Mosquito: The Story of Man’s Deadliest Foe by Andrew Spielman
I picked up this book on a whim at some random hippie supply store (you know, the place that sells incense, hemp clothing, candles, and Grateful Dead posters). It was on a shelf with a bunch of other titles for 25 cents. How could I say no to that?
I’m glad I bought it.
Andrew Spielman, who was Harvard’s Professor of Tropical Public Health and International Mosquito Expert until he died in 2006, tells all about the mosquito and it’s quite obvious that he has a love-hate relationship with the insect.
The first part of the book talks about the physiology of the mosquito and it’s habits and role in the ecosystem (turns out, aside from vectors for disease, it really doesn’t have one).
The second part of the book talks about the mosquito’s impact on the history of man. Intertwined with this is the lowdown on the various diseases mosquitoes are responsible for spreading, with focus on malaria, dengue, yellow fever, and West Nile virus. As a carrier for disease, the lowly mosquito has possibly done more to alter the history of man than any other bug (or maybe even animal). Then again, Spielman is a bit biased and may be giving the mosquito more credit than it is due. Still, the book is full of historical examples.
The final part of the book talks about man’s attempt to control both the mosquito and the diseases she spreads. The botched attempt in the 1960’s to eradicate malaria world-wide (currently 10% of the population suffers from malaria) and the eradication of malaria from Barbados, among others, are covered. Finally, the relatively recent arrival of West Nile to the United States is covered.
To be honest, while the book did inform me it also made me not want to visit Africa, India, or the Far East for fear of contracting dengue or yellow fever (interestingly enough, yellow fever has never hit the Far East; if it ever does, the results would be unbelievably devastating).
I give it a 4/5. Its wonderfully informative and its language and style is accessible to a wide audience.
Google books has some pages available for perusal.
I picked up this book on a whim at some random hippie supply store (you know, the place that sells incense, hemp clothing, candles, and Grateful Dead posters). It was on a shelf with a bunch of other titles for 25 cents. How could I say no to that?
I’m glad I bought it.
Andrew Spielman, who was Harvard’s Professor of Tropical Public Health and International Mosquito Expert until he died in 2006, tells all about the mosquito and it’s quite obvious that he has a love-hate relationship with the insect.
The first part of the book talks about the physiology of the mosquito and it’s habits and role in the ecosystem (turns out, aside from vectors for disease, it really doesn’t have one).
The second part of the book talks about the mosquito’s impact on the history of man. Intertwined with this is the lowdown on the various diseases mosquitoes are responsible for spreading, with focus on malaria, dengue, yellow fever, and West Nile virus. As a carrier for disease, the lowly mosquito has possibly done more to alter the history of man than any other bug (or maybe even animal). Then again, Spielman is a bit biased and may be giving the mosquito more credit than it is due. Still, the book is full of historical examples.
The final part of the book talks about man’s attempt to control both the mosquito and the diseases she spreads. The botched attempt in the 1960’s to eradicate malaria world-wide (currently 10% of the population suffers from malaria) and the eradication of malaria from Barbados, among others, are covered. Finally, the relatively recent arrival of West Nile to the United States is covered.
To be honest, while the book did inform me it also made me not want to visit Africa, India, or the Far East for fear of contracting dengue or yellow fever (interestingly enough, yellow fever has never hit the Far East; if it ever does, the results would be unbelievably devastating).
I give it a 4/5. Its wonderfully informative and its language and style is accessible to a wide audience.
Google books has some pages available for perusal.
