Global Pandemic Threats

January 1, 2017

Gr 9 Up-Dense with information, this exploration of global pandemic threats begins with an examination of several major diseases that have greatly affected the course of history, such as yellow fever, cholera, smallpox, plague, influenza, and trachoma. Subsequent chapters consider topics related to past and present outbreaks of disease so as to better understand how to grapple with future threats. "Problems, Controversies, and Solutions" addresses many problematic issues (for example, political agendas hamper efforts, and preventive medicine is often ignored), while "Perspectives" includes viewpoints from individuals working with organizations conducting humanitarian work. Other experts in the field of public health offer views about subjects such as the importance of vaccines and the threat of Aedes Mosquito-borne diseases as a result of air travel. Another chapter features brief biographical profiles of individuals who played a key role in addressing epidemic and pandemic threats both historical (Walter Reed, Louis Pasteur, Edward Jenner) and current (Paul Farmer, Keiji Fukuda, Tom Frieden). Short descriptions of major organizations (for instance, the Center for Disease Control and Prevention, the UN World Health Organization, and the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation) are listed as well as key data and primary source documents concerning health-related policy. The final chapter consists of resources including scholarly books and journals, films, and videos. This work contains extensive footnotes and references, and teens and adults searching for comprehensive content on various topics relating to the issue of global pandemic threats need look no further. VERDICT A go-to resource for paper writing and a jumping-off point for more in-depth academic research.-Ragan O'Malley, Saint Ann's School, Brooklyn

Copyright 2017 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

December 15, 2016
This one-volume reference handbook from the Contemporary World Issues series provides up-to-date background information and history on epidemic and pandemic diseases, problems and controversies with newly emerging viral diseases, and possible solutions from modern medicine and research. Primary documents give different perspectives into past and modern contagious diseases. Extensive profiles of people and organizations involved in combating epidemics are provided. Back matter consists of selected print resources (both books and scholarly journals), nonprint sources (comprised of films and videos but no websites), a glossary, and an index. A chronology of pandemics cites the estimated deaths from each and website sources for more information. This is a valuable and accessible resource for high-school and public library collections.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2016, American Library Association.)