Epidemic Modelling: An Introduction (Cambridge Studies in Mathematical Biology)

Book Description

This general introduction to the mathematical techniques needed to understand epidemiology begins with an historical outline of some disease statistics dating from Daniel Bernoulli's smallpox data of 1760. The authors then go on to describe simple deterministic and stochastic models in continuous and discrete time for epidemics taking place in either homogeneous or stratified (nonhomogeneous) populations. They offer a range of methods for constructing and analyzing models, mostly in the context of viral and bacterial diseases of human populations. These models are contrasted with models for rumors and macro-parasitic diseases. Questions of fitting data to models, and the use of models to understand methods for controlling the spread of infection, are discussed. Exercises and complementary results at the end of each chapter extend the scope of the text.

Customer Reviews:

A Foundation Book.......2007-05-16

This book tells what we knew about the mathematics of epidemics up until 1990. The differential equations (beginning with Bernoulli and moving forward) are presented well. That is, the variables are defined in the text and not too many steps are skipped in the derivations. The high point in this type of epidemiology came in 1927, when Kermack and McKendrick wrote the continuous-time epidemic equations. Diseases were characterized by the parameter rho, the relative removal rate. Up until the 1990s, we were just fitting our data to this model, and estimating rho.

Along came 'computational biology', or 'agent-based models' or 'numerical methods'. After 1990, these new techniques allowed us to escape from the perfect-mixing assumption that caused the Kermack and McKendrick model to depart from reality. With computation, we were able to see the impact of social networks, targeted innoculuations, and to test the value of different intervention strategies. See March 2005 Scientific American. None of those advances are discussed in this book. As a historical treatise, however, it is a superb addition to the library.

Great Service.......2007-02-02

My book arrived before estimated time and in better condition than described. I am a math dork and given the choice I would purchase from this seller.

Excellent Text.......2005-05-14

This is a broad, wonderful introduction to the mathematics of epidemic modeling. The authors have done an outstanding job at pointing out the mathematics of both deterministic and stochastic epidemic models.

Careful study of this small text will prepare one for a serious look at the current research on the subject. This material is far from ``old fashioned" as one reviewer wrote, indeed, this text is a welcome introduction to the subject!

Old-fashioned.......2004-11-04

The authors mainly give an introduction how to do the calculations by hand for several epidemic models. However, some of their tricks for doing the calculations are not very interesting anymore in times where computers are available. More imporatant, they hardly ever explain why they choose a particular model, what they want to calculate and how to interpret the results of the calculations. So reading the book does not give you much insight in epidemic modelling, only in doing some calculation. Furthermore they ignore all kind of recent approaches in epidemic modelling. (Most references are quite old (before 1990) and the few more recent references are most of the time only mentioned without going into detail.)

D.J. Daley and J. Gani. Cambridge Studies in Mathematical Biology.(Review) (book review): An article from: Human Biology

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D.J. Daley and J. Gani. Cambridge Studies in Mathematical Biology.(Review) (book review): An article from: Human Biology
Lisa Sattenspiel
Manufacturer: Wayne State University Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Digital

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This digital document is an article from Human Biology, published by Wayne State University Press on October 1, 2000. The length of the article is 1123 words. The page length shown above is based on a typical 300-word page. The article is delivered in HTML format and is available in your Amazon.com Digital Locker immediately after purchase. You can view it with any web browser.

Citation Details
Title: D.J. Daley and J. Gani. Cambridge Studies in Mathematical Biology.(Review) (book review)
Author: Lisa Sattenspiel
Publication: Human Biology (Refereed)
Date: October 1, 2000
Publisher: Wayne State University Press
Volume: 72 Issue: 5 Page: 903

Article Type: Book Review

Distributed by Thomson Gale

Book Description

The bilinear, or Hirota's direct method, was invented in the early 1970s as an elementary means of constructing soliton solutions that avoided the use of the complex calculations of the inverse scattering transform. This analysis is essentially concerned with the more modern version of the method. Still maintaining the original philosophy of using relatively simple mathematics, the method has, nevertheless, been influenced by the work of the Kyoto school, and will be essential for all working in soliton theory.

Book Description

A classic that won Malamud both the Pulitzer Prize and the National Book Award

The Fixer (1966) is Bernard Malamud's best-known and most acclaimed novel -- one that makes manifest his roots in Russian fiction, especially that of Isaac Babel.

Set in Kiev in 1911 during a period of heightened anti-Semitism, the novel tells the story of Yakov Bok, a Jewish handyman blamed for the brutal murder of a young Russian boy. Bok leaves his village to try his luck in Kiev, and after denying his Jewish identity, finds himself working for a member of the anti-Semitic Black Hundreds Society. When the boy is found nearly drained of blood in a cave, the Black Hundreds accuse the Jews of ritual murder. Arrested and imprisoned, Bok refuses to confess to a crime that he did not commit.

Customer Reviews:

Hmmmm.......................................2007-10-05

Sounds alot like a newer version of the book of Job. How lucky we are to live in the USA, but make no mistake our justice system is FAR from perfect. Like alot of Russian literature it is depressing but worth the read.

Brilliance exemplified.......2007-01-28

I have read other Malamud novels and come away unmoved. His collection of short stories, The Magic Barrel, was a worthy effort and served to impress me just enough to take on The Fixer at the recommendation of a trusted friend. If it is not the finest bit of writing it has been my privilege to enjoy, there is no other which comes immediately to mind that can rival its spare, incisive language nor one which conveys as does the Fixer, a soul transcendent in the face of merciless persecution. This is Nobel material. The Pulitzer and the National Book Award rightly acknowledge the quality of this singularly brilliant effort. A masterpiece! From my perspective, the references in other reviews to this novel as a Jewish novel are far too confining. To be certain, Yakov is as Jewish in his origins and thinking as he is heroic. As an agnostic whose closest ties with Judaism are however, by virtue of marriage, I nevertheless claim Yakov as a universal symbol of the sanctity of a human soul.

Propaganda Novel.......2006-05-06

I am astonished that so many people see in this book great literature. It is a well-done propaganda tale, in the manner of Ester in the Bible. It teaches nothing of the causes of anti-semitism. The only moment in the novel which rises to
Jewish literature is when the Fixer flees from the mensurating prostitute.

Of course the novel has bitterly painful monents, as when the guard "inspects" the Fixer, who answers the guard's complaint with, I haved no newspaper. Were it honest, this could have been a King Lear of modern cultural Jewish writing. It could have risen at least to the level of Kafka. Like most Jewish authors of fiction, Malamud is not honest. He elects propaganda over truth.

The fixer has energy to think of Spinoza and the chain of causality--Great, but not of the ethic of "jews matter, the rest don't" or just Jews First as opposed to Kant's notion of equality perceived on an "a Priori" basis, not situational-- what's or who's it going to help or hurt. Malamud plays softball with people who think quoting Spinoza (my favorite philosopher) is
the achievement of the ages. Kafka says "The World-Order is based upon a lie." Malamud gives the tale of the "Little Match Girl" translated into a Jewish adult male. This novel has as much to do with honesty as Alen Dershowitz's tantrums have to do with the nature of inter-cultural/religious/racial reality. But obfuscation is Dershowitz's profession. Malamud had a choice between the messy complexity of Darwin, but he chose the
simplicity of Lysenko. Party line. Stalin in Lysnko's case.

excellent novel about anti-semitism, politics.......2005-12-09

Yakov Bok is a humble Jewish fixer (carpenter) living in Russia in 1910. He leaves his small village and moves to Kiev, looking for work and a better life. His wife has left him for another man and he has no significant relations to speak of. It's a dangerous time to be Jewish, as the pogroms are widespread and practically government sanctioned. Pretending to be a gentile, Bok finds work with an anti-semite at a brickyard and moves into an area that is off limits for Jews. Things go well for a while, until a young Christian boy is killed and Bok finds himself framed for the murder.

Although there is no evidence against him, other than hysterical, unreliable anti-semite "witnesses", things look bad for Bok and he is thrown in prison to await a formal indictment.

The majority of the book covers Bok's time in prison and solitary confinement. It becomes clear the prosecution is dragging its feet, not delivering the indictiment, as they have a shaky chance of winning the case if it ever goes to trial.

It's a fast book, but a very painful and somewhat depressing one. It deals heavily with anti-Semitism. Some of the anti-semitic passages are almost breathtaking in their ferocity. It becomes very painful, at times almost (but not quite) tragi-comic. In particular, a lengthy sermon (?) given by a priest that basically likens the Jewish to vampires.

In many ways the book reminded me of "1984". A man up against the monolithic powers of the state. Not quite as imposing though, because Bok seems to grow stronger and more resiliant in his spirit even as his body and mind are broken. The prosecution repeatedly dangles a confession in his face but Bok refuses steadfastly to sign, even at the risk of triggering a pogrom. It's interesting to note that Bok is also an avowed aetheist, and stolidly refuses to seek solace in God. He reads the bible only as a way of keeping himself from going insane, and the only thing that really seems to comfort him is philosophy (Spinoza, in particular) and the philosophical concept of freedom.

Part of what is so painful is that for long stretches the entire world seems to be against him. EVERYONE he encounters is either a thug, a snitch, a backstabber (or all three!).

An excellent book. A fast read, but very painful.

My All Time Favorite Book.......2005-10-19

I have read this book no fewer than 10 times...and everytime I cry. This book was at one time banned because it was thought to be anti-semetic. I think its quite the opposite. It is a book that inspires faith in all people. It reminds me of the quote from Dante "The hottest place in Hell is reserved for those who are neutral in times of moral crisis." This could be the theme for this book. Try as you might to remain neutral, but when the world is faced with tragedy and injustice...its just impossible.

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Sacco's Sarajevan Search
One of the best books I read last year

The Fixer: A Story from Sarajevo
Joe Sacco
Manufacturer: Drawn and Quarterly
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 1896597602

Book Description

When bombs are falling and western journalism is the only game left in town "fixers" are the people who sell war correspondents the human tragedy and moral outrage that makes news editors happy.

It’s dangerous, a little amoral and a lot desperate.

Award-winning comix-journalist Joe Sacco goes behind the scene of war correspondence to reveal the anatomy of the big scoop. He begins by returning us to the dying days of Balkan conflict and introduces us to his own fixer; a man looking to squeeze the last bit of profit from Bosnia before the reconstruction begins. Thanks to a complex relationship with the fixer Joe discovers the crimes of opportunistic warlords and gangsters who run the countryside in times of war. But the west is interested in a different spin on the stories coming out of Bosnia. Almost ten years later, Joe meets up with his fixer and sees how the new Bosnian government has "dealt" with these criminals and Joe ponders who is holding the reins of power these days...

Customer Reviews:

Sacco's Sarajevan Search.......2005-11-01

Just to be clear, this is not a graphic novel, as some people are saying. It is graphic non-fiction, or graphic reportage, occupying a gray area somewhere between newsprint, photojournalism, memoir, cartooning, and essay. Sacco's first such book on Bosnia, Safe Area Gorazde, is a classic -- and those who found it compelling will certainly want to read this account of his 2001 return to Sarajevo. Aided by a Guggenheim fellowship, Sacco returned to do followup research and find old friends to see how they were getting along in peacetime. In his attempt to learn more about the siege of Sarajevo and the and its aftermath, he reconnects with an paramilitary veteran who had been his "fixer" on his previous trip in 1995. In war zones and trouble spots throughout the world, fixers are the oil that lubricates the machinery of international journalism. They are the ones who steer journalists to the right translator, hotel, driver, interviewer, clean hooker, alcohol, location, etc. -- for a few hundred in hard currency per day.

Sacco's fixer was Neven, a Bosnian Serb who loves his city and fought in one of the many ad hoc brigades that were assembled by charismatic men in the early days of the war before a real Bosnian army was established. An outsize character, Neven becomes a kind of lens through which Sacco tries to understand the war's very confusing impact on Sarajevo. The book hopscotches between various stages of the war and the present in a kaleidoscopic jumble of images, confusing nicknames, and impenetrable mix of fact and myth. Through Neven, Sacco tells the fragmentary tale of some of the more prominent warlords (almost all of whom were shady prewar characters), and of their sometimes heroic, sometimes despicable activities during the siege. To a certain extent, they are the subject of the book, populist characters who took it upon themselves to create personal armies to fight the separatist Serbs when there was no central government or army to do so (most of the Yugoslav army supplies were handed over to Serbia following the dissolution of Yugoslavia). Of course, many of these patriotic men were also probably interested in enriching themselves, and as the war dragged on, attempts were made to incorporate them into the regular army and police and things got rather messy. As Sacco recounts, many of the "facts" surrounding various killings, atrocities, and profiteering by the warlords will forever remain obscured by the fog of war, and the need for politicians to wash their hands of those dirty times.

At the same time, what becomes increasingly interesting is the relationship between Sacco and Neven, and the plausibility of Neven's endless stories about what it was like "back then." Neven is a down and out character who owes money all over town, and Sacco clearly feels guilty about walking around with bundles of Deutchmarks, while his fixer is real-life war veteran. The subtle (and not so subtle) assaults on Sacco's wallet become a running theme, and are an interesting window on the less glamorous side of being a foreign correspondent. At the same time, as Sacco spends more and more time in Sarajevo, he meets more and more people who cast doubts on Neven's veracity. He's certainly known all over town, and certainly did fight in the war, but there's also clearly a gulf between his stories and the truth. And as a Serb, he's also somewhat of a pariah in his own home city, his apartment is seized by connected refugees, and a general antipathy for Serbs hover around him.

Ultimately, readers looking for a clear understanding of who was who, and what was what during the war, are going to be frustrated -- and are perhaps missing the whole point. This book is all about the fog of war, the strange mutations of time and place that raise certain men to power and then cast them aside, as well as the guilt and confusion of being an outsider looking in

One of the best books I read last year.......2005-04-15

A darkly violent Fellinesque riff on the Bosnian war, this "graphic novel," by Joe Sacco is a fast read, a noirish examination of the relationship between a parachute journalist and the necessary local 'fixer' who serves as a local contact and makes it possible for the journalist to drop into a foriegn country and get a story. In this case, the local turns out to be a questionable ex-fighter whose war stories are both more and less true than appearances indicate. The fixer, a troubled ex-fighter scorned by his former comrades and spurned because of his ethnic background, is a terrific character, evocative of both the unresolved issues behind the Balkan wars as well as the marginalized citizens anywhere made exiles in their own land.

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Underneath it All, Were All Pretty Much the Same
Dark, Funny, Touching
Strangely appealing
Clever, funny and believable.
Sharp, witty and entertaining

Fixer Chao: A Novel
Han Ong
Manufacturer: Picador
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0312420536

Book Description

Han Ong has written a brilliant exploration of race and class, of character and identity, and of the slippery natures of privilege and expertise. William Paulinha, a Filipino street hustler, is in the early days of self-imposed reform when he meets Shem C. A failed writer now ostracized by his wife and New York City's literati, Shem recruits Paulinha to retaliate against the community that has spurned him. Under Shem's guidance, Paulinha becomes Master Chao, a revered practitioner of Feng Shui-the Chinese art of creating a harmonious environment. As this latter-day confidence man cuts a swath through upper-crust society, his biting observations form a comic picaresque of class resentment and revenge.

Customer Reviews:

Underneath it All, Were All Pretty Much the Same.......2004-04-25

William Paulinha is an aimless, Filipino street hustler in New York who's done plenty of menial jobs, including turning tricks in the Port Authority men's room. Then one day he's given a chance to improve his lot by Shem C, an embittered social-climbing writer, who wants revenge on the uppercrust of Manhattan's elite who have rejected him. Under Shem C's guidance and armed with the knowledge from a few library books, William is transformed into Master Chao, a revered Feng Shui practitioner from Hong Kong. William, as Master Chao, performs Feng Shui ceremonies to harmonize the homes and the lives of his clients and before long Manhattan's loftiest poets, writers, editors and bankers are all clamoring for his advice.

As the scam escalates, the line between truth and untruth starts to blur. William becomes Master Chao in his mind. His original class envy and disdain is replaced by his desire to belong. Is it really a scam if he believes in it himself? Has the Feng Shui con of the century turned on him?

With caustic wit, Mr. Ong paints a picture of the foolishness of keeping up with the Jones's, but he also shows his readers that underneath even a pile of wealth, people are pretty much the same in this novel that I couldn't put down.

Andy Raven, Raving United Fan

Dark, Funny, Touching.......2004-03-02

The Fixer Chao is one of those books that you never want to put down, but force yourself to, lest it be over too quickly. Funny, dark and touching with out being trite or manipulative, the story is an entertaining ride with a lead character who, despite his faults, is completely engaging. Ong manages a vivid, descriptive style without the reader ever feeling like he or she is being bombarded with superfluous, flowery language. The result is that the atmosphere, setting, and personal quirks of each character wash over you with ease. As to the ending, despite what others have said, I found it completely satisfying. Was it the ending I expected? No. Was it the ending I wanted? No. It was, however, true to the story and the characters and any other "happier" ending would have seemed out of place and forced. A stand-out book.

Strangely appealing.......2002-09-15

This book has ebbs and flows. In the beginning, I really liked the portrait of seedy New York, then it dragged for a while, then I liked it, and finally I was lukewarm about the resolution. Overall, though, it was enjoyable, funny, and thoroughly without redeeming characters.

William Paulinha (aka Master Chao) reads a few books on feng shui so that he can con the rich effetes out of their money. Interestingly, he really believes that feng shui works, so sometimes he uses this power for evil when arranging people's houses. There are several very funny scenes about interior decorating, snobby parties, and Chao's observations about human nature.

The problem with the book, which I ultimately enjoyed, is that there are no characters to like much at all ... if that's a problem for you. If you want a funny, cutting, not nice view of the world, then step right up to Fixer Chao.

Clever, funny and believable........2002-05-30

Takes a thoroughly accurate stab at Manhattan snobbery and what it means to be 'in'. The story is unpredictable, the characters captivating, the finale satisfying and strangely hopeful.

Sharp, witty and entertaining.......2002-02-04

Han Ong has a wonderfully witty and fresh way of expressing himself, using words like caresses as well as lethal weapons. "Fixer Chao" is part social commentary, part intigue, and completely entertaining. The characters are so well drawn that you truly feel the underlying emotions that are not necessarily stated. A true pleasure to read, and thus highly recommended.

El mediador: Una historia de Sarajevo/ The Fixer: A History of Sarajevo (Coleccion Sacco)/ Spanish Edition

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El mediador: Una historia de Sarajevo/ The Fixer: A History of Sarajevo (Coleccion Sacco)/ Spanish Edition
Joe Sacco
Manufacturer: Public Square Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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Book Description

Joe Sacco's books offer both sharp insight into the complexities of global politics and extraordinary glimpses of the everyday people who live in a war zones. He has been favorably compared with Pulitzer-Prize winner Art Spiegelman for his ability to brilliantly navigate such socially and politically-sensitive subject matter within the comic book medium. Sacco's third book, The Fixer, is a journey behind the scenes of war correspondence to reveal the anatomy of the big scoop. Underlying the scoop are Fixers--the people who sell war correspondents the human tragedy and moral outrage that makes news editors happy.

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The Fixer

Manufacturer: Harbinger Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: 0975587005

Product Description

This edition is the special Numbered Hardcover Edition published by Harbinger Books. Only 300 of these books have been released to the public.

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The Fixer -- A Novel
Bernard Malamud
Manufacturer: Farrar, Straus and Giroux
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000WBE1RU

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The fixers (Ace double-size novel)
Willard Manus
Manufacturer: Ace Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Unknown Binding

Bernard Malamud's "The Fixer": A Study Guide from Gale's "Novels for Students" (Volume 09, Chapter 4)

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Bernard Malamud's "The Fixer": A Study Guide from Gale's "Novels for Students" (Volume 09, Chapter 4)

Manufacturer: The Gale Group
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Digital

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ASIN: B00006G3KZ
Release Date: 2002-07-23

Book Description

Term paper due tomorrow? Need to cram for a test? Or just looking for the best information about a favorite literary work?

Turn to "Novels for Students" to get your research done in record time. Brought to you by Thomson Gale--the world's leading source of literary criticism and analysis--this e-doc contains: plot summary; character analysis; author biography; an overview of the novel's themes, style, and historical context; a compendium of in-depth critical material; study questions; suggestions for further reading; and much more.

Why choose "Novels For Students"? Because no other source offers so much in such a compact package. Trust the experts: Thomson Gale--and "Novels for Students."

Download Description

Term paper due tomorrow? Need to bone up for a test? Or just looking for the best information about a favorite literary work?

Turn to "Novels for Students" to get your research done in record time. Brought to you by the Gale Group--the world's leading source of literary criticism and analysis--this e-doc contains: plot summary; character analysis; author biography; an overview of the novel's themes, style, and historical context; a compendium of in-depth critical material; study questions; suggestions for further reading; and much more.

Why choose "Novels For Students"? Because no other source offers so much in such a compact package. Trust the experts: The Gale Group--and "Novels for Students."

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Art and Idea in the Novels of Bernard Malamud: Toward the Fixer
Robert Ducharme
Manufacturer: Walter De Gruyter Inc
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: 9027932123

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Fixer Chao: A Novel
Han Ong
Manufacturer: Picador
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000OTNOCI

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