, Planetary Overload (Cambridge University Press, 1993) was a widely acclaimed and influential account of global environmental change and the health of the human species.

Genres: Anthropology, Science

430 pages, Hardcover

First published June 27, 1997

Reviews

[Alison · Rating 3 out of 5]

Read for Uni. Not a bad book and has some nice intro and conclusion sections which was good. A little outdated though, would like to see an updated version, especially after or pandemic, and what he has to say about that. Suitable for a more adult audience, though older teens might find some of it useful and not too boring, as although quite readable, there is still a lot of science related topics and information.