Now Out in Paperback
Influenza - The Hundred Year Hunt to Cure the Deadliest Disease in History
““In “Influenza,” [Brown] builds effectively on his clinical and scientific career, making the virus itself central to his story… Although his story is a somber one, Dr. Brown’s account is punctuated by some humor and much avuncular advice… [Brown’s book] highlights that influenza is still a real and present threat and demonstrates the power and limitations of modern medicine.””
“We should not underestimate influenza as a serial killer, notes physician Jeremy Brown in this agile study. Brown — director of emergency-care research at the US National Institutes of Health — illuminates much... A thoughtful portrait of an elusive enemy.””
“…Although we know a lot more about the virus today, which kills 30,000 people in the U.S. annually, we do not know enough to stop the next pandemic. Brown argues that a critical preparatory step should be to place the 1918 pandemic in our collective memory as we have for wars and battles—perhaps with a physical memorial—to honor our losses and to remind us how much there is yet to do.”
““An in-depth look at what scientists know now about the 1918 strain [and] a fascinating look at the factors that make the more common seasonal flu so challenging to predict and prevent… For those who want more science with a frank discussion of the challenges influenza still poses, Brown delivers a clear and captivating overview.””
“Brown’s book is like an Agatha Christie novel, or a cold-case episode of some television drama. The crime has already been committed – in this case, a century ago – but the villain is still on the loose, still committing crimes, and somehow managing to evade the plods.”
“The influenza pandemic of 1918 was responsible for an estimated 50–100 million deaths worldwide. A century later, ‘The flu is still a serial killer,’ writes emergency-medicine physician Brown... Brown smartly examines this viral infection from all sorts of angles—medical history, virology, diagnosis and treatment, economics and epidemiology‚ health-care policy, and prevention.”
“…an accessible, straightforward and often riveting history of this seasonal menace.... brisk, entertaining and written with an endearing zeal….Influenza is layperson-friendly; Brown’s explanations of virology and epidemiology are clearly meant to reach a wide audience of readers.
”Part history lesson, part investigative report and part public service announcement, Influenza shows us how far we’ve come since 1918—and how far we have to go”
“Brown, in a casual and accessible style traces the history of the disease from then until now, revealing - frighteningly enough - just how much we still don’t understand about this ever changing virus.”