Man and Microbes: Disease and Plagues in History and Modern Times |
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Man and Microbes: Disease and Plagues in History and Modern Times
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by Arno Karlen
Sales Rank: 97739
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$3.70
At Amazon
on 6-21-2008.
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Features
Cover Type: Paperback with 272 pages
Published by: Simon & Schuster; Touchstone Ed edition May 22, 1996
Written in: English
ISBN 10 Number: 0684822709
ISBN 13 Number: 978-0684822709
Book Dimensions:
8.4 x 5.5 x 0.7 inches
Weighs: 9.1 ounces
Product Review
Whereas many popular books on microbes focus on contemporary pathogens and emerging epidemics, Arno Karlen's Man and Microbes provides a historical look at the coevolution of humans and microorganisms. Karlen speculates that infections are integral to the process of life itself, that the mitochondria in every animal cell, for instance, are likely descendants of infectious agents. He then traces the development of man from primitive hunter-gatherer to urban dweller to world traveler, pointedly analyzing how socio-ecological changes have contributed to the changing incidence of disease. With amazing detail, Karlen describes the origins of historical plagues (smallpox, cholera, influenza, polio, and others) as well as the emergence of scourges such as hemorrhagic fever (Ebola and its cousins), Lyme disease, Legionnaires' disease, and even the deep mysteries of retroviruses such as HIV.
From Publishers Weekly
Karlen (Napoleon's Glands) has produced a disturbing, succinct, compelling report on the current global crisis of new and resurgent diseases. Covering cholera, leprosy, cancer, AIDS, viral encephalitis, lethal Ebola fever, streptococcal "flesh-eating" infections and a host of other killers, he shows how the present wave of diseases arose with drastic environmental change, wars, acceleration of travel, the breakdown of public health measures, and microbial adaptation. In the book's first half, he entertainingly charts humanity's relationship with microbes, from the earliest hominids' probable encounters with bubonic plague to hunter-gatherers' comparative good health, the explosion of sickness in Bronze Age cities and the spread of infections with trade, conquest and empire. Karlen concludes that today's epidemics are part of an ancient pattern-whenever people make radical changes in their lifestyle and environment, disease flourishes. He suggests that improved surveillance could help defuse the crisis we face now.
Copyright 1995 Reed Business Information, Inc.
--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
Reader Reviews
So the author of revelation saw the lethal side of cities (quoted on page 48), or as Mr Arno Karlen better describes-"as farmers and villagers began crowding into cities, this immunologically virgin mass offered a feast to germs lurking in domesticated animals, wastes, filth, and scavengers" (page 48). This book provides a reasonable overview of germs and social history. Mr Karlen traces the development of agriculture and cities to the development of 'crowd diseases', jumping ship from previous group species such as horses, pigs, ducks, rats, etc, or mutating from previously benign forms, or appearing and diappearing from nowhere, leaving little trace. As far as other species influence goes-that old friend the dog is suggested to have contributed no less than 65 diseases to homo sapien (page 39), with 45 from cattle, and 35 fom horses. The reader will find discussion on the likely origins and developments of eg measles (possibly from distemper in dogs, although Diamond in the book "Guns Germs and Steel" suggests cattle), smallpox (dogs or cattle), influenza (pigs and ducks), common cold (horses?), scarlet fever, typhus, bubonic plague (fleas), syphilis, gonorrhea, cholera (lives in water), AIDS (probably chimps), malaria (mosquito), tuberculosis, leprosy, legionaires disease, and a host of others. Various historical calamities are described such as: - Athens which lost 1 in 3 people in 430 BC, (unknown- possibly measles, typhoid, scarlet fever, smallpox), and which ended the so-called 'golden age' of Greece. -AD 164-180+ Roman empire-4-7 million deaths, (probably smallpox), -540 AD+ bubonic plague-halving Europes population over the next 150 years, -200 BC to 200 AD smallpox and measles ravaged China and Japan (many other times also), -several waves-657-1551 AD-"sweating sickness" (appears to have gone extinct), -AD 125- 1 million deaths in north Africa alone (?measles) -AD 79 Rome-Anthrax, or possibly malaria -later twenty century-present-AIDS, -millions and climbing, -1348-1352 AD bubonic plague, with several waves- 25 million plus in Europe, more in the east, -1800s- several waves-cholera and yellow fever in Europe, -1492-1800s+-Americas estimated ninety million deaths of indigenous populations, -1918, influenza-around forty million. -many others. Older calamities are often less well documented in eg Africa, India, China, etc. 20th century examples are many, often small, and often a 'new' disease-eg page 6 lists a partial list of around twenty 'new' diseases in latter twenty century outbreaks, including ebola and legionaires. Readers will be interested to read of the social changes which were influenced by many of these outbreaks, such as the tragic conquest of the Europeans into the Americas, and the decline of the Roman Empire-partly due to successive ravages of various plagues. As the empire expanded it brought back numerous germs, something which was forgotten by the time partly immune explorers brought them again to other lands in the second millenium AD. Modern examples and resurgences are also discussed such as Lyme disease, mad cow disease, AIDS, tuberculosis, malaria, legionaires, etc. Most diseases tend to decline over time as a population becomes immune, (eg Syphilis, since about 1492) but a few seem to go the other way-eg polio and tuberculosis-ie they increase in severity. Modern examples which make medical specialists nervous in the modern age are also described, such as hantaviruses, ebola, TB, hepatitus, AIDS -especially of mutation, and malaria, but there are a host of others. The thing I find fascinating, and sad about this book, is the complexity of the immune system, and how these diseases originate and proliferate. Many have jumped from other species, some have always been with us- but ocassionally mutate into a virulent form. Some have always been around in water or elsewhere, and mutute/evolve occassionally -like Legionaires disease. It is an ever-present war, and one which has greatly influenced history. The book provides a stark analysis of human history and the ruthlessness of life with germs, but despite the general negativity of this book, one must also appreciate how far we have come, and in how many ways we succeed against these diseases, and continue to succeed. New diseases are inevitable, but Ridley suggests in the book "Disease" that the future may well be in DNA vaccines. One can only hope. One disapppointment is the lack of deeper medical explanation on eg how diseases function, and why some are more effective than others, and various aspects of the immune system etc. There is a distinct lack of deeper medical analysis, for those like myself who want a deeper medical investigation. Recommended for those who are interested in how sickness has affected history, but not so much *why* we get sick, in any great detail.
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Man and Microbes: Disease and Plagues in History and Modern Times
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Price: $3.70
Updated on 6-21-2008.
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