Scan barcode
Reviews
The Ghost Map: A Street, an Epidemic and the Hidden Power of Urban Networks by Steven Johnson
tophat8855's review against another edition
5.0
My kids knew more about Dr. John Snow than I did, so it was time to read this. We really are indebted to the people who pioneered pathology and public health. Written in 2006, at the end Johnson says something like "The virus that will affect us on an international scale hasn't been created yet." And he was not wrong. Listened via Hoopla (which is why I don't have the exact sentence!)
sheranel's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
hopeful
informative
inspiring
mysterious
reflective
sad
medium-paced
3.0
Would have given a higher rating if not for the conclusion and epilogue.
booksnooksandcooks's review against another edition
2.0
If this book deleted the entire last chapter, I would give it more stars. But Johnson takes mediocre research strewn together in a hindsight-laden view of cholera epidemics and delves into some conspiracy-laced rant about 9/11, nuclear weapons, etc.
Guess what, man!!! A pandemic actually happened!!! And yeah, it was horrible in cities!!! But it wasn’t whatever that last chapter was. I spent the entire epilogue staring at the wall in a mixture of confusion and boredom as the audiobook artist continued on.
The two stars this book DOES get is because it actually kept me interested in the history of cholera and sanitation systems. That’s the only redeeming point.
Guess what, man!!! A pandemic actually happened!!! And yeah, it was horrible in cities!!! But it wasn’t whatever that last chapter was. I spent the entire epilogue staring at the wall in a mixture of confusion and boredom as the audiobook artist continued on.
The two stars this book DOES get is because it actually kept me interested in the history of cholera and sanitation systems. That’s the only redeeming point.
mkmcd's review against another edition
informative
reflective
2.5
Interesting history. Strange to look back on some of the authors hypotheses after the COVID-19 pandemic happened.
nderiley's review against another edition
3.0
Historically interesting and written in an approachable style. I especially liked the conclusion where the author predicted future challenges and solutions
ggkurapaty's review against another edition
informative
medium-paced
4.5
Makes scientific discovery read like a story.