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A review by sling
Flu: The Story of the Great Influenza Pandemic of 1918 and the Search for the Virus That Caused It by Gina Kolata
3.0
I thought this was a fascinating look at a subject that I didn't know enough about. The chapters each had a theme and the writing was clear with technical and scientific situations explained well.
I had two issues with the book: (1) It could have used tighter editing as some chapters had a lot of repetition, specifically with phrases. (2) One of the chapters described a scientist who organized an expedition as having "doe eyes" and "undeniably attractive to some of the men on her team". The description really took me out of the narrative and I felt it didn't not fit the serious theme of the book. It made it seem as though the author had a bias.
Overall, this is a great overview of a critical event and search for answers, with clear explanations that neither talked down nor contained an overload of information. Two quibbles aside, I recommend Flu if you wish to learn more about the pandemic of 1918.
I had two issues with the book: (1) It could have used tighter editing as some chapters had a lot of repetition, specifically with phrases. (2) One of the chapters described a scientist who organized an expedition as having "doe eyes" and "undeniably attractive to some of the men on her team". The description really took me out of the narrative and I felt it didn't not fit the serious theme of the book. It made it seem as though the author had a bias.
Overall, this is a great overview of a critical event and search for answers, with clear explanations that neither talked down nor contained an overload of information. Two quibbles aside, I recommend Flu if you wish to learn more about the pandemic of 1918.