Smallpox, Syphilis and Salvation, by Sheryl Persson - Large Print Reviews

Large Print Reviews

Smallpox, Syphilis and Salvation
By Sheryl Persson

Smallpox, Syphilis and Salvation
Medical Breakthroughs that Changed the World
By Sheryl Persson
Read How You Want, (2010)
EasyRead Large Print Edition, in 16 Point Verdana Font
(Originally Published in Standard Print by Exisle Publishing)
ISBN: 978-1-45876-712-7
Genre: Biography, Health, Science, History

Reviewed by Harry S. Chou - April 19, 2010

From smallpox to polio, medical science has saved thousands, if not millions of lives, thanks to the development of vaccines to defeat these age-old threats. In Smallpox, Syphilis and Salvation: Medical Breakthroughs that Changed the World Sheryl Persson traces the development of countless vaccines and other 'cures' that have forever changed the course of human existence. She tells this salient story by interweaving the history and descriptions of these various diseases with the history of how the various treatments, vaccines, and cures were discovered, along with concise biographies of the many researchers who made these remarkable breakthroughs. The researchers covered in this book include Edward Jenner, Louis Pasteur, Robert Koch, Camille Guérin, Albert Calmette, Selman Waksman, Albert Schatz, Alexandre Emile Jean Yersin, Waldemar Haffkine, Shibasaburo Kitasato, Emil von Behring, Paul Ehrlich, Sahachiro Hata, Etienne Lancereaux, Ernest L. Scott, Frederick Grant Banting, Henry Best, James Collip, Alexander Bleming, Joseph Lister, Howard Florey, Ernst Chain, Jonas Salk, Albert Sabin, and many more.

Within the pages of this mesmerizing book, Persson traces the development of the smallpox vaccine and its application, and the discovery and importance of germ theory. She looks at the fight to defeat tuberculosis, a fight that we were once winning, but now the tide has turned and TB is once again, all too often, walking among humans unchecked. She looks at the efforts to defeat bubonic plague, the development of 'cures' for tetanus and diphtheria and treatments for syphilis and how these treatment measures led to the development of chemotherapy. She also looks into the discovery and uses of insulin and penicillin, as well as the polio vaccine, and the modern day miracle of designer drugs as seen through the prism of Gertrude Elion and George Hitchings's search for a cure for childhood leukaemia.

Eminently readable and informative, Smallpox, Syphilis and Salvation takes readers on a remarkable journey through the history of some of the most extraordinary medical discoveries of the modern age. In writing this book, Persson included a great deal of information, but she has done so without overwhelming the reader. As well, you do not need a scientific background in order to understand the information presented. Most important, this book is well suited for readers of all ages and backgrounds. Rather than classify it as a history or science text, I would say that it leans more to being a collection of biographies that when combined, provide a detailed history of some the most important scientific and medical breakthroughs that have impacted human health and well-being.

In short, Smallpox, Syphilis and Salvation is a fascinating book and one which is sure to provoke much thought and further study on the part of the reader. For those interested in delving deeper into this fascinating topic, Persson has included a bibliography at the end of the text that can serve as a guide for further study. As well, her end notes include additional resources - both in print and online - that you can use to learn more about these remarkable breakthroughs.

Smallpox, Syphilis and Salvation is available from Read How You Want, an on-demand publisher that makes books available in a variety of formats including Braille, DAISY, and five different large print formats. This range of formats makes this, and other books, available not only to visually impaired individuals, but also anyone with a reading or physical disability that makes reading standard print books difficult.

Related Reviews:

The Coming Plague, by Laurie Garrett.
This impressive book examines the potentially catastrophic dangers presented by viruses and mans attempts to control the uncontrollable.
The Demon in the Freezer, By Richard Preston.
A chilling look at the threat posed by bioweapons, viewed through the specter of the anthrax letter attacks in 2001. This book also looks at the history and eradication of smallpox, in nature, the threats posed by stockpiles of smallpox that are maintained, both officially and unofficially, throughout the world.

Back to top

About LPR | Privacy Policy | Site Map

Questions or Comments? Send an email to:

info@largeprintreviews.com