Insightful account of a defining moment in epidemiology

books:


	• The Ghost Map: The Story of London's Most Terrifying Epidemic--and How It Changed Science, Cities, and the ... Steven Johnson Riverhead Trade, 2007 - 320 pages average customer review:based on 100 reviews view larger image
	for more information click here

highly recommended

For every epidemyolgist and anasthesiologist

There are many detective stories on serial killers. This one is the best, the real one. The killer is from the city of London, in England. He cause the death of more than 10 or 20 victims. The smart detective is Dr Snow , he
is the anesthesiologist ( actually the only one in the world than ) of her majesty the queen, his name is John Snow! and it is a real story . Half way through the book we know who is responsible ( the vibrio Cholera) but the way he solve the mystery , his "elementary" thinking make this book a delight to read, and it adds to the books that describe the history of medicine in such a way that make it a real adventure, which is what it is .

for more information click here

The Ghost Map is a very engaging book.

I found the Ghost Map incredibly engaging--it chronicles the beginning of public health and of epidemiology in the context of London's Cholera 1854 epidemic. The book is very well written--but I believe that it could have been much shorter and that a more aggressive editor could have tightened the narrative.

Nonetheless, this is a great read---it's history at its most compelling.

for more information click here

Good in parts, but with lots of filler

Steven Johnson has written a readable account of the 1854 London cholera epidemic, arrested by the removal at John Snow's behest of the Broad Street pump handle, and of Snow's work during the epidemic which led to the recognition of cholera as a waterborne illness. He does a good (if questionably accurate) job of placing the reader in the scene of mid-nineteenth century London, of recreating the squalor and filth that helped lead to the cholera outbreak, and his descriptions of the mudlarks and other "refuse scavengers" of the time are lively and interesting. He does a good job of discussing concerns of the time that seem strange to modern readers--such as, Can a city of 2 million actually even exist? He also devotes a considerable amount of time to discussing the then-prevalent "miasma" theory of disease and how it got in the way of accepting Snow's work demonstrating that the source of the contamination was the Broad Street pump. His retracing of Snow's steps on the compilation of his data, and his description of the process by which Whitehead (one of Snow's theoretical rivals) came to be swayed by the power of Snow's evidence are readable and interesting.

However, Johnson tends to ramble. A lot. In some places he comes across like a college freshman, desperately trying to pad out his term paper to make the required page count. His entire epilogue is just that: unfocused rambling, but it occurs elsewhere in his book as well, such as with his discussion of the origins of farming and civilization (his assertion that Native Americans didn't live in towns will certainly be news to anyone who has ever studied Cahokia and the prehistory of Southeastern North America), and other places in the book as well. I also find him somewhat untrustworthy in that he lets his enthusiasm carry him away into what may well be distortions of the historical record--this is a tendency I noticed as well in his previous book, Everything Bad is Good for You, which on the whole I read and enjoyed, but found disingenuous in some parts (notably his comparison of the Star Wars and LoTR movies). On the whole, this book is probably what it is trying to be: a good, readable "popular" account of the 1854 cholera epidemic. There's a place for that, but those with a serious interest in the epidemic would be well advised to seek out additional, more scholarly sources.

for more information click here

The individual contribution still matters.

Steven Johnson's book, The Ghost Map, is an excellent example of the early application of logic and the scientific method to a practical problem. The author makes it clear that what seemed in principal a logical conclusion with respect to the transmission of disease--bad air--and the application of remedies based on it, was unable to help society advance in the sphere of public health. Without basing decisions on solid data, efforts to improve the well being of society at all levels were almost hopeless, sometimes even detrimental, and more expensive. While the cleaning up of sewage from streets and especially dwellings was a definite improvement in overall living conditions it was a major undertaking and a huge expense. The actual amelioration of the cholera outbreak, which ultimately took some 10,000 lives, disrupted many a family, and disturbed London's emotional and financial well-being, only required the simple closure of a single pump by removing its handle.

It was also gratifying to see how much a single individual with a clear concept of method, a dedicated effort to data collection, and dogged perseverance could actually contribute substantially to the betterment of mankind. The individual does count.

Johnson also makes clear in his discourse on the subject just how much science progresses in tandem with other aspects of technology and social behavior. Author James Burke made this point very clearly and quite entertainingly in his BBC series Connections 1 in the 1980s. While Snow may have traced the transmission of cholera by way of a specific contaminated pump, he could only demonstrate the veracity of his conjecture with information acquired by others, most notably the compilation of mortality lists collected for another purpose altogether. In short the need of society for data for one purpose was found to be useful for another. Even the episode of cholera itself had arisen because of changes in technology itself, namely the provision of pump water to neighborhoods, and the recent introduction of private flush toilets in middle and upper class homes.

Apparent also from the narrative was the fact that despite shortcomings and even bad decisions made during a career in public service, a dedicated public servant can contribute major positive advances that only become apparent in retrospect. While the London public health administrator was wrong headed in some of his decisions, his overall push for improving the conditions of his fellow Londoners, rich and poor alike, had significant positive consequences for the future. While he was wrong headed because of the defects in the knowledge base of his time, his intentions were good and so was the ultimate outcome. Again, the individual does make a difference.

for more information click here

Insightful account of a defining moment in epidemiology

This was an excellent account of the (successful) efforts of two men, John Snow and Henry Whitehead, to understand the means by which cholera is transmitted, following an 1854 outbreak in London's Soho district. The "ghost map" constructed by Snow, and the identification of the index case by Whitehead, were eventually successful in displacing the prevailing "miasma theory" by establishing linkage beyond reasonable doubt to contamination at a single water pump (the Broad Street pump).

Johnson does an excellent job of providing a tightly-constructed account of the events during, and immediately following, the week when the epidemic was at its height. He is also very effective in placing the two men's discovery in historical context, and in giving a broader perspective on its significance.

An absorbing account of a milestone in epidemiology, at a level of scholarship that far surpasses that of the other work by this author that I had read ("Everything Bad is Good for You").

I highly recommend this book. Likely to be of most interest to readers who enjoy history, or with an interest in epidemiology or urban development.

for more information click here

reviews: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, page 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17

hot

not?

What's your opinion?

Write a review and share your thoughts!

search for books
the story of, changed, cities, epidemic, london, modern, science, terrifying

Impressum / about us