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3.83 AVERAGE
3.83 AVERAGE
challenging
emotional
informative
reflective
sad
tense
slow-paced
3.5
This book has a great raw account of start happened during the 1918 pandemic.
- two waves in 1918. The second wave was the most lethal. Researchers thought the end of civilization was possible at the time
- the public fell back to superstition and outdated ineffective cures like blood letting
- in come communities like the Inuits entire villages perished
- the third waved happened in spring of 1919, was less lethal but also hit hard
- subsequent waves lasted until ~1925
- the virus reverted to the mean and became less lethal. It ended but infected all available stock aka herd immunity
- influenza is one of the most rapidly mutating viruses, it also reproduces the the fastest. People were dying within 24-72 hours of contacting the virus
- cytokine storms caused the majority of deaths within the healthy young population. 50% deaths were of younger adults.
The Western world death rates were the lowest. The hardest hit were counties like India and south East Asia.
- studies have shown that influenza has lasting effects like brain damage
However the book could have been shorter 80% most of the pages were spent detailing trivia of inconsequential characters.
This book has a great raw account of start happened during the 1918 pandemic.
- two waves in 1918. The second wave was the most lethal. Researchers thought the end of civilization was possible at the time
- the public fell back to superstition and outdated ineffective cures like blood letting
- in come communities like the Inuits entire villages perished
- the third waved happened in spring of 1919, was less lethal but also hit hard
- subsequent waves lasted until ~1925
- the virus reverted to the mean and became less lethal. It ended but infected all available stock aka herd immunity
- influenza is one of the most rapidly mutating viruses, it also reproduces the the fastest. People were dying within 24-72 hours of contacting the virus
- cytokine storms caused the majority of deaths within the healthy young population. 50% deaths were of younger adults.
The Western world death rates were the lowest. The hardest hit were counties like India and south East Asia.
- studies have shown that influenza has lasting effects like brain damage
However the book could have been shorter 80% most of the pages were spent detailing trivia of inconsequential characters.
Ok - the book needed an editor as it could have been improved and shortened by at least 1-3rd. Also, I listened to the audio recording and did not like the narrator. And, yet ... and yet ... I listened to it for 11 + hours and found the story to be compelling enough none the less.
In the afterword, Barry says that he wrote the book because he wanted to explore how the US would respond to a severe crisis, how those in power would handle the response to the crisis. This piece of information is useful in understanding how Barry put together the narrative - Welch, Lewis, others.
In the afterword, Barry says that he wrote the book because he wanted to explore how the US would respond to a severe crisis, how those in power would handle the response to the crisis. This piece of information is useful in understanding how Barry put together the narrative - Welch, Lewis, others.
Interesting, but could have been much shorter. I reallly didn't need to know all the waffle about each of the scientists.
There is a lot of history of medicine and science. Thoroughly researched but just a touch above my head. I skipped some chapters.
If you love history of medicine and public health, you will likely love this book. Fascinating story of why the 1918 flu was so epic, socially and physiologically. Somewhat technical at times (explaining the biology of viruses and bacteria) but overall a well written book on one of the major pandemics in the history of human existence.
3.75
While I learned a ton, I felt lost a lot listening to the audiobook with many different strands being weaved together. Reading the physical version may have helped, but I'm not totally sure. Part 1 of the book could've also been much shorter as it was mostly for background (and very science-heavy) and the author didn't start getting into the pandemic until part 2.
While I learned a ton, I felt lost a lot listening to the audiobook with many different strands being weaved together. Reading the physical version may have helped, but I'm not totally sure. Part 1 of the book could've also been much shorter as it was mostly for background (and very science-heavy) and the author didn't start getting into the pandemic until part 2.
Ok I read this hoping to get some perspective on this pandemic from learning about the last one. This flu was really nasty and in an undeniable in your face way that probably made it much harder to ignore than so many citizens seem ready to do with Covid - it kicked in only a day or two after exposure and could kill almost instantly, or send victims with blue faces shooting blood from their eyes - really terrifying stuff. It killed the young more than any other age group (in the midst of WWI no less), so our messed up society would’ve had a harder time ignoring it. And the federal government and the press and the time TOTALLY IGNORED OR COVERED IT UP which is also crazy
Unfortunately this author did a lot of research about science and medicine at the time and decided to relate ever single detail of multiple people’s biographies and medical careers all of it without ever figuring out how to make that information compelling or even TIE IT TO THE FLU PANDEMIC. He spends nearly a 100 pages telling us about the career of a guy who helped found John Hopkins who then gets sidelined as soon as the pandemic hits and PLAYS NO ROLE DURING IT. actually basically no scientists or doctors played a significant role during it because it hit like a blitzkrieg and at the time it was beyond their capacity to isolate or treat at the time. I think the medical history is interesting to a point (terrifying to realize how recent modern medicine truly is and how the major treatment for everything before that was bloodletting) but you need to figure out what info is relevant to narrative you’re trying to tell.
I’m sure there’s a better history of the 1918 pandemic out there. I did learn a lot but I was very frustrated a lot of the time as well.
Unfortunately this author did a lot of research about science and medicine at the time and decided to relate ever single detail of multiple people’s biographies and medical careers all of it without ever figuring out how to make that information compelling or even TIE IT TO THE FLU PANDEMIC. He spends nearly a 100 pages telling us about the career of a guy who helped found John Hopkins who then gets sidelined as soon as the pandemic hits and PLAYS NO ROLE DURING IT. actually basically no scientists or doctors played a significant role during it because it hit like a blitzkrieg and at the time it was beyond their capacity to isolate or treat at the time. I think the medical history is interesting to a point (terrifying to realize how recent modern medicine truly is and how the major treatment for everything before that was bloodletting) but you need to figure out what info is relevant to narrative you’re trying to tell.
I’m sure there’s a better history of the 1918 pandemic out there. I did learn a lot but I was very frustrated a lot of the time as well.
Good comprehensive history, but dry and redundant for large portions of the book.
There is a lot of unimportant and non-pertinent "stuff" in this book. I sometimes enjoy a frivolous rabbit chase, but this book is booooring.