Editorial Review:

Malaria sickens hundreds of millions of people -- and kills one to three million -- each year. Despite massive efforts to eradicate the disease, it remains a major public health problem in poorer tropical regions. But malaria has not always been concentrated in tropical areas. How did other regions control malaria and why does the disease still flourish in some parts of the globe?

From Russia to Bengal to Palm Beach, Randall Packard's far-ranging narrative traces the natural and social forces that help malaria spread and make it deadly. He finds that war, land development, crumbling health systems, and globalization -- coupled with climate change and changes in the distribution and flow of water -- create conditions in which malaria's carrier mosquitoes thrive. The combination of these forces, Packard contends, makes the tropical regions today a perfect home for the disease.

Authoritative, fascinating, and eye-opening, this short history of malaria concludes with policy recommendations for improving control strategies and saving lives.

Customer Reviews:

Avg. Customer Rating: 4.5 / 5.0

Fascinating history of the interaction of disease and development:

I picked up this book out of a mild curiosity about malaria, something I know little about but I do have a fascination with the way biology intersects history. Not only did I find this book to be a readable exposition of how development patterns and efforts to control and fight malaria have changed and often increased exposure to it, I actually had a hard time putting down a book that would seem to be a fairly dry topic.
The author gives an overview of the types of malaria, the mosquitos that tend to... more info

Proof that health care nowadays is only for those who can afford it while the poor die like dogs:

read this book and realize what globalization does to our world.
to our soul
read this book and realize how wrong we have become
this book is proof positive
you don't like Michael Moore's Sicko (Special Edition)
read this book instead and learn what our economic structure does to poor populations

in-depth discussion of all of the factors associated with the spread of malaria:

When I was in high school, malaria was something that I'd heard of, but I'd mentally categorised it with polio and smallpox -- diseases that were still out there occasionally, but were mostly controlled. After all, malaria is spread by mosquitos, and it can't be that hard to control mosquitos. Then a friend spent some time in Brazil, and came home with malaria. She nearly died. Malaria suddenly became real to me.
Mosquitos are vector that spread malaria, but the story of malaria is more than just... more info

"It's the ecology, stupid.":

This book isn't nearly as arcane as one might think. The subject and general theme are far outside my standard reading zone, yet I never once lost interest nor felt lost in the subject matter.
Author Randall Packard's central message is abundantly clear: malaria is a social disease and only significant economic development and social change can eradicate it. He seeks to demonstrate his point with historical case studies. For instance, malaria once thrived in such places as southeastern England and... more info

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