The Atlas of Disease: Mapping Deadly Epidemics and Contagion from the Plague to the Coronavirus
Oct 2018 · Quarto Publishing Group USA
4.0star
2 reviews
Ebook
224
Pages
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About this ebook
“A pleasingly written lay person’s primer to disease epidemiology, as well as a gentle introduction to the social and cultural history of medicine.” —The Biologist
Includes extensive illustrations
Behind every disease is a story, a narrative woven of multiple threads—from the natural history of the disease to the tale of its discovery and its place in world events. The Atlas of Disease is the first book to tell these stories in a new and innovative way, interweaving new maps with contemporary illustrations to chart some of the world’s deadliest pandemics and epidemics.
Sandra Hempel reveals how maps have uncovered insightful information about the history of disease, from the seventeenth-century plague maps that revealed the radical idea that diseases might be carried and spread by humans, to cholera maps in the 1800s showing the disease was carried by water, right up to the AIDs epidemic in the 1980s, and the more recent devastating Ebola outbreak.
Crucially, The Atlas of Disease also explores how cartographic techniques have been used to combat epidemics by revealing previously hidden patterns. These are the stories of discoveries that have changed the course of history, affected human evolution, stimulated advances in medicine, and saved countless lives.
“Ample and well-chosen pictures . . . In fact, it is the sort of book that one can leaf through, looking only at illustrations and maps, and so is suitable for the informed and curious lay reader . . . Healthcare professionals and historians should also find it of interest.” —British Society for the History of Medicine
Acclaim for Sandra Hempel’s previous works of medical history
“A real-life scientific thriller.” —Kirkus Reviews
“Riveting.” —Daily Telegraph
“Fascinating . . . [A] masterful combination of telling details, engrossing prose, and drama.” —Publishers Weekly (starred review)
Includes extensive illustrations
Behind every disease is a story, a narrative woven of multiple threads—from the natural history of the disease to the tale of its discovery and its place in world events. The Atlas of Disease is the first book to tell these stories in a new and innovative way, interweaving new maps with contemporary illustrations to chart some of the world’s deadliest pandemics and epidemics.
Sandra Hempel reveals how maps have uncovered insightful information about the history of disease, from the seventeenth-century plague maps that revealed the radical idea that diseases might be carried and spread by humans, to cholera maps in the 1800s showing the disease was carried by water, right up to the AIDs epidemic in the 1980s, and the more recent devastating Ebola outbreak.
Crucially, The Atlas of Disease also explores how cartographic techniques have been used to combat epidemics by revealing previously hidden patterns. These are the stories of discoveries that have changed the course of history, affected human evolution, stimulated advances in medicine, and saved countless lives.
“Ample and well-chosen pictures . . . In fact, it is the sort of book that one can leaf through, looking only at illustrations and maps, and so is suitable for the informed and curious lay reader . . . Healthcare professionals and historians should also find it of interest.” —British Society for the History of Medicine
Acclaim for Sandra Hempel’s previous works of medical history
“A real-life scientific thriller.” —Kirkus Reviews
“Riveting.” —Daily Telegraph
“Fascinating . . . [A] masterful combination of telling details, engrossing prose, and drama.” —Publishers Weekly (starred review)
Ratings and reviews
4.0
2 reviews
Janice Tangen
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November 6, 2018
nonfiction, medical, science, spread-of-disease, maps I already know the basics of signs/symptoms and transmission of highly contagious diseases courtesy of an eclectic nursing career, but generally have difficulty envisioning global pathways (think of it as map dyslexia). This book revisits the more notable contagious diseases throughout world history, but is exceptional in that it gives excellent visuals demonstrating WHERE the diseases traveled and if simultaneously or sequentially. Fascinating! An excellent resource for geeks and practical application as well. I will be glad to revisit this book periodically, and not just for crosswords or to win a bet with a colleague! I requested and received a free ebook copy from Quarto Publishing Group - White Lion Publishing via NetGalley. Thank you!
About the author
Sandra Hempel is an esteemed medical journalist who has written for many newspapers and journals, including The Times, The Guardian and The Lancet. Her previous books include The Medical Detective: John Snow, Cholera and the Mystery of the Broad Street Pump, which won the British Medical Association's prize for the public understanding of science, and The Inheritor's Powder: A Cautionary Tale of Poison, Betrayal and Greed, which was serialised on Radio 4 as Book of the Week.
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