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A review by badseedgirl
Get Well Soon: History's Worst Plagues and the Heroes Who Fought Them by Jennifer Wright
5.0
This is one of my rare non-fiction reads.
I read this book firmly wearing the shat colored glasses that is the COVID-19 Pandemic. Because of this I could not help but be moved and enraged by the "Spanish Flu" section. In spite of the science, politicians have handled this virus in an even worse way than Woodrow Wilson, and because of this, four months into the vaccination process in my home state of Tennessee only approximately 19% of the population has had the vaccination[1]. At this rate it will take my state at least another 1.5 years to reach the 85% [2] target rate for herd immunity, and that is if everyone agrees to get the vaccine. Did I mention that in my own county alone 14% of the students starting elementary school are not vaccinated due to religious or medical exemptions[3]? We are never going to be able to get out of quarantine in a safe manner. Don't get me wrong, quarantine will end here and I'm suspecting it will be sooner rather than later, but I also suspect to see another surge of cases when it is.
I will get off my soap box and review the book.
It seems irreverent to laugh while reading such a serious topic, but the authors asides, not only made the subject matter approachable but also made it at time hilarious. The author does not hide her opinion on anti-vaxxers or of several of the scientist and politicians discussed in this book. These little nuggets of humor do not negate the educational aspects of the book, but enhance it. A couple of the viruses/bacterial infections were new to me, but I was aware of the lobotomy section, and of course everyone now has at least heard for the Spanish Flu. Antonine plague and Encephalitis Lethargica are new ones to me. I guess I never saw the movies discussed in the book, Awake. All in all, except for the rant above, I thoroughly enjoyed this book about plagues and diseases, which should be an odd statement, but for me really isn't.
3 - https://www.tennessean.com/story/news/education/2019/04/15/tennessee-schools-vaccines/3471635002/
2 - https://www.nytimes.com/2020/12/24/health/herd-immunity-covid-coronavirus.html?auth=login-facebook
1 - https://www.tn.gov/health/cedep/ncov/covid-19-vaccine-information.html
I read this book firmly wearing the shat colored glasses that is the COVID-19 Pandemic. Because of this I could not help but be moved and enraged by the "Spanish Flu" section. In spite of the science, politicians have handled this virus in an even worse way than Woodrow Wilson, and because of this, four months into the vaccination process in my home state of Tennessee only approximately 19% of the population has had the vaccination[1]. At this rate it will take my state at least another 1.5 years to reach the 85% [2] target rate for herd immunity, and that is if everyone agrees to get the vaccine. Did I mention that in my own county alone 14% of the students starting elementary school are not vaccinated due to religious or medical exemptions[3]? We are never going to be able to get out of quarantine in a safe manner. Don't get me wrong, quarantine will end here and I'm suspecting it will be sooner rather than later, but I also suspect to see another surge of cases when it is.
I will get off my soap box and review the book.
It seems irreverent to laugh while reading such a serious topic, but the authors asides, not only made the subject matter approachable but also made it at time hilarious. The author does not hide her opinion on anti-vaxxers or of several of the scientist and politicians discussed in this book. These little nuggets of humor do not negate the educational aspects of the book, but enhance it. A couple of the viruses/bacterial infections were new to me, but I was aware of the lobotomy section, and of course everyone now has at least heard for the Spanish Flu. Antonine plague and Encephalitis Lethargica are new ones to me. I guess I never saw the movies discussed in the book, Awake. All in all, except for the rant above, I thoroughly enjoyed this book about plagues and diseases, which should be an odd statement, but for me really isn't.
3 - https://www.tennessean.com/story/news/education/2019/04/15/tennessee-schools-vaccines/3471635002/
2 - https://www.nytimes.com/2020/12/24/health/herd-immunity-covid-coronavirus.html?auth=login-facebook
1 - https://www.tn.gov/health/cedep/ncov/covid-19-vaccine-information.html