Man and MicrobesMan and Microbes : Diseases and Plagues in History and Modern Times

8vo, hardcover in mylar protected dj, labels stamps and paste downs, highlightings. Ex-Library; 1.1 x 9 x 6.3 Inches; 266 pages. A dramatic panorama of the natural history of disease draws on case studies, stories of medical detection, and recent research to explain the origins of modern epidemics and suggest methods to surmount growing public health crises in a global society. Review: Whereas many popular books on microbes focus on contemporary pathogens and emerging epidemics, Arno Karlen's Man and Microbes provides a historical look at the coevolution of humans and microorganisms. Karlen speculates that infections are integral to the process of life itself, that the mitochondria in every animal cell, for instance, are likely descendants of infectious agents. He then traces the development of man from primitive hunter-gatherer to urban dweller to world traveler, pointedly analyzing how socio-ecological changes have contributed to the changing incidence of disease. With amazing detail, Karlen describes the origins of historical plagues (smallpox, cholera, influenza, polio, and others) as well as the emergence of scourges such as hemorrhagic fever (Ebola and its cousins), Lyme disease, Legionnaires' disease, and even the deep mysteries of retroviruses such as HIV.