Epidemics And The Modern World

Epidemics and the Modern World uses biographies of epidemics such as plague, tuberculosis, and HIV/AIDS to explore the impact of diseases on society from the fourteenth century to the twenty-first century.

A wide-ranging study that illuminates the connection between epidemic diseases and societal change, from the Black Death to Ebola This sweeping exploration of the impact of epidemic diseases looks at how mass infectious outbreaks have shaped society, from the Black Death to today. 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.

Epidemics and the Modern World uses ""biographies"" of epidemics such as plague, tuberculosis, and HIV/AIDS to explore the impact of diseases on society from the fourteenth century to the twenty-first century.

‘Mark Harrison's book illuminates the threats posed by infectious diseases since 1500. He places these diseases within an international perspective, and demonstrates the relationship between European expansion and changing epidemiological patterns. The book is a significant introduction to a fascinating subject.’ Gerald N. Grob, Rutgers State University In this lively and accessible book, Mark Harrison charts the history of disease from the birth of the modern world around 1500 through to the present day. He explores how the rise of modern nation-states was closely linked to the threat posed by disease, and particularly infectious, epidemic diseases. He examines the ways in which disease and its treatment and prevention, changed over the centuries, under the impact of the Renaissance and the Enlightenment, and with the advent of scientific medicine. For the first time, the author integrates the history of disease in the West with a broader analysis of the rise of the modern world, as it was transformed by commerce, slavery, and colonial rule. Disease played a vital role in this process, easing European domination in some areas, limiting it in others. Harrison goes on to show how a new environment was produced in which poverty and education rather than geography became the main factors in the distribution of disease. Assuming no prior knowledge of the history of disease, Disease and the Modern World provides an invaluable introduction to one of the richest and most important areas of history. It will be essential reading for all undergraduates and postgraduates taking courses in the history of disease and medicine, and for anyone interested in how disease has shaped, and has been shaped by, the modern world.

"Epidemics and their effects on human populations have provided a literary theme extending from the Bible to Albert Camus's The Plague, yet this theme is significantly absent from the literature of the United States. Why?" "In this groundbreaking study, Joann P. Krieg uncovers the hidden concerns in the American psyche concerning epidemic diseases as she traces evidence of specific fears peculiar to the development of a national self-consciousness, especially with regard to nature in the New World. Beginning with the colonial era, ministers, politicians, and writers have downplayed, denied, or only obliquely alluded to such public miseries as smallpox, yellow fever, cholera, tuberculosis, and now AIDS, partly because of a fervent need to believe that only the old world of Europe is plague-ridden and corrupt. America, by contrast, is fresh and green, its people ever young and healthy." "This attitude of denial affected even the greatest of American writers, some of whom - such as Charles Brockden Brown, Ralph Waldo Emerson, and Henry David Thoreau - were themselves victims of epidemical diseases. Nathaniel Hawthorne, Edgar Allan Poe, and Walt Whitman broached the subject of epidemics, though often indirectly or with ambivalence. Later, Henry James, Willa Cather, and Katherine Anne Porter brought psychological awareness to the portrayal of dilemmas raised when Americans confronted epidemic illness at a personal level." "Today, AIDS challenges the hope of many Americans that geographical distance will provide immunity. As Krieg demonstrates, new literature by Larry Kramer, Paul Monette, and Susan Sontag speaks with increasing daring about the once-taboo subject of epidemics and their impact on national myths as well as on individual lives."--BOOK JACKET.Title Summary field provided by Blackwell North America, Inc. All Rights Reserved

Beyond their impact on public health, epidemics shape and are shaped by political, economic, and social forces. This book examines these connections, exploring key topics in the study of disease outbreaks and delving deep into specific historical and contemporary examples. From the Black Death that ravaged Europe in the 14th century to the influenza pandemic following World War I and the novel strain of coronavirus that made "social distancing" the new normal, wide-scale disease outbreaks have played an important role throughout human history. In addition to the toll they take on human lives, epidemics have spurred medical innovations, toppled governments, crippled economies, and led to cultural revolutions. Epidemics and Pandemics: From Ancient Plagues to Modern-Day Threats provides readers with a holistic view of the terrifying--and fascinating--topic of epidemics and pandemics. In Volume 1, readers will discover what an epidemic is, how it emerges and spreads, what diseases are most likely to become epidemics, and how disease outbreaks are tracked, prevented, and combatted. They will learn about the impacts of such modern factors as global air travel and antibiotic resistance, as well as the roles played by public health agencies and the media. Volume 2 offers detailed case studies that explore the course and lasting significance of individual epidemics and pandemics throughout history. Examines the topic from a number of angles, offering readers a holistic view of how epidemics and pandemics have affected and continue to affect the world Explains the science behind the emergence and spread of disease in easy-to-understand, jargon-free language Considers issues relevant to today's readers, including the impact of the anti-vaccination movement, climate change, global travel, and antibiotic resistance Offers a detailed look at the most famous examples of epidemics and pandemics throughout history, using a standardized format that makes finding information quick and easy

The Black Death. Cholera. Spanish flu. Swine flu. HIV/AIDS. COVID-19/SARS-CoV-2. Each of these pandemics has made (or, is making) a lasting impact on humanity. From the immediate mental image of the beaked masks worn in the Middle Ages (bubonic plague) and the birth of epidemiology (cholera) to recognizing the benefits of social distancing (1918 flu) and the harm of prejudice and misinformation (HIV/AIDS), pandemics have shown us how to survive infectious disease, as long as we heed their lessons. Preparing for Pandemics in the Modern World, edited by Christine Crudo Blackburn, brings together experts on pandemic preparedness and biosecurity to explore areas of weakness in pandemic prevention, preparedness, detection, and response. Even as COVID-19 makes its way around the world, leaders and policymakers are tasked with thinking ahead and preparing to effectively respond to the next such event--which experience shows us to be a matter of "when," not "if." Inside, chapters are divided into sections on the lessons learned from the 1918 influenza pandemic, the application of the One Health concept, and the role of the private sector in responding to potentially devastating disease outbreaks. A chapter on the impacts of supply chain disruption--in light of COVID-19--and an epilogue that discusses the current outbreak make Preparing for Pandemics in the Modern World a timely and accessibly written compilation on pandemic prevention, preparedness, detection, and response.

The Black Death. Cholera. Spanish flu. Swine flu. HIV/AIDS. COVID-19/SARS-CoV-2. Each of these pandemics has made (or, is making) a lasting impact on humanity. From the immediate mental image of the beaked masks worn in the Middle Ages (bubonic plague) and the birth of epidemiology (cholera) to recognizing the benefits of social distancing (1918 flu) and the harm of prejudice and misinformation (HIV/AIDS), pandemics have shown us how to survive infectious disease, as long as we heed their lessons. Preparing for Pandemics in the Modern World, edited by Christine Crudo Blackburn, brings together experts on pandemic preparedness and biosecurity to explore areas of weakness in pandemic prevention, preparedness, detection, and response. Even as COVID-19 makes its way around the world, leaders and policymakers are tasked with thinking ahead and preparing to effectively respond to the next such event—which experience shows us to be a matter of “when,” not “if.” Inside, chapters are divided into sections on the lessons learned from the 1918 influenza pandemic, the application of the One Health concept, and the role of the private sector in responding to potentially devastating disease outbreaks. A chapter on the impacts of supply chain disruption—in light of COVID-19—and an epilogue that discusses the current outbreak make Preparing for Pandemics in the Modern World a timely and accessibly written compilation on pandemic prevention, preparedness, detection, and response.