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Outbreaks and Pandemics

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Member Reviews

Outbreaks and Pandemics: The Life of a Disease Detective is a memoir by Dr. Nicholas Daniels, an infectious disease epidemiologist who shares his journey from poverty to the Ivy League and his professional journey as a disease detective and international public health expert. The book is divided into three parts: an autobiographical account of Dr. Daniels' life, a detailed account of his work as a disease detective, and recommendations for disease prevention and policy directives to address future outbreaks and pandemics.

Dr. Daniels' ability to explain complex medical topics in a simple and accessible way, using anecdotes and personal experiences, makes the book engaging and informative for both medical professionals and lay readers. The book is well-researched and well-written, with a clear and concise writing style that makes it easy to follow.

Dr. Daniels' personal and professional achievements are impressive, and his dedication to public health is inspiring. He is a strong advocate for disease prevention and public health policies, and his recommendations for addressing future disease outbreaks and pandemics are thoughtful and well-reasoned.

In conclusion, Outbreaks and Pandemics: The Life of a Disease Detective is a highly recommended read for anyone interested in public health, disease prevention, and the role of disease detectives in controlling outbreaks and pandemics.

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AWFUL. This author was so self-congratulatory about how he pulled himself up by his bootstraps, despite him bragging about his incredible intelligence as a young kid and getting out of a tough neighborhood. Except from his description he may have lived in a bad neighborhood but nothing terrible ever happened to him. He rested on the laurels of his siblings that no one would mess with him and all seven kids before him went on to lead productive lives. So where the hardship is I am not sure.

I found the beginning of the book so overwhelmingly pedantic I didn't even get to the good stuff. I'm surprised this guy didn't pull something from patting himself on the back so hard.

The paragraphs are lengthy stream of consciousness writing, like the author had to expel things onto the page before he forgot something and the result is paragraphs that go on for pages.

I wouldn't use this book to line a birdcage. Your bird would probably die of boredom.

I received this book as a free copy in exchange for an honest review.

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A fantastic insight into the world of all things to do with diseases and pandemics.

Daniels writing is fantastic and easy to follow - a very unique perspective that we don’t get to see as a regular everyday person. I would 100% read more of his work

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I found this book fascinating. The autobiographical aspect was wonderful as was the storytelling. I loved the anecdotes and I suspect that there are many, many more that Dr. Daniels could tell. Dr Daniels has led a fascinating life and I am glad that he decided to share. The book is information-dense and I learned a lot, but the book does not get bogged down in unnecessary information. I found some of the writing to be delightfully blunt but still not dogmatic. I also liked that Dr. Daniels had many suggestions for improvement of public health. Once I started reading, I couldn’t put the book down. Some of the information is a little technical, so although I think that the book is largely accessible to lay readers, people with some background will better appreciate it. Thank you to Netgalley and Atmosphere Press for the digital review copy.

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