The Great Influenza: The Epic Story of the Deadliest Plague In History

Book Description

No disease the world has ever known even remotely resembles the great influenza epidemic of 1918. Presumed to have begun when sick farm animals infected soldiers in Kansas, spreading and mutating into a lethal strain as troops carried it to Europe, it exploded across the world with unequaled ferocity and speed. It killed more people in twenty weeks than AIDS has killed in twenty years; it killed more people in a year than the plagues of the Middle Ages killed in a century. Victims bled from the ears and nose, turned blue from lack of oxygen, suffered aches that felt like bones being broken, and died. In the United States, where bodies were stacked without coffins on trucks, nearly seven times as many people died of influenza as in the First World War.

In his powerful new book, award-winning historian John M. Barry unfolds a tale that is magisterial in its breadth and in the depth of its research, and spellbinding as he weaves multiple narrative strands together. In this first great collision between science and epidemic disease, even as society approached collapse, a handful of heroic researchers stepped forward, risking their lives to confront this strange disease. Titans like William Welch at the newly formed Johns Hopkins Medical School and colleagues at Rockefeller University and others from around the country revolutionized American science and public health, and their work in this crisis led to crucial discoveries that we are still using and learning from today.

The Washington Post's Jonathan Yardley said Barry's last book can “change the way we think.” The Great Influenza may also change the way we see the world.

Customer Reviews:

Can the Bush Neocons Handle a Flu Pandemic? No Way.......2007-10-24

John M. Barry's book, THE GREAT INFLUENZA, spotlights the government flaws in 1918 as the USA tried to cope with the flu pandemic. Things are no better today as the Bush administration has mishandled Katrina, denies that global warming exists, and refuses to listen to scientists regarding evolution, a key to studying diseases.

Barry says cronies ran the USA Public Health Department in 1918, thereby not issuing proper directions to stop the flu. Today, Bush neocon cronies staff important positions in health, the FCC and in the airline business. Bush cronies messed up the Iraq War and Katrina relief. They'll make a bigger mess out of a flu pandemic.

In 1918, WWI was raging and our army needed soldiers badly, sending them to Europe even when they would spread the flu. The US Army sent them anyway, to their deaths from flu and infecting thousands of others. The Bush cronies now need more and more troops and money for the Iraq War. They are breaking the budget, leaving little money for battling a flu pandemic.

Barry's book is a huge warning to the USA and to Bush's cronies: set up a plan for flu now. It's going to happen soon.

by Larry Rochelle, author of TEN MILE CREEK, DANCE WITH THE PONY and DEATH AND DEVOTION

The real version of "The Stand" by Stephen King.......2007-09-11

I really enjoyed this book as it showed in real life how fast a flu epidemic can spread. One has to realize that this epidemic took place in basically horse and buggy days, people did not travel as much. If you look into your family history, as I did, you may find a relative who died during this time period. After I read this book I discovered a graveyard for a turn of the century orphanage. There were so many children that died, all they could do is put numbers on the gravestones. It made me think how fast a flu epidemic could travel today. The references and facts were an eye opener.

Wow! Very Important Read.......2007-08-31

This book will definitely really make you reconsider the vulnerability of society to an epidemic. What really surprised me was how this single epidemic really kick-started the modern health care system. I had no idea that 100 years ago, it was easier to get certified to be a doctor than it was to go to college - quite literally one could go through a correspondence course. It also traces the development and speaks to the foundation of institutions who, our time, are revered for their stature in modern medicine, such as John Hopkins. It covers a great many aspects of medicine and epidemiology. What this book does best, and is truly refreshing for a history book, is provide insight into the thinking of the time - what role politics and political decisions made in the outbreaks in certain cities. What is truly horrifying is how really vulnerable populations are to influenza. Although we understand it better, actual treatment is still quite limited (prevention seems to be the best hope). A small mutation in the virus could again hammer populations around the world. I took on this book because my grandfather's family was so badly devastated by it. I never really asked enough about it before he passed away and now I wish I had. I recommend this book to anyone interested in epidemiology, medicine, particularly how medicine has advanced in the last 100 years, particularly in the US, or if, like me, your family history may have been effected by this. The most frightening aspect is the astounding speed with which this virus spread and the corresponding mortality rate that it brought with it. Tie that in with its extreme, and I mean extreme contagiousness and one finds a really frightening scenario. I can't imagine a world where people are dying so fast they can't even bury the bodies, doctors and nurses are afflicted so badly that they die almost as fast as the patients, that almost nobody really understands how the contagion is spread and people shun one another - neighbors, even family members. What is even more frightening is that this happened less than one hundred years ago. It really makes you think. It really makes you consider how truly vulnerable we all are.

a true horror story.......2007-08-17

First, with all the fearmongering about pandemics in the last couple of years, it is nice to read about the most deadly epidemic the world has ever known. It's not real comforting, but it is better than the fear Fox News was pandering at Rita/Katrina and the bird flu. It's a great book, one that should have been written, though it could have used a better editor. The book does jump around and there is a lot that probably could have been cut, but it is a great book dealing with a complex subject.

Frightening and informative.......2007-08-13

A facinating window into a horrifying period that we've almost intentionally downplayed in our histories. It's especially worthwhile given the recent concerns about an inevitable pandemic. We are better equipped in some ways to deal with a worldwide pandemic, but in many others we are even more fragile. Viruses, like trade, move much more quickly now.

The Great Influenza (The Epic Story of the Deadliest Plague in History)

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The Great Influenza (The Epic Story of the Deadliest Plague in History)

Manufacturer: Viking Penguin
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Binding: Paperback
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ASIN: 096591142X

The Great Influenza - Epic Story Of The Deadliest Plague In History

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The Great Influenza - Epic Story Of The Deadliest Plague In History
John M. Barry
Manufacturer: Viking
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000MQNTPU

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The Great influenza The Epic Story of the Deadliest Plague in History
Barry John M.
Manufacturer: Viking
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000UEZ50G

Great Influenza, The : The Epic Story of the Deadliest Plague In History

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Great Influenza, The : The Epic Story of the Deadliest Plague In History
John M. Barry
Manufacturer: Penguin
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000KWC4K2

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The Great Influenza: The Epic Story of the Deadliest Plague in History
John M. Barry
Manufacturer: Penguin (Non-Classics)
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000OJ8A0Y

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The Great Influenza: The Epic Story of the Deadliest Plague in History
John M. Barry
Manufacturer: Viking
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000WA3QNG

The Great Influenza: The Epic Story of the Deadliest Plague in History.(Brief Article)(Book Review): An article from: ETC.: A Review of General Semantics

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The Great Influenza: The Epic Story of the Deadliest Plague in History.(Brief Article)(Book Review): An article from: ETC.: A Review of General Semantics
Martin H. Levinson
Manufacturer: International Society for General Semantics
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Digital

Book Description

This digital document is an article from ETC.: A Review of General Semantics, published by International Society for General Semantics on January 1, 2005. The length of the article is 309 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: The Great Influenza: The Epic Story of the Deadliest Plague in History.(Brief Article)(Book Review)
Author: Martin H. Levinson
Publication: ETC.: A Review of General Semantics (Refereed)
Date: January 1, 2005
Publisher: International Society for General Semantics
Volume: 62 Issue: 1 Page: 104(2)

Article Type: Book Review, Brief Article

Distributed by Thompson Gale

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The Great Influenza: The Epic Story of the Deadliest Plague in History
John M. Barry
Manufacturer: Penguin (Non-Classics)
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000OJDH98

Book Description

What is more important--race or class--in determining the socioeconomic success of the blacks and whites born since the civil rights triumphs of the 1960s? When compared to whites, African Americans complete less formal schooling, work fewer hours at a lower rate of pay and are more likely to give birth to a child out of wedlock and to rely on welfare. Are these differences attributable to race per se, or are they the result of differences in socioeconomic background between the two groups?
Being Black, Living in the Red demonstrates that many differences between blacks and whites stem not from race but from economic inequalities that have accumulated over the course of American history. Property ownership--as measured by net worth--reflects this legacy of economic oppression. The racial discrepancy in wealth holdings leads to advantages for whites in the form of better schools, more desirable residences, higher wages, and more opportunities to save, invest, and thereby further their economic advantages.
Dalton Conley shows how factoring parental wealth into a reconceptualization of class can lead to a different future for race policy in the United States. As it currently stands, affirmative action programs primarily address racial diversity in schooling and work--areas that Conley contends generate paradoxical results with respect to racial equity. Instead he suggests an affirmative action policy that fosters minority property accumulation, thereby encouraging long-term wealth equity, or one that--while continuing to address schooling and work--is based on social class as defined by family wealth levels rather than on race.

Customer Reviews:

Great text on social policy.......2006-11-30

I originally purchased this book when it came out about 7 years ago and just reread it again. It provides great insight into the inequality between races in this country. Highly recommended.

One of the most thought-provoking books I've ever read.......2001-09-20

This book is both meticulous and very clearly written. Every time I had, while reading Conley's analysis, a nagging question in the back of my head, he went on to address it in far more detail than had even occurred to me.

Perhaps because of this thoroughness, _Being Black, Living in the Red_ fundamentally altered the way I think about certain social policies, and about race and wealth in general. It also interested me in sociology of inequality, a field about which I had known nothing. The book is incredibly informative about a matter of great public importance, but I appreciated that Conley seemed wary of overstating his case. I truly felt I was getting an honest, and extremely skillful, evaluation of the evidence.

Under the circumstances, I'd be hard pressed to do anything but advise you to read this book at the first chance you get.

A Wealth of Ideas.......2001-06-04

This book expands the research base that identifies wealth as a key component of mobility, and an important factor that explains why blacks and whites have divergent outcomes. However, Conley may be overemphasizing the role of wealth, and forgeting that race is still a critical issues. In fact, his models show that wealth is only a small part of the story. A great deal of the unexplained variance in Conley's models may be attributed to discrimination in society. Although Conley mentions this briefly, more attention needs to focus on this aspect the issue. Nevertheless, the discussions of wealth are rich and well developed, making this an important addition to the literature.

problems abound.......2001-02-12

The analysis is sound. This is to say, the examination of the relevant history and current structures, coupled with an examination of effects, is accurate and valid. However, the argument for implications is unsound - dangerously so. It seems that those driven to understand precisely why some people are faced with more challenges than others are usually willing to go the next step - to argue for engineered adjustments, blind to the fact that such programs engineer even more odious, systematic inequities.

It Takes A Village (and more).......2000-02-27

This is truly a groundbreaking book. Dalton Conley finally reveals the key element on pg. 118 in two unassuming little words: reserve stock. This is, ladies and gentlemen of the judging class, what separates the races and classes, NOT skin color or intelligence level. In the absence of such, no one can truly believe (except in fairy tales) that most people can overcome grinding poverty and helplessness to become productive members of society. Aside from mere technical support, that cherished "reserve stock" allows one entrance into arenas not usually penetrable via associations with those generous enough to usher one in. Trying to overcome the obstacles of poverty is like trying to drag a car without snow tires up a steep hill. I commend the youthful yet astute Dalton Conley for his valuable work.

Being Black, Living in the Red: Race, Wealth, and Social Policy in America.(Brief Article)(Review) (book review): An article from: Journal of the American Planning Association

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Being Black, Living in the Red: Race, Wealth, and Social Policy in America.(Brief Article)(Review) (book review): An article from: Journal of the American Planning Association
David S. Sawicki
Manufacturer: American Planning Association
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Digital

Book Description

This digital document is an article from Journal of the American Planning Association, published by American Planning Association on January 1, 2000. The length of the article is 1172 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: Being Black, Living in the Red: Race, Wealth, and Social Policy in America.(Brief Article)(Review) (book review)
Author: David S. Sawicki
Publication: Journal of the American Planning Association (Refereed)
Date: January 1, 2000
Publisher: American Planning Association
Volume: 66 Issue: 1 Page: 88

Article Type: Brief Article, Book Review

Distributed by Thomson Gale

Book Description

Is this it? Is this truly mankind's final hour? Has the human race finally found a way to destroy itself for good after countless tries for thousands of years? Or can one incredibly handsome wizard possibly have enough power to stop it all? Anthrasax is fully revived and with the power of a god he is waging war on the kingdoms of earth. One by one they are being swallowed up and destroyed forever. Meanwhile, the mysterious Council of Europea appears and foretells of the legendary savior of mankind known as the "Dragon Warrior." Is Dark Schneider this fabled warrior? And if so, will he have enough power to take on the God of Destruction himself?

Customer Reviews:

Destruction.......2006-12-23

Anthraxas is fully awaken and going about its business of destroying the world. And it isn't the only god of destruction! Lost inside the giant ship, Dark Schnaider fights on with the help of his old friends and Yoko while their allies confront an old acquintance. Finally do we get to learn something about DS's origin as we meet his creators. Now, if only could DS stop fighting THEM and gropping Nei maybe there would some hope for the Earth.

But I doubt it.

Bastard!!, Volume 12 (Bastard (Graphic Novels))

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Admirable, but lacks in depth and interest quickly.
Another in the series hits the bookshelves
Definitely one of the more interesting series I own...
The ultimate in RPG and rock and roll parodies!
Impressive

Bastard!!, Volume 12 (Bastard (Graphic Novels))

Manufacturer: VIZ Media LLC
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ASIN: 1421504340

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In a postapocalyptic world of heavy metal fantasy, the only thing able to save humans from orcs, lizard men, and other monsters is something even MORE evil. Sealed within a 14-year-old boy, the chaotic wizard Dark Schneider is unleashed to fight four mighty generals and their plot to resurrect on evil god!

Customer Reviews:

Admirable, but lacks in depth and interest quickly........2004-01-14

Although Kazushi Hagiwara made an admirable attempt with Bastard!!, it lacks the depth and interest of other RPG based manga titles. First, the protagonist, Dark Schneider, has no personality beside the concupiscence to have sex with every woman that comes within a three foot radius of him. Whenever it seems his character is going to develop into a hero, he gropes a woman, thus impairing the development. Secondly, the art looks like it was rushed to meet certain deadlines. Futhermore, the dialogue between the characters is mediocre. However, Bastard!! is innovative in its approach. For instance, the names of the characters, locations and other objects in the manga are named after popular rock n' roll bands. Also, the series offers a bit-I repeat- a bit of stylish battles. But it mostly ranks in terms of fan service (E.G, Yoko, Arshes-Nei, Sheen Ari, Kai Harn,etc.) If you're a manga fan who enjoys plots, great dialogue and superb character development, in my opinion-my opinion, this isn't for you. However, if you want to try something new to get away from the monotony of other RPG based manga, buy it.

Another in the series hits the bookshelves.......2003-05-30

Bastard! is a very interesting series, filled with strange characters. Dark Schneider is one of the most unconventional heroes out there; Tia No Yoko is made of sterner stuff than even D.S; and Princess Sheila doesn't take any crap from anybody. They are all endearing in their own way, and really help to move the story along.

The spells and the countries are named after American rock n' roll bands and some of their songs, which is quite unique and kinda funny.

Definitely one of the more interesting series I own..........2003-05-16

I got the first volume just a week or two ago, and had to have the second volume as soon as possible! This is a wonderful series, and very creative. Especially the use of hard rock band names as spells is inventive.

The characters are well-drawn and even more well-written. It is hard to dislike Dark Schneider, although Lucien is a little to soft and waffly for my tastes. Yoko knows what she wants and (even more importantly) how to keep D.S. in line. Princess Sheila is not one of those cliched "oh please save me! I'm so fragile and delicate!" types, either.

All in all, an excellent book.

The ultimate in RPG and rock and roll parodies!.......2003-05-08

I love this series! The author is very creative--to use rock n' roll band names and song titles as the names in the story is great! The back of the book says that "If this were a movie, you'd have been blasted through the wall just by the music. This is loud, head-banging fun!" Well, I happen to agree!

So, pick up your copy today! I doubt you'll be disappointed!

Impressive.......2003-03-13

It is not hentai, it is not serious, it sure features lots of blood, but its one fun series...I read previously Bastard!! but i needed to actually buy it because it is SO good.The story might look stupid sometimes but it provides some good laughs.If you never enjoyed 'fantasy' , Bastard!! is for you...The ultimate parody of the fantasy themes >_ <

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