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Plagues Upon the Earth
Disease and the Course of Human History
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Plagues Upon the Earth
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Book Hero Magic created this recommendation. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! IS THIS YOUR NEXT READ?
This book is ideal for readers interested in history, epidemiology, science, and global health, as well as anyone seeking to understand the deeper context behind pandemics and human civilisation's interaction with infectious diseases.
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Description
How deadly germs and pandemics have shaped history - and why they are products of our success as a species.
Plagues upon the Earth is a monumental history of humans and their germs. Weaving together a grand narrative of global history with insights from cutting-edge genetics, Kyle Harper explains why humanity's uniquely dangerous disease pool is rooted deep in our evolutionary past, and why its growth is accelerated by technological progress. He shows that the story of disease is entangled with the history of slavery, colonialism, and capitalism, and reveals the enduring effects of historical plagues in patterns of wealth, health, power, and inequality. He also tells the story of humanity's escape from infectious disease - a triumph that makes life as we know it possible, yet destabilises the environment and fosters new diseases.
Panoramic in scope, Plagues upon the Earth traces the role of disease in the transition to farming, the spread of cities, the advance of transportation, and the stupendous increase in human population. Harper offers a new interpretation of humanity's path to control over infectious disease—one where rising evolutionary threats constantly push back against human progress, and where the devastating effects of modernisation contribute to the great divergence between societies. The book reminds us that human health is globally interdependent - and inseparable from the well-being of the planet itself.
Putting the COVID-19 pandemic in perspective, Plagues upon the Earth tells the story of how we got here as a species, and it may help us decide where we want to go.
'Well-conceived... [Kyle] Harper combs through the literature of history, economics, epidemiology, and other disciplines to deliver a solid study of the role of infectious disease in the human story... Harper's long-view study is a welcome addition to the spate of recent books on epidemic disease.' - Kirkus Reviews
Series: The Princeton Economic History of the Western World
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Book Hero Magic summarised reviews for this book. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! HOW HAS THIS BEEN REVIEWED?
Critical acclaim for Plagues upon the Earth includes: Awarded the PROSE Award for History of Science, Medicine, and Technology, named a New Statesman Essential Non-Fiction Book of 2021, and hailed as a Choice Outstanding Academic Title. Reviewers praise Harper's masterful integration of science and history with accessible prose. David Frum calls it a 'superb new history of infectious disease,' while Andrew Sullivan describes it as 'magisterial' and a strong contender for book of the year. Forbes commends its comprehensive and eloquent treatment, and The Lancet recognises it as a 'remarkable achievement.' The Inquisitive Biologist notes its nuance and readability, and Science highlights its ambitious and engaging nature.
Book Details
INFORMATION
ISBN: 9780691192123
Publisher: Princeton University Press
Format: Hardback
Date Published: 12 October 2021
Country: United States
Imprint: Princeton University Press
Illustration: 20 Maps
Audience: General / adult, Tertiary education, Professional and scholarly
DIMENSIONS
Width: 156.0mm
Height: 235.0mm
Weight: 250g
Pages: 704
About the Author
Kyle Harper is professor of classics and letters at the University of Oklahoma. His books include The Fate of Rome: Climate, Disease, and the End of an Empire (Princeton) and From Shame to Sin: The Christian Transformation of Sexual Morality in Late Antiquity. He lives in Moore, Oklahoma. Website kyleharper.net Twitter @Oklahomaharper
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Plagues Upon the Earth
How deadly germs and pandemics have shaped history - and why they are products of our success as a species. Plagues upon the Earth is a monumental history of humans and their germs. Weaving together a grand narrative of global history with insights from cutting-edge genetics, Kyle Harper explains why humanity's uniquely dangerous disease pool is rooted deep in our...PaperbackSold Out
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