Deadly Companions by Dorothy H Crawford
Ever since we started huddling together in communities, the story of human history has been inextricably entwined with the story of microbes. They have evolved and spread amongst us, shaping our culture through infection, disease, and pandemic. At the same time, our changing human culture has itself influenced the evolutionary path of microbes. Dorothy H. Crawford here shows that one cannot be truly understood without the other. Beginning with a dramatic account of the SARS pandemic at the start of the 21st century, she takes us back in time to follow the interlinked history of microbes and man, taking an up-to-date look at ancient plagues and epidemics, and identifying key changes in the way humans have lived - such as our move from hunter-gatherer to farmer to city-dweller - which made us vulnerable to microbe attack. Showing how we live our lives today - with increasing crowding and air travel - puts us once again at risk, Crawford asks whether we might ever conquer microbes completely, or whether we need to take a more microbe-centric view of the world. Among the possible answers, one thing becomes clear: that for generations to come, our deadly companions will continue to shape human history.
Admirably clear and engaging* BBC History *
Dorothy H Crawford, Emeritus professor of medical microbiology, University of Edinburgh Dorothy H Crawford was professor of medical microbiology and assistant principle for public understanding of medicine at the University of Edinburgh from 1997 until 2010. In 2001, she was elected to the Royal Society of Edinburgh and the Academy of Medical Sciences as a Fellow, and in 2005, she was awarded an OBE for services to medicine and higher education. The Invisible Enemy (OUP, 2000), Deadly Companions (OUP, 2007), Virus hunt (OUP, 2013), and Viruses VSI (OUP, 2011) are among her works.
| SKU | Unavailable |
| ISBN 13 | 9780199561445 |
| ISBN 10 | 0199561443 |
| Title | Deadly Companions |
| Author | Dorothy H Crawford |
| Condition | Unavailable |
| Binding Type | Paperback |
| Publisher | Oxford University Press |
| Year published | 2009-01-22 |
| Number of pages | 272 |
| Cover note | Book picture is for illustrative purposes only, actual binding, cover or edition may vary. |
| Note | Unavailable |