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Yellow Fever, Black Goddess: The Coevolution Of People And Plagues
In this remarkable account, evolutionary biologist Christopher Wills takes us on a voyage of discovery through the exotic pasts of the viruses and bacteria that periodically emerge with such disastrous results for our species. It is our knowledge of their secret lives, the eons spent quietly passing in and out of myriad other life forms, mutating and coadapting, that gives us hope of taming them. By putting these organisms—from bubonic plague to Ebola—at center-stage, Wills shows how we will eventually master them.
336 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1996
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Displaying 1 - 26 of 26 reviews
July 22, 2021
I will admit to reading this because of the present pandemic that is Covid19. Was it worth the read? Yes. I learnt a lot but do realise that it is outdated in parts, being released in 1996. The chapter on AIDS was definitely way past it’s used by date, as advances in that area are even noted by a complete science duffer such as me.
Be that as it may, my eyes were opened to just how good we have it nowadays with medical advancement that this modern plague is so easily contained compared to the past.
Recommend to those with an interest in the history of lurgies.
Be that as it may, my eyes were opened to just how good we have it nowadays with medical advancement that this modern plague is so easily contained compared to the past.
Recommend to those with an interest in the history of lurgies.
August 22, 2018
This non-fiction book on plagues has been a mixed bag. Dull ends with great info when the author gives examples. To his credit, he explained complex scientific research and thinking for the layman to follow. And in the process maintains the wonder and joy of science. This does not have the typical style of more popular non-fiction books. He builds logically on each presented idea. Enough that you can draw certain conclusions on your own.
But this book is so dated. Clearly his research on HIV/AIDS is taken from those early days when the disease first manifested. Quite a few of his predictions were dead wrong. Which brings me to the last two hang-ups. Plagues seem to involve the poorer areas of the world. And there are very complex structures which result in plagues. These are often oversimplified and lessened the true impact. And I was able to notice his blind spots concerning the more developed nations. But there are some great lessons which resonate today, such as resurgence of certain illnesses
This is an evolutionary biologist view on plagues. It is a more grounded view of plagues even if I disagreed with certain conclusions. But I enjoyed the academic tiffs and scientists who ingested organisms to prove their theory.
Scoring system
Writing: complex theories explained clearly with diagrams for layman. But it is an easier read if you have basic familiarity with some of the genetic concepts or you will need to re-read. Can be a bit dry. 3.5/5
Setting: attempted to give a socio-political framework but could be seen to be condescending at times 3/5
Arguments/Theories: well presented but there is quite a bit of conjecture. This reflects the knowledge at the time. But with all scientific data, it ages quickly. Able to dismantle myths regarding some diseases. 3.5/5
But this book is so dated. Clearly his research on HIV/AIDS is taken from those early days when the disease first manifested. Quite a few of his predictions were dead wrong. Which brings me to the last two hang-ups. Plagues seem to involve the poorer areas of the world. And there are very complex structures which result in plagues. These are often oversimplified and lessened the true impact. And I was able to notice his blind spots concerning the more developed nations. But there are some great lessons which resonate today, such as resurgence of certain illnesses
This is an evolutionary biologist view on plagues. It is a more grounded view of plagues even if I disagreed with certain conclusions. But I enjoyed the academic tiffs and scientists who ingested organisms to prove their theory.
Scoring system
Writing: complex theories explained clearly with diagrams for layman. But it is an easier read if you have basic familiarity with some of the genetic concepts or you will need to re-read. Can be a bit dry. 3.5/5
Setting: attempted to give a socio-political framework but could be seen to be condescending at times 3/5
Arguments/Theories: well presented but there is quite a bit of conjecture. This reflects the knowledge at the time. But with all scientific data, it ages quickly. Able to dismantle myths regarding some diseases. 3.5/5
Did Not Finish
March 7, 2020The scientific colonialism of the author's approach killed my interest pretty quickly, alas.
May 11, 2020
A common belief is that this Covid-19 pandemic is something evil and that we must therefore wage war against it and pray to God that it be gone from our lives forever (as if viruses were created by the Devil and we must fight them with God by our side).
This book, which gave me a headache reading its medical/scientific explanations, shows us the history and science of viruses, bacterias, germs, diseases, epidemics, pandemics and plagues which illustrate that they are part of our natural world and, in a way, helped us become what we are now (human beings, but with a lot of beneficial diversities).
This book, which gave me a headache reading its medical/scientific explanations, shows us the history and science of viruses, bacterias, germs, diseases, epidemics, pandemics and plagues which illustrate that they are part of our natural world and, in a way, helped us become what we are now (human beings, but with a lot of beneficial diversities).
July 18, 2014
After finishing this book I feel like I've just eaten an exceptionally large meal and need time to digest all the components of said meal. So this review might get a bit ramble, just a warning. From the onset the author explains what he's setting out to do with the book which is to explain diseases in great deal from a biological,medical,and genetic standpoint, then go into how the disease has affected society and even the very fabric of our own genetic makeup. I would say he does this very well, in other reviews people mention how a lot of the things he mentions are outdated, I would only agree with them on the AIDS chapter as a great many advances on treatment have occurred since the 90s. However the way AiDS functions and it's transmission have largely remained the same so it was still very informative on that aspect.
One criticism I would have to give is that yellow fever is the titular disease yet has barely a passing mention in the book. I grabbed this book off the shelf in the hopes that it would have the meaty scientific info on yellow fever that "The American Plague" so obviously lacked. Alas though he gives extremely hearty descriptions to bubonic plague,malaria,cholera,and syphilis, there is no meat for yellow fever or in fact any of the hemorrhagic fevers, in fact the only name dropping of Ebola happens on the back of the book. Perhaps he wrote a chapter on the hemorrhagic fears and it was edited out, I really shouldnt judge but I feel that listing the book under an uncovered disease is a little false. I think this is the main reason that I gave the book four stars instead of five because I was disappointed in the lack of yellow fever, I'm very curious about this one because it has affected the history of America so drastically. I know the author is British, but still. On a side note the "Black Goddess" mentioned in the title is referring to Kali, there are some references to her having started out as the goddess of Cholera which is also called a black disease because as extreme dehydration sets in and the blood grows thicker it appears black, and the thinness of the skin upon death makes the corpses seem black.
I very much enjoyed the book despite being a little bit of a pain to read, and the author sounding a bit harsh at certain times. If you guys have any other books along this vein that you think I'd like, give me a heads up. I love learning, but I prefer science and history to biographies and literature.
One criticism I would have to give is that yellow fever is the titular disease yet has barely a passing mention in the book. I grabbed this book off the shelf in the hopes that it would have the meaty scientific info on yellow fever that "The American Plague" so obviously lacked. Alas though he gives extremely hearty descriptions to bubonic plague,malaria,cholera,and syphilis, there is no meat for yellow fever or in fact any of the hemorrhagic fevers, in fact the only name dropping of Ebola happens on the back of the book. Perhaps he wrote a chapter on the hemorrhagic fears and it was edited out, I really shouldnt judge but I feel that listing the book under an uncovered disease is a little false. I think this is the main reason that I gave the book four stars instead of five because I was disappointed in the lack of yellow fever, I'm very curious about this one because it has affected the history of America so drastically. I know the author is British, but still. On a side note the "Black Goddess" mentioned in the title is referring to Kali, there are some references to her having started out as the goddess of Cholera which is also called a black disease because as extreme dehydration sets in and the blood grows thicker it appears black, and the thinness of the skin upon death makes the corpses seem black.
I very much enjoyed the book despite being a little bit of a pain to read, and the author sounding a bit harsh at certain times. If you guys have any other books along this vein that you think I'd like, give me a heads up. I love learning, but I prefer science and history to biographies and literature.
April 25, 2020
I started reading this book during our global COVID-19 pandemic, sort of for the same reasons that some people find solace in horror movies: it just diminishes your own personal stress. History, unlike fiction, raises a bony finger up to you in solidarity, and there’s something uplifting and consequential even about the grimmest moments of history. A reminder that we’re all in this together, and a lesson for what to look out for. We’re all in this together, but we’re not all equal in our experience of this pandemic, just as in the past, during plagues, people have been and continue to face unjust odds. Recognizing this privilege, these cozy time to read in my home, all my needs met, only slightly stressed about my recent joblessness, I took time to expand on a course I took this year called History of Healthcare Ethics and read this book. What I appreciated the most about this book is the ability of its author to explain complex biological and ecological concepts so that a layperson can understand the information with ease. I found it to be a good refresher on concepts I explored in my parasitology, entomology, introductory ecology and biology classes, from years ago. I also learned many new things that I hadn’t been exposed to during those classes. I found the author presented a refreshingly honest history of the impact of these various diseases, that include some historical background, and delves into some of the social determinants of health that cause disparities in how populations fare during these disease outbreaks. Especially in his chapters on Syphilis and HIV/AIDS. I learned some historical and epidemiological information from his book, which did not shy away from placing a proportional amount of the blame on colonialism. This book was written in the 90s, so I haven’t yet looked into all of the information, some of which will probably be outdated, but it has piqued my curiosity to learn more on how these diseases behave in light of antibiotic resistance and advanced medical treatments/ drug therapies. I feel like I’m still digesting the information, but it feels like a balm for a worried mind, as all of our lives, for the past few months, have been upended by this pandemic. Wisdom can be obtained by learning about history, and right now, my heart is sore for the communities, the populations, the nations that are being failed by inept governments, by an indifferent society, and by a severe lack of resources. Stay safe, as best you can. I feel guilty that all that I can do right now is sit comfortably at home and read, while so many die. I hope that I can make-up for my inaction when all this is over, or better yet, in any way I can, while there is still help needed.
Read
April 17, 2025odds I get a tattoo of the broad st pump
May 29, 2026
Every one of us is susceptible to disease once in a while and has to seek medical care or resort to long recuperation which puts us to great inconvenience. However, that phase soon passes and as the normal chores are resumed, we tend to forget about it. Basking in the successes of technology, we are oblivious to the immense damage some of the diseases have caused to mankind over the centuries. Any illness which has afflicted a large proportion of people in the society is called a plague. The author presents their origin, historical occurrences and speculates on the possible vistas which they may occupy in the future. Christopher Wills is a Professor of Biology and his research ranges from the question of human origins to the nature of human genetic variation and the mechanisms by which we resist diseases. He is the author of three books for the general reader in biology: The Wisdom of the Genes, Exons, Introns and Talking Genes and The Runaway Brain.
It may seem counter initiative to us but the fact remains true that killing of a host (the afflicted animal) is not in the best interests of a pathogen attacking it. Evolution cries for survival of an individual by better adaptation but not necessary to exterminate a host which provides it with nourishment. This explains why exceptionally virulent pathogens fail to propagate further after a nasty bout of plague. The death of the infected organism closes down the way of progress for the plague-causing entity too. More benign cousins of such pathogens then continue to live happily in symbiosis with the host. The trillions of bacteria and viruses that reside in the human body, in guts, mouth or other body part are genetically only a step away from virulent strains of similar genre. But they don’t cause any ill effects on us and we have learned to live in harmony with them. History also supports this argument. Bubonic plague, which devastated London in 1665-66 in its greatest incarnation, has not returned even though no specific countermeasure was adopted by the inhabitants. Similarly malaria receded from Northern Europe by mid 19th century, even before science established the connection between the disease and mosquitoes.
Whenever the term ‘plague’ is mentioned, we normally think of bubonic plague that devastated a great portion of humanity in 542 and 1348 CE, which may roughly thought to be the brackets of the medieval age. The disease is analysed in great detail in the book. The bacteria Yersinia pestis is the culprit which is in fact a genetically weakened cousin of the more deadly Yersinia pseudotuberculosis which affects animals. When it affects a human, the body goes into overdrive to produce phagocytes (white blood cells) to kill off the antigens, which causes the lymph nodes (buboes) to bulge extraordinarily in size, giving the disease its name. Mortality rate is usually high if untreated and when it transforms to pneumonic plague after it colonizes the lungs. Then it gets really virulent as the bacteria gets transferred between people through air by breath. The virus is vectored through rat fleas and the epidemic was thought to be extinct until it reappeared in Surat and Beed district of Maharashtra in 1994. Even though there is controversy regarding whether it was indeed the plague, the pestilence was stemmed with massive application of antibiotics and DDT.
In an amusing anecdote – if there can be anything which is even remotely amusing in the case of a deadly disease – Wills tells the case of a housemaid in New York who spread typhoid wherever she was employed and that caused many people to die. The bacteria which cause the disease, named Salmonella typhii takes a permanent residence in the gall bladders of some of the patients. While it does not result in any outward manifestation, the bacteria grow in their bladders and spill over to the environment through natural means. The maid in this case was christened ‘Typhoid Mary’ and she was arrested and quarantined. At first she escaped and found work elsewhere under an assumed name. Sudden appearances of the disease in the inhabitants of the house revealed the presence of Mary and she was again caught and incarcerated, this time for 28 years until her death. This case presents one of the gruesome aspects of man’s social life. Even though she has not committed any crime, and was being punished for no fault of hers, she suffered isolation for decades befitting a felon.
Wills goes on to describe many other diseases too like syphilis, tuberculosis and AIDS. We read of controversies among academicians over the origin of syphilis, which some of them believe to have originated in America and was introduced in Europe and elsewhere after the voyages of Columbus, who himself introduced many European diseases like smallpox and measles on the native populations in America. This is a good case of how societies often face unexpected challenges in its complex web of interactions with other people.
Wills confuses the historical provenance of some of the references he uses in the narrative. To establish the ancientness of plague, he quotes from Bhagvat Purana of India and arbitrarily assigns the date of 1500 BCE for it. This is certainly erroneous, as the Puranas are considered to be of much later origin by historians, sometimes placed around 500 CE. Similar tracing of the disease to central Asia or Africa is also unconvincing. Whatever may be the work’s advantages, historical accuracy is not one of them.
The book presents a disproportionately large mention of India and how the country is still home to a large number of deadly diseases. The narration is definitely unflattering but should serve a clear notice to clean up the house. Though often tinged with an air of condescension, Will’s description of the pathetic health infrastructure of the country is intended to open the eyes of impartial observers.
The book is somewhat dated as it was released 16 years ago and much work has been done in some areas like AIDS prevention declared to be of grave concern by Wills. Of course it is still grave, but the projected mortality figures are way of the mark, with the advantage of hindsight. A revised edition appears to be long due. One aspect the author should concern himself about is to include a primer on diseases, its methods of spread and ways of causing havoc and the essential differences between various agents of diseases. Readers like me who are confused about the differences between a bacteria and a virus remain as puzzled as ever after completing reading of the book. The glossary given at the end really is a positive point for the work and equally commendable is the conscious effort not to dabble too much with medical terms. A lengthy treatment given near the end of the book on how the species diversity of a rain forest helps to keep pathogens at bay is simply yawn-inspiring though many of the observations were collected by the author during his own academic research.
The book is recommended.
It may seem counter initiative to us but the fact remains true that killing of a host (the afflicted animal) is not in the best interests of a pathogen attacking it. Evolution cries for survival of an individual by better adaptation but not necessary to exterminate a host which provides it with nourishment. This explains why exceptionally virulent pathogens fail to propagate further after a nasty bout of plague. The death of the infected organism closes down the way of progress for the plague-causing entity too. More benign cousins of such pathogens then continue to live happily in symbiosis with the host. The trillions of bacteria and viruses that reside in the human body, in guts, mouth or other body part are genetically only a step away from virulent strains of similar genre. But they don’t cause any ill effects on us and we have learned to live in harmony with them. History also supports this argument. Bubonic plague, which devastated London in 1665-66 in its greatest incarnation, has not returned even though no specific countermeasure was adopted by the inhabitants. Similarly malaria receded from Northern Europe by mid 19th century, even before science established the connection between the disease and mosquitoes.
Whenever the term ‘plague’ is mentioned, we normally think of bubonic plague that devastated a great portion of humanity in 542 and 1348 CE, which may roughly thought to be the brackets of the medieval age. The disease is analysed in great detail in the book. The bacteria Yersinia pestis is the culprit which is in fact a genetically weakened cousin of the more deadly Yersinia pseudotuberculosis which affects animals. When it affects a human, the body goes into overdrive to produce phagocytes (white blood cells) to kill off the antigens, which causes the lymph nodes (buboes) to bulge extraordinarily in size, giving the disease its name. Mortality rate is usually high if untreated and when it transforms to pneumonic plague after it colonizes the lungs. Then it gets really virulent as the bacteria gets transferred between people through air by breath. The virus is vectored through rat fleas and the epidemic was thought to be extinct until it reappeared in Surat and Beed district of Maharashtra in 1994. Even though there is controversy regarding whether it was indeed the plague, the pestilence was stemmed with massive application of antibiotics and DDT.
In an amusing anecdote – if there can be anything which is even remotely amusing in the case of a deadly disease – Wills tells the case of a housemaid in New York who spread typhoid wherever she was employed and that caused many people to die. The bacteria which cause the disease, named Salmonella typhii takes a permanent residence in the gall bladders of some of the patients. While it does not result in any outward manifestation, the bacteria grow in their bladders and spill over to the environment through natural means. The maid in this case was christened ‘Typhoid Mary’ and she was arrested and quarantined. At first she escaped and found work elsewhere under an assumed name. Sudden appearances of the disease in the inhabitants of the house revealed the presence of Mary and she was again caught and incarcerated, this time for 28 years until her death. This case presents one of the gruesome aspects of man’s social life. Even though she has not committed any crime, and was being punished for no fault of hers, she suffered isolation for decades befitting a felon.
Wills goes on to describe many other diseases too like syphilis, tuberculosis and AIDS. We read of controversies among academicians over the origin of syphilis, which some of them believe to have originated in America and was introduced in Europe and elsewhere after the voyages of Columbus, who himself introduced many European diseases like smallpox and measles on the native populations in America. This is a good case of how societies often face unexpected challenges in its complex web of interactions with other people.
Wills confuses the historical provenance of some of the references he uses in the narrative. To establish the ancientness of plague, he quotes from Bhagvat Purana of India and arbitrarily assigns the date of 1500 BCE for it. This is certainly erroneous, as the Puranas are considered to be of much later origin by historians, sometimes placed around 500 CE. Similar tracing of the disease to central Asia or Africa is also unconvincing. Whatever may be the work’s advantages, historical accuracy is not one of them.
The book presents a disproportionately large mention of India and how the country is still home to a large number of deadly diseases. The narration is definitely unflattering but should serve a clear notice to clean up the house. Though often tinged with an air of condescension, Will’s description of the pathetic health infrastructure of the country is intended to open the eyes of impartial observers.
The book is somewhat dated as it was released 16 years ago and much work has been done in some areas like AIDS prevention declared to be of grave concern by Wills. Of course it is still grave, but the projected mortality figures are way of the mark, with the advantage of hindsight. A revised edition appears to be long due. One aspect the author should concern himself about is to include a primer on diseases, its methods of spread and ways of causing havoc and the essential differences between various agents of diseases. Readers like me who are confused about the differences between a bacteria and a virus remain as puzzled as ever after completing reading of the book. The glossary given at the end really is a positive point for the work and equally commendable is the conscious effort not to dabble too much with medical terms. A lengthy treatment given near the end of the book on how the species diversity of a rain forest helps to keep pathogens at bay is simply yawn-inspiring though many of the observations were collected by the author during his own academic research.
The book is recommended.
Read
July 3, 2016Most nonfiction books today read less like true books and more like 20 page New Yorker articles that were so great they unfortunately got blown up with a lot of filler into mediocre 200 page books. That does not apply here. This volume doesn't pander to you by repeating its main point SLOWLY AND CLEARLY in every chapter, or dazzling you with cutesy factoids about the lives of the scientists involved, or delivering breathless we-were-there retellings of the moment of discovery, or any of the other tricks of the trade.
The author has quite an important thesis -- that diseases are one of the mechanisms which enhance genetic diversity of an ecosystem -- which he mentions rather briefly at the beginning and in more depth at the end. However, the argument is really built on a lot of specific information about how various epidemic diseases spread and mutate... so the meat of the book is devoted to a straightforward but detailed recounting of that information, without constant attempts to reiterate the conclusion prematurely. If you're not ready to be fascinated by the news that many epidemic diseases use DNA left over from other sources, or that sexual transmission might be a way to bring the steamy tropics to cold climates, you're not ready for Christopher Wills.
The author has quite an important thesis -- that diseases are one of the mechanisms which enhance genetic diversity of an ecosystem -- which he mentions rather briefly at the beginning and in more depth at the end. However, the argument is really built on a lot of specific information about how various epidemic diseases spread and mutate... so the meat of the book is devoted to a straightforward but detailed recounting of that information, without constant attempts to reiterate the conclusion prematurely. If you're not ready to be fascinated by the news that many epidemic diseases use DNA left over from other sources, or that sexual transmission might be a way to bring the steamy tropics to cold climates, you're not ready for Christopher Wills.
October 18, 2008
One of my favorite disease history books.
January 9, 2025
70% in and I'm done. I think the book might be subtitled, "My theories on the origins of syphilis".
It is dull as dishwater, and I think this is mainly because it can't decide what it is. When he's in story mode, it is interesting, then he goes into scienctific mode and it is far less so. I think it fails to deliver a coherent and interesting linear timeline of disease, as the title implies. I am not disputing the content per se, just the way it is presented. A book needs to hold your interest, and this one fails to hold mine.
It is dull as dishwater, and I think this is mainly because it can't decide what it is. When he's in story mode, it is interesting, then he goes into scienctific mode and it is far less so. I think it fails to deliver a coherent and interesting linear timeline of disease, as the title implies. I am not disputing the content per se, just the way it is presented. A book needs to hold your interest, and this one fails to hold mine.
October 22, 2021
This molecular biologist finds the book a fascinating read. The book is written in engaging style, is dense with information, and (for me) full of surprises about the interplay between humans and their pathogens, creating evolutionary pressures in both. It is difficult to understand comments about how the book is dated regarding HIV. Books are only dated when what they say is proven wrong by later information. This is not the case with this book.
July 13, 2024
There is a lot of really interesting information in this book, although it is of course dated at this point. However, microbiology is microbiology and much of it stands.
The characterization of non-Western cultures and locations is what led me to give a lower rating. I can understand that the author may have been trying to add color to content that can be rather dry, but his descriptions were dismissive and demeaning, especially of different locations in India.
The characterization of non-Western cultures and locations is what led me to give a lower rating. I can understand that the author may have been trying to add color to content that can be rather dry, but his descriptions were dismissive and demeaning, especially of different locations in India.
October 21, 2022
I don't have either the expertise or any reason to doubt the accuracy of this book nor its intelligence. What I can criticize is its readability. I found the book dull beyond words. I wanted to enjoy it and was attracted to the subject but just couldn't get into it. In all probability my failing.
January 25, 2021
Since this book was written around 25 years ago it is very outdated, which becomes painfully apparent in the chapter on HIV and AIDS.
May 10, 2020
Obsolete information about AIDS, and nearly uninterrupted white supremacist subtext.
March 2, 2024
My neighbour recommended this book when I was discussing a friend's request for me to read The Contagion Myth: Why Viruses (including "Coronavirus") Are Not the Cause of Disease, and my deep frustration with that experience (another story). However it was part of the immediate context for my deeper interest in how our history and evolution are intertwined with a variety of contagions. I greatly appreciated taking time to discuss lesser known diseases, and although HIV research has (in some ways) come a long ways since the 90s, it's a fascinating beginning look into its research and identification, and a very different look at a virus that sometimes has quite profound effects on the body, sometimes very little. I was trying to remember the cousin of syphilis it describes (it's been a few years since I read it), and accidentally found the following review, which I thought might be helpful to link to for those looking for informed reviews of this book:
https://www.nature.com/articles/nm039...
https://www.nature.com/articles/nm039...
June 3, 2008
This was an interesting read, although a bit dated, since the world of infectious disease has changed so much since 1996! The author is a biologist, so he looks at different plagues from an evolutionary and biological standpoint. He covers Plague, Malaria, Typhoid, Cholera, Syphilis and HIV/AIDS and talks about how parts of genetic evolution relate to pandemics, epidemics and/or changes in virulence. My biggest critique is his lack of international experience (a problem when visiting and describing local outbreaks) and how he grossly misrepresents the Rwandan conflict. It was readable and interesting overall, although I wouldn't count on too much of the science to be unchanged.
December 14, 2014
Required reading for a class, but I just read it now! I learned a lot about diseases and their origins. It's well written with a lot of interesting stories to keep the reader engaged, and a bit of science for the everyday person to understand how these diseases work.
July 29, 2015
When reading this book, first note that it is nearly 20 years old. Our knowledge about some of these diseases (particularly HIV/AIDS) has advanced significantly since then. However, the evolutionary principles have not changed, and that means the book is still a valuable read.
Currently Reading
August 9, 2009Good to read in conjunction with Ghost Map
June 8, 2013
Good read I like the section on Cholera and how it spreads. Interesting stuff.
July 4, 2013
Fascinating book. Written from the viewpoint of the pathogens, i.e., how they circumvent the human body's attempts to deactivate them.
February 2, 2015
Interesting though dated. Do not read while exhibiting symptoms of intestinal or respiratory illness.
May 22, 2013
Good stuff but a bit outdated
July 10, 2014
Very nice
But one must remember that it was written in 1996.
But one must remember that it was written in 1996.
Displaying 1 - 26 of 26 reviews