A Short History of Disease

As someone with a medical background, I found this history of disease fascinating. It was well written and documented but easily understandable. It would make a good read whether or not you have any background in medicine.

Although there is no startling new information here, this is a really useful World History companion (although a depressing one) describing the linked relationship of bacteria, viruses and humans from their earliest forms as the yaws scars on hominid skeletons(sometimes useful, often mutually hostile), and the dramatic rise of disease as neolithic people lived close to domesticated animals, changed their environment, created extra-microbe-rich soils and lived next to their own waste for extended periods of time. Martin engages in one of my favorite exercises, trying to winnow the kernel of history from mythology and hyperbolic Bible plagues (blood algae, early frog spawning, grain ergot). This has an excellent bibliography and notes, and makes for an easy to use addition to environmental history, general surveys and any time you want to feel really appreciative of refrigeration and flush toilets.

A short and sweet survey of infectious and non infectious disease in civilization as well as the reaction of people to outbreaks of the disease. Incredibly accessible and good for those wanting to wet their feet in medical history,