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Reviews
The Ghost Map: A Street, an Epidemic and the Hidden Power of Urban Networks by Steven Johnson
avesmaria's review against another edition
4.0
What a terrific read! I think everyone who's read a bit about epidemiology, information science, or remembers middle school biology class has heard about John Snow and the infamous Broad Street pump, but it was so interesting to read a thoroughly researched and well-written account the story. The book chronicles John Snow's research into the causes and transmission of cholera, which killed thousands in the 19th century before people figured out that it was caused by waterborne bacteria, thinking instead it was caused by "miasma" (bad air). Snow's research culminated during a particularly bad outbreak in London in 1853. The story is expanded to include the people he worked with - and against - to stop the epidemic, and also dispels some of the popular myths surrounding the creation and presentation of his famous map. It's very well-researched and engagingly written. The epilogue felt a little tacked-on but was interesting - Johnson talks about the "epidemics" that current cities will face, such as terrorism, biological warfare, and other costs of living in proximity to others. Throughout the whole book, he talks about the science and history of "being wrong," or making mistakes, and the importance of understanding how to look at and interpret data. The connection with statistics and information literacy really made the story resonate with me, since we still struggle with science literacy in the US today, unfortunately. Fortunately, John Snow was able to break free of the biases of his peers to find the scientific and objective truth, and it's to his credit that the field of medicine advanced beyond the miasma theory.
ted_funsten's review against another edition
4.0
The story dragged in places, but had a wealth of fascinating detail about London's history, the development of cities and public health issues. Listing the topics makes them sound a bit drier than they were. Johnson starts out with a look at the bone-pickers, mud-larks and other scavengers that became part of Victorian London, then goes into other issues of removing waste from the city. Fascinating details like that are scattered through the book.
joyce409's review against another edition
informative
reflective
slow-paced
3.5
The story is interesting, and the epilogue is intriguing if a bit dated at this point.
angus_mckeogh's review against another edition
3.0
Pretty good. I’ve already read a book by Kneale called Sweet Thames which was a fictional account of this very incident so I almost felt as if I’d read the book before. Fairly fascinating epidemiology considering what’s currently taking place, as well as, the conclusion covers future pandemic issues (albeit from a 2006 perspective) which was relevant.
jordanmayne's review against another edition
1.0
DNF: far too much fluff, clearly just trying to fill pages by waxing lyrical about irrelevant things.
arnoldad1's review against another edition
challenging
hopeful
informative
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
4.25