-
Epidemics and Society
- From the Black Death to the Present
- Narrated by: Eric Jason Martin
- Length: 23 hrs and 34 mins
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Publisher's summary
A "brilliant and sobering" (Paul Kennedy, Wall Street Journal) look at the history and human costs of pandemic outbreaks
As seen on 60 Minutes
The World Economic Forum number one book for context on the coronavirus outbreak
This sweeping exploration of the impact of epidemic diseases looks at how mass infectious outbreaks have shaped society, from the Black Death to today, and in a new preface addresses the global threat of COVID-19. In a clear and accessible style, Frank M. Snowden reveals the ways that diseases have not only influenced medical science and public health, but also transformed the arts, religion, intellectual history, and warfare.
A multidisciplinary and comparative investigation of the medical and social history of the major epidemics, this volume touches on themes such as the evolution of medical therapy, plague literature, poverty, the environment, and mass hysteria. In addition to providing historical perspective on diseases such as smallpox, cholera, and tuberculosis, Snowden examines the fallout from recent epidemics such as HIV/AIDS, SARS, and Ebola and the question of the world's preparedness for the next generation of diseases.
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You will probably enjoy "Spillover" more
- By serine on 03-01-16
By: Sonia Shah
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Influenza
- The Hundred-Year Hunt to Cure the 1918 Spanish Flu Pandemic
- By: Dr. Jeremy Brown
- Narrated by: Holter Graham
- Length: 6 hrs and 28 mins
- Unabridged
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On the 100th anniversary of the devastating pandemic of 1918, Jeremy Brown, a veteran ER doctor, explores the troubling, terrifying, and complex history of the flu virus, from the origins of the Great Flu that killed millions, to vexing questions such as: are we prepared for the next epidemic, should you get a flu shot, and how close are we to finding a cure?
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Important read
- By Kathryn C. on 12-21-18
By: Dr. Jeremy Brown
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A Short History of Medicine
- Modern Library Chronicles
- By: Frank Gonzalez-Crussi
- Narrated by: John McDonough
- Length: 9 hrs and 26 mins
- Unabridged
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Praised for his erudite writing, renowned scientist Frank Gonzalez-Crussi penned this concise history of medicine, beginning with the most primitive health-care practices and ending with the technology of modern medicine that we enjoy today. As with all Modern Library Chronicles, A Short History of Medicine is a wonderful primer for anyone interested in the subject.
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Dull and Disorganized
- By Amazon Customer on 05-21-08
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The Fever
- Malaria Has Ruled Humankind for 500,000 Years
- By: Sonia Shah
- Narrated by: Maha Chehlaoui
- Length: 8 hrs and 37 mins
- Unabridged
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In recent years, malaria has emerged as a cause célèbre for voguish philanthropists. Bill Gates, Bono, and Laura Bush are only a few of the personalities who have lent their names - and opened their pocketbooks - in hopes of curing the disease. Still, in a time when every emergent disease inspires waves of panic, why aren’t we doing more to eradicate one of our oldest foes? And how does a parasitic disease that we’ve known how to prevent for more than a century still infect 500 million people every year, killing nearly 1 million of them?
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Solid but not amazing account of malaria
- By S. Yates on 04-11-16
By: Sonia Shah
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Until Proven Safe
- The History and Future of Quarantine
- By: Nicola Twilley, Geoff Manaugh
- Narrated by: Kristen DiMercurio
- Length: 10 hrs and 14 mins
- Unabridged
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Quarantine is our most powerful response to uncertainty: it means waiting to see if something hidden inside us will be revealed. It is also one of our most dangerous, operating through an assumption of guilt. In quarantine, we are considered infectious until proven safe. Until Proven Safe tracks the history and future of quarantine around the globe, chasing the story of emergency isolation through time and space - from the crumbling lazarettos of the Mediterranean, built to contain the Black Death, to an experimental Ebola unit in London, and from the hallways of the CDC.
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Excellent writing, timely and informative
- By MSE on 07-24-21
By: Nicola Twilley, and others
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The Pandemic Century
- One Hundred Years of Panic, Hysteria, and Hubris
- By: Mark Honigsbaum
- Narrated by: John Lee
- Length: 13 hrs and 40 mins
- Unabridged
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Ever since the 1918 Spanish influenza pandemic, scientists have dreamed of preventing catastrophic outbreaks of infectious disease. Yet despite a century of medical progress, viral and bacterial disasters continue to take us by surprise, inciting panic and dominating news cycles. From the Spanish flu to the 1924 outbreak of pneumonic plague in Los Angeles to the 1930 "parrot fever" pandemic, through the more recent SARS, Ebola, and Zika epidemics, the last one hundred years have been marked by a succession of unanticipated pandemic alarms.
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Pretty good
- By Baz 12345 on 04-03-20
By: Mark Honigsbaum
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Trick or Treatment
- The Undeniable Facts about Alternative Medicine
- By: Edzard Ernst, Simon Singh
- Narrated by: Dennis Kleinman
- Length: 12 hrs and 33 mins
- Unabridged
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Whether you are an ardent believer in alternative medicine, a skeptic, or are simply baffled by the range of services and opinions, this guide lays to rest doubts and contradictions with authority, integrity, and clarity. In this groundbreaking analysis, over 30 of the most popular treatments - acupuncture, homeopathy, aromatherapy, reflexology, chiropractic, and herbal medicines - are examined for their benefits and potential dangers. Questions answered include: What works and what doesn't? What are the secrets, and what are the lies?
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Well researched
- By Erik J. Rasmussen on 09-09-20
By: Edzard Ernst, and others
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The Great Influenza
- The Epic Story of the Deadliest Plague in History
- By: John M. Barry
- Narrated by: Scott Brick
- Length: 19 hrs and 26 mins
- Unabridged
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In the winter of 1918, at the height of World War I, history's most lethal influenza virus erupted in an army camp in Kansas, moved east with American troops, then exploded, killing as many as 100 million people worldwide. It killed more people in 24 weeks than AIDS has killed in 24 years, more in a year than the Black Death killed in a century. But this was not the Middle Ages, and 1918 marked the first collision between modern science and epidemic disease.
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Great book but very disturbing...
- By Tim on 01-15-09
By: John M. Barry
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The Fate of Rome
- Climate, Disease, and the End of an Empire
- By: Kyle Harper
- Narrated by: Andrew Garman
- Length: 15 hrs and 20 mins
- Unabridged
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Interweaving a grand historical narrative with cutting-edge climate science and genetic discoveries, Kyle Harper traces how the fate of Rome was decided not just by emperors, soldiers, and barbarians but also by volcanic eruptions, solar cycles, climate instability, and devastating viruses and bacteria. He takes listeners from Rome's pinnacle in the second century, when the empire seemed an invincible superpower, to its unraveling by the seventh century, when Rome was politically fragmented and materially depleted.
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Interesting and worthwhile
- By B. Coleman on 06-15-19
By: Kyle Harper
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Pandora's Seed
- The Unforeseen Cost of Civilization
- By: Spencer Wells
- Narrated by: Spencer Wells
- Length: 6 hrs and 40 mins
- Unabridged
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This new book by Spencer Wells, the internationally known geneticist, anthropologist, author, and director of the Genographic Project, focuses on the seminal event in human history: mankind's decision to become farmers rather than hunter-gatherers.
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Short and unfocused, but often quite interesting.
- By Alan on 06-23-10
By: Spencer Wells
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- Past, Present, and Future
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The story of viruses and humanity is a story of fear and ignorance, of grief and heartbreak, and of great bravery and sacrifice. Michael Oldstone tells all these stories as he illuminates the history of the devastating diseases that have tormented humanity, focusing mostly on the most famous viruses. For this revised edition, Oldstone includes discussions of new viruses like SARS, bird flu, virally caused cancers, chronic wasting disease, and West Nile. Viruses, Plagues, and History paints a sweeping portrait of humanity's long-standing conflict with our unseen viral enemies.
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very detailed, but very statistical
- By ekhensel15 on 01-12-19
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Epidemics
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meh
- By Anonymous User on 01-11-19
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Epidemiology
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- By: Rodolfo Saracci
- Narrated by: Paul Hecht
- Length: 4 hrs and 27 mins
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An internationally recognized authority on epidemiology, Dr. Rodolfo Saracci, provides a wealth of information on this key field, dispelling some of the myths surrounding the study of epidemiology, and explaining what epidemiology is and how vital it is to the discovery, control, and prevention of disease in world populations. Dr. Saracci provides a general explanation of the principles behind clinical trials, and explains the nature of basic statistics concerning disease.
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Helpful introduction, with stodgy narration.
- By On Point on 11-12-22
By: Rodolfo Saracci
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Plagues, Pandemics and Viruses
- From the Plague of Athens to COVID-19
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It can come in waves - like tidal waves. It changes societies. It disrupts life. It ends lives. As far back as 3000 B.C.E. (the Bronze Age), plagues have stricken mankind. COVID-19 is just the latest example, but history shows that life continues. It shows that knowledge and social cooperation can save lives. Viruses are neither alive nor dead and are the closest thing we have to zombies. Their only known function is to replicate themselves, which can have devastating consequences on their hosts.
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Somewhat elemental
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The Great Mortality
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The plague that devastated Asia and Europe in the 14th century has been of never-ending interest to both scholars and the general public. Many books on the plague rely on statistics to tell the story. In The Great Mortality, author John Kelly lends an air of immediacy and intimacy to his telling of the journey of the plague as it traveled from the steppes of Russia, across Europe, and into England, killing 75 million people—one third of the known population—before it vanished.
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Endless Speculation and Contradiction
- By Greg on 04-20-24
By: John Kelly
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Plagues upon the Earth
- Disease and the Course of Human History
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- Narrated by: Tim Fannon
- Length: 19 hrs and 47 mins
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Plagues upon the Earth is a monumental history of humans and their germs. Weaving together a grand narrative of global history with insights from cutting-edge genetics, Kyle Harper explains why humanity’s uniquely dangerous disease pool is rooted deep in our evolutionary past, and why its growth is accelerated by technological progress. He shows that the story of disease is entangled with the history of slavery, colonialism, and capitalism, and reveals the enduring effects of historical plagues all around us, in patterns of wealth, health, power, and inequality.
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Waste of time...endless dribble.
- By Kathleen A. Massey on 12-29-21
By: Kyle Harper
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Viruses, Plagues, and History
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very detailed, but very statistical
- By ekhensel15 on 01-12-19
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Epidemics
- Hate and Compassion from the Plague of Athens to AIDS
- By: Samuel Kline Cohn Jr.
- Narrated by: David Colacci
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Overall
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Performance
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By investigating thousands of descriptions of epidemics reaching back before the fifth-century-BCE Plague of Athens to the distrust and violence that erupted with Ebola in 2014, Epidemics challenges a dominant hypothesis in the study of epidemics, that invariably across time and space, epidemics provoked hatred, blaming of the "other", and victimizing bearers of epidemic diseases, particularly when diseases were mysterious, without known cures or preventive measures.
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meh
- By Anonymous User on 01-11-19
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Epidemiology
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- Narrated by: Paul Hecht
- Length: 4 hrs and 27 mins
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Performance
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An internationally recognized authority on epidemiology, Dr. Rodolfo Saracci, provides a wealth of information on this key field, dispelling some of the myths surrounding the study of epidemiology, and explaining what epidemiology is and how vital it is to the discovery, control, and prevention of disease in world populations. Dr. Saracci provides a general explanation of the principles behind clinical trials, and explains the nature of basic statistics concerning disease.
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Helpful introduction, with stodgy narration.
- By On Point on 11-12-22
By: Rodolfo Saracci
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Plagues, Pandemics and Viruses
- From the Plague of Athens to COVID-19
- By: Heather E. Quinlan
- Narrated by: Samara Naeymi
- Length: 14 hrs and 28 mins
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Overall
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Performance
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It can come in waves - like tidal waves. It changes societies. It disrupts life. It ends lives. As far back as 3000 B.C.E. (the Bronze Age), plagues have stricken mankind. COVID-19 is just the latest example, but history shows that life continues. It shows that knowledge and social cooperation can save lives. Viruses are neither alive nor dead and are the closest thing we have to zombies. Their only known function is to replicate themselves, which can have devastating consequences on their hosts.
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Somewhat elemental
- By Bertha Watkins on 10-23-21
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The Great Mortality
- An Intimate History of the Black Death, the Most Devastating Plague of All Time
- By: John Kelly
- Narrated by: Matthew Lloyd Davies
- Length: 12 hrs and 55 mins
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Performance
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The plague that devastated Asia and Europe in the 14th century has been of never-ending interest to both scholars and the general public. Many books on the plague rely on statistics to tell the story. In The Great Mortality, author John Kelly lends an air of immediacy and intimacy to his telling of the journey of the plague as it traveled from the steppes of Russia, across Europe, and into England, killing 75 million people—one third of the known population—before it vanished.
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Endless Speculation and Contradiction
- By Greg on 04-20-24
By: John Kelly
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Plagues upon the Earth
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Waste of time...endless dribble.
- By Kathleen A. Massey on 12-29-21
By: Kyle Harper
What listeners say about Epidemics and Society
Average customer ratingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
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Superb
Clear interesting narration, though just a bit clipped and overly correct.
Content is thorough, informative, fascinating description of ancient and mostly current pandemic diseases, their etiologies, and treatment.
In hardback form, this is an excellent reference.
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- Julia
- 07-09-21
Absolutely fascinating
This books is a fascinating look into the history of illness in our society - and how we have dealt with it as human beings. It shows that the chaos around COVID is nothing new.
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1 person found this helpful
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- K. Bachelor
- 06-30-21
History & facts presented in an interesting manner
Narrator was very good.
Subject matter is fascinating to me. It wasn't overly technical, since it is an historic presentation. It filled in gaps in my knowledge painlessly.
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- Micah D
- 12-13-20
Better, more extensive, and deeper than expected
Years ago, I reserved what I thought would be a standard hotel room. Upon arriving, I was stunned to find myself on the top floor in a remarkable room. This book was a similar experience for me. I expected a fairly dry book focused on biomedical matters with just a bit of social context -- and I would have enjoyed that just fine. Instead, Professor Snowden provides an experience that is historical, literary, social, philosophical, and yes biomedical. His fascinating description of Napoleon's military history is just one example. Snowden manages to explore so many interesting topics within the context of a well-organized book while avoiding jargon. Dry? Not at all. Snowden's respect for his readers (listeners) is evident in a writing style that is thoroughly engaging and tightly logical.
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- Judy
- 07-02-21
A Plague On All Our Houses
Interesting and comprehensive look at some of the more spectacular of the diseases that have afflicted mankind over the centuries, plus a few more that continue to emerge as we soldier on.
To all you anti-vaxxers out there: one good sweeping epidemic of Ebola fever would probably encourage you to reconsider your position.
Narration is fine, except for a few startling missteps, e.g., "president" for "precedent".
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2 people found this helpful
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- Judy
- 11-27-20
A Must Read for All interested in the Health of our Planet and it’s Inhabitants
This book gives the ordinary non medical reader, not only a basic understanding of the biology and origin of many of the infectious diseases which have caused human suffering through the ages, but also it shows the personaleffect of the disease and it’s toll on families and societies. It gives examples of how diseases caused major shifts in past Historical events and even outcomes of War. It explains the failure of Governments, and Organizations to prioritize Health as a human right, but also as a mandate, due to our ever greater connectedness of our World Population through commerce and travel. It explains the traumatic effect of commercialization and denuding of forests, causing habitat destruction in contributing to more and more human and wildlife interraction, thus more options for animal to human transfer of diseases. This mass Webb of information, Insight, and warnings for today’s World leaders is told in a manner that is thoroughly interesting, informative, and motivating. The reader of this Book on Audiobooks is superb!
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- In my humble opinion
- 10-21-21
Way, way better than I expected!
I had just finished "The Great Influenza" and wanted to learn more about some of the famous plagues and pandemics, and this looked like a pretty good source. It is a pretty massive book - over 20 hours. I thought, well, I'll just listed to the parts about the Black Death, smallpox, and maybe a bit more. I ended up listening to every single chapter! It really does cover disease AND society, and the book does a fantastic job of tying the two together in ways I was not prepared for, and for which I now have a much greater understanding. Covid had not appeared at the time of the writing, but everything we've seen during the last two years of this pandemic has echoes in the earlier experiences of influenza, cholera, TB, etc. People need to know this aspect of human history. The narration is a bit dry - very much like sitting in a university lecture hall - but it works well and held my interest.
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1 person found this helpful
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- Vincent
- 10-29-24
One of the most accessible books in a complex area of science
Snowden’s “Epidemics and Society” is a fascinating journey through history, exploring how infectious diseases have influenced human societies. It’s a well-rounded analysis that delves into the complex relationship between biology, culture, public policy, economics, and scientific progress. If you’re curious about the intricate dynamics of public health and the evolution of human history, this audiobook is a must-listen. It sheds light on the timeless lessons epidemics offer for addressing global health challenges today.
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- Ninotchka
- 01-22-23
Excellent content horrible narrator
I wish this book would be reworked with a new narrator. The content is comprehensive and excellent, but the narrator sounds like a robot. Very sad. Important information.
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