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A review by emilyb_chicago
The Ghost Map: The Story of London's Most Terrifying Epidemic—and How It Changed Science, Cities, and the Modern World by Steven Johnson
4.0
I have a hard time finishing non fiction books. I find that the author repeats themselves and as the book progresses the arguments become weaker. This book is one I'm very happy to have finished. While the first few chapters do give you a complete overview of the material the book will cover, the details in the later half of the book are fascinating.
The best thing this book does is give a vivid picture of the world in 1850s. Its so easy to forget the sordid details when we read the current best selling novels set in Victorian England and see the lovely costumes designed for the summer blockbusters.
If you love any book set in the mid/late 1800s, you should definitely read the first few chapters of this book. If you're interested in science and how disease was discussed and dealt with you should read the whole book. Of course, if you're interested in Cholera specifically you should definitely read the book.
The best thing this book does is give a vivid picture of the world in 1850s. Its so easy to forget the sordid details when we read the current best selling novels set in Victorian England and see the lovely costumes designed for the summer blockbusters.
If you love any book set in the mid/late 1800s, you should definitely read the first few chapters of this book. If you're interested in science and how disease was discussed and dealt with you should read the whole book. Of course, if you're interested in Cholera specifically you should definitely read the book.