Koncocoo

Best Communicable Diseases

The Hot Zone: The Terrifying True Story of the Origins of the Ebola Virus
The Hot Zone tells this dramatic story, giving a hair-raising account of the appearance of rare and lethal viruses and their "crashes" into the human race. Preston's account of an outbreak of a strain of the Ebola virus among monkeys in a Virginia laboratory has spent more than 30 weeks on PW's bestseller list.
Reviews
"I'm writing this review now because, 1- the current (July 2014) outbreak of Ebola is "the deadliest in recorded history," and 2- I've NEVER forgotten the book. The thing that is so terrifying is the way the poor people who contract the disease die."
"I learned a lot about the virus. After reading this book, im able to read between the headlines of what is being said and more importantly, what's NOT being said. Medical researchers working with the virus give share their information."
"I bought this book in its hard-cover version when it first came out, quite a few years ago, and what with the recent Ebola crisis in Africa and now in the news here in the U.S., I wanted to re-read it. I am dismayed that the CDC is still "learning" how to contain this disease, when the knowledge has been in use by the U.S. Army, and various charitable organizations in Africa for many years."
"A scary, eye opening book about Ebola. He describes in detail the Ebola Reston outbreak in Maryland."
"A must read for anyone who wants the scientific truth about this disease, how it can be spread & how easily & quickly it can mutate."
"Although twenty years old, the information is timely and so. pertinent for our age when Ebola is devastating Africa and may be advancing thought the world."
"Because you will be terrified every time you have a tiny headache. Because you will want strangers to stay far away from you, especially if they are breathing. Because you will realise that your government, our government, the government will probably be unable to stop a proper Ebola virus. Because you will forgive the sometimes over detailed writing because you are completely absorbed in the horror. Because this is not fiction, this is real, this is here, this is now. And this is a gripping, interesting, well put together, well researched non-fiction book that reads like an adventure, a horror and a thriller all at once. Viruses are clever little buggers and best we be afraid."
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Dissolving Illusions: Disease, Vaccines, and The Forgotten History
The history of that transformation involves famine, poverty, filth, lost cures, eugenicist doctrine, individual freedoms versus state might, protests and arrests over vaccine refusal, and much more.
Reviews
"For example, with a masticating juicer I am researching, I've noticed that critical reviewers hadn't read the proper cleaning instructions of the device, thus the most common complaint is one specific "failing" part. Now I REALLY want the juicer, because I have deduced that even the negative reviews are mostly positive ones, so long as you are able to read instructions and apply what you've learned... which a lot of folks seem to struggle with. The critical reviewers are obviously taking to the comment postings with something to prove, or possibly dont understand literature review/what the book is intended to achieve, or are unconsciously defending their own irreversible parenting choices."
"It is good to hear the 'other side of the story' on vaccines: having had children who reacted badly to childhood immunizations, and seeing the same thing happen with grandchildren, I am understandably nervous over the current push to vaccinate against every possible thing. Anyone who listens to the news and reads current articles on advances in medicine has to be aware that there has been a great deal of 'spin' on this issue . As a critical reader, I not only read those articles but look for source documents and read those sources carefully, too. and realizing that the majority of funding for such research comes from the very pharmaceutical industry which sells these vaccines. As the family genealogist, I read a lot of historical documents and even a cursory examination of lifespan among those people doesnt show that shortened lifespan: I had a great many ancestors in the 1700-1800s who live to nearly-or more than-100 yrs old. Her numerous charts clearly show that the incidence of the original dread diseases which we are dutifully vaccinating for were already in decline-both in contagion and in strength, before vaccines against them were in use. .the usual course of such dread diseases. including the fact that many of these vaccines can actually spread a form of the very disease being vaccinated against and that past vaccination doesnt actually protect you from it. There are some things that are likely worth the risk of vaccination-such as tetanus and your dog's rabies vaccine."
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The Fate of Rome: Climate, Disease, and the End of an Empire (The Princeton History of the Ancient World)
The Fate of Rome is the first book to examine the catastrophic role that climate change and infectious diseases played in the collapse of Rome’s power―a story of nature’s triumph over human ambition. In the empire's heyday, in 160 CE, splendid cities, linked by famous roads and bustling harbors, stand waiting for the lethal pathogens of Central Africa and the highlands of Tibet. Yet, under the flickering light of a variable sun, beneath skies alternately veiled in volcanic dust or cruelly rainless, this remarkable agglomeration of human beings held firm. Harper's compelling and cautionary tale documents the deadly plagues, fevers, and other pestilences that ravaged the population time and again, resulting in far more deaths than ever caused by enemy forces. "Kyle Harper's extraordinary new account of the fall of Rome is a gripping and terrifying story of the interaction between human behavior and systems, pathogens and climate change. The Roman Empire was a remarkable connector of people and things--in towns and cities, through voluntary and enforced migration, and through networks of trade across oceans and continents--but this very connectedness fostered infectious diseases that debilitated its population.
Reviews
"This work is concerned with climate change and what the author feels are its positive (yes, climate change can be positive) and negative effects in the Late Holocene. The author identifies 6 causes of climate change: 1) Variations in the tilt of the earth’s axis - 41,000 year cycle. The author feels that the combination of war, plague and climate change (LALIA- Late Antique Little Ice Age) was devastating."
"A very informative tour of an ancient world wracked by naturally-driven climate change and terrifying, recurring pandemics."
"very informative....well written...subject matter dealt with perplexing issues and explained factually what went on."
"Harper writes a sweeping history of Rome from 200 BCE to 700 CE with a focus on cultural life within the Roman Empire. The changes must be seen in the context of hundreds of years, but the profound effect of such changes as caused by climate and disease, in turn, affected the economic performance of the Empire."
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Best Viral Diseases

The Hot Zone: The Terrifying True Story of the Origins of the Ebola Virus
The Hot Zone tells this dramatic story, giving a hair-raising account of the appearance of rare and lethal viruses and their "crashes" into the human race. The dramatic and chilling story of an Ebola virus outbreak in a surburban Washington, D.C. laboratory, with descriptions of frightening historical epidemics of rare and lethal viruses.
Reviews
"I'm writing this review now because, 1- the current (July 2014) outbreak of Ebola is "the deadliest in recorded history," and 2- I've NEVER forgotten the book. The thing that is so terrifying is the way the poor people who contract the disease die."
"I learned a lot about the virus. After reading this book, im able to read between the headlines of what is being said and more importantly, what's NOT being said. Medical researchers working with the virus give share their information."
"I bought this book in its hard-cover version when it first came out, quite a few years ago, and what with the recent Ebola crisis in Africa and now in the news here in the U.S., I wanted to re-read it. I am dismayed that the CDC is still "learning" how to contain this disease, when the knowledge has been in use by the U.S. Army, and various charitable organizations in Africa for many years."
"A scary, eye opening book about Ebola. He describes in detail the Ebola Reston outbreak in Maryland."
"A must read for anyone who wants the scientific truth about this disease, how it can be spread & how easily & quickly it can mutate."
"Although twenty years old, the information is timely and so. pertinent for our age when Ebola is devastating Africa and may be advancing thought the world."
"Because you will be terrified every time you have a tiny headache. Because you will want strangers to stay far away from you, especially if they are breathing. Because you will realise that your government, our government, the government will probably be unable to stop a proper Ebola virus. Because you will forgive the sometimes over detailed writing because you are completely absorbed in the horror. Because this is not fiction, this is real, this is here, this is now. And this is a gripping, interesting, well put together, well researched non-fiction book that reads like an adventure, a horror and a thriller all at once. Viruses are clever little buggers and best we be afraid."
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Best Infectious Diseases

The Hot Zone: The Terrifying True Story of the Origins of the Ebola Virus
The Hot Zone tells this dramatic story, giving a hair-raising account of the appearance of rare and lethal viruses and their "crashes" into the human race. Preston's account of an outbreak of a strain of the Ebola virus among monkeys in a Virginia laboratory has spent more than 30 weeks on PW's bestseller list.
Reviews
"I'm writing this review now because, 1- the current (July 2014) outbreak of Ebola is "the deadliest in recorded history," and 2- I've NEVER forgotten the book. The thing that is so terrifying is the way the poor people who contract the disease die."
"I learned a lot about the virus. After reading this book, im able to read between the headlines of what is being said and more importantly, what's NOT being said. Medical researchers working with the virus give share their information."
"I bought this book in its hard-cover version when it first came out, quite a few years ago, and what with the recent Ebola crisis in Africa and now in the news here in the U.S., I wanted to re-read it. I am dismayed that the CDC is still "learning" how to contain this disease, when the knowledge has been in use by the U.S. Army, and various charitable organizations in Africa for many years."
"A scary, eye opening book about Ebola. He describes in detail the Ebola Reston outbreak in Maryland."
"A must read for anyone who wants the scientific truth about this disease, how it can be spread & how easily & quickly it can mutate."
"Although twenty years old, the information is timely and so. pertinent for our age when Ebola is devastating Africa and may be advancing thought the world."
"Because you will be terrified every time you have a tiny headache. Because you will want strangers to stay far away from you, especially if they are breathing. Because you will realise that your government, our government, the government will probably be unable to stop a proper Ebola virus. Because you will forgive the sometimes over detailed writing because you are completely absorbed in the horror. Because this is not fiction, this is real, this is here, this is now. And this is a gripping, interesting, well put together, well researched non-fiction book that reads like an adventure, a horror and a thriller all at once. Viruses are clever little buggers and best we be afraid."
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Best Special Topics

The Gene: An Intimate History
THE #1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER. A New York Times Notable Book. A Washington Post and Seattle Times Best Book of the Year From the Pulitzer Prize-winning, bestselling author of The Emperor of All Maladies —a magnificent history of the gene and a response to the defining question of the future: What becomes of being human when we learn to “read” and “write” our own genetic information? "This is perhaps the greatest detective story ever told—a millennia-long search, led by a thousand explorers, from Aristotle to Mendel to Francis Collins, for the question marks at the center of every living cell. “Sobering, humbling, and extraordinarily rich reading from a wise and gifted writer who sees how far we have come—but how much farther far we have to go to understand our human nature and destiny.” ( Kirkus, starred review ). "Mukherjee deftly relates the basic scientific facts about the way genes are believed to function, while making clear the aspects of genetics that remain unknown. He offers insight into both the scientific process and the sociology of science... By relating familial information, Mukherjee grounds the abstract in the personal to add power and poignancy to his excellent narrative." Mukherjee punctuates his encyclopedic investigations of collective and individual heritability, and our closing in on the genetic technologies that will transform how we will shape our own genome, with evocative personal anecdotes, deft literary allusions, wonderfully apt metaphors, and an irrepressible intellectual brio.” ( Ben Dickinson, Elle ). The story [of the gene] has been told, piecemeal, in different ways, but never before with the scope and grandeur that Siddhartha Mukherjee brings to his new history… he views his subject panoptically, from a great and clarifying height, yet also intimately.” ( James Gleick, New York Times Book Review ).
Reviews
"The volume benefits from Mukherjee’s elegant literary style, novelist’s eye for character sketches and expansive feel for human history. Mendel was an abbot in a little known town in Central Europe whose pioneering experiments on pea plants provided the first window into the gene and evolution. Eugenics has now acquired a bad reputation, but Galton was a polymath who made important contributions to science by introducing statistics and measurements in the study of genetic differences. Many of the early eugenicists subscribed to the racial theories that were common in those days; many of them were well intended if patronizing, seeking to ‘improve the weak’, but they did not see the ominous slippery slope which they were on. Eugenics was enthusiastically supported in the United States; Mukherjee discusses the infamous Supreme Court case in which Oliver Wendell Holmes sanctioned the forced sterilization of an unfortunate woman named Carrie Buck by proclaiming, “Three generations of imbeciles are enough”. Another misuse of genetics was by Trofim Lysenko who tried to use Lamarck’s theories of acquired characteristics in doomed agricultural campaigns in Stalinist Russia; as an absurd example, he tried to “re educate” wheat using “shock therapy”. Mutations in specific genes (for instance ones causing changes in eye color) allowed them to track the flow of genetic material through several generations. The scientists most important for recognizing this fact were Frederick Griffiths and Oswald Avery and Mukherjee tells their story well; however I would have appreciated a fuller account of Friedrich Miescher who discovered DNA in pus bandages from soldiers. All these events set the stage for the golden age of molecular biology, the deciphering of the structure of DNA by James Watson (to whom the quote in the title is attributed), Francis Crick, Rosalind Franklin and others. Many of these pioneers were inspired by a little book by physicist Erwin Schrodinger which argued that the gene could be understood using precise principles of physics and chemistry; his arguments turned biology into a reductionist science. As a woman in a man’s establishment Franklin was in turn patronized and sidelined, but unlike Watson and Crick she was averse to building models and applying the principles of chemistry to the problem, two traits that were key to the duo’s success. The book then talks about early successes in correlating genes with illness that came with the advent of the human genome and epigenome; genetics has been very useful in finding determinants and drugs for diseases like sickle cell anemia, childhood leukemia, breast cancer and cystic fibrosis. Mukherjee especially has an excellent account of Nancy Wexler, the discoverer of the gene causing Huntington’s disease, whose search for its origins led her to families stricken with the malady in remote parts of Venezuela. The basic verdict is that while there is undoubtedly a genetic component to all these factors, the complex interplay between genes and environment means that it’s very difficult currently to tease apart influences from the two. The last part of the book focuses on some cutting edge research on genetics that’s uncovering both potent tools for precise gene engineering as well as deep insights into human evolution. There are a few minor scientific infelicities: for instance Linus Pauling’s structure of DNA was not really flawed because of a lack of magnesium ions but mainly because it sported a form of the phosphate groups that wouldn’t exist at the marginally alkaline pH of the human body. The book’s treatment of the genetic code leaves out some key exciting moments, such as when a scientific bombshell from biochemist Marshall Nirenberg disrupted a major meeting in the former Soviet Union. Nor is there much exploration of using gene sequences to illuminate the ‘tree of life’ which Darwin tantalizingly pulled the veil back on: in general I would have appreciated a bigger discussion of how DNA connects us to all living creatures. Its sweeping profile of life’s innermost secrets could not help but remind me of a Japanese proverb quoted by physicist Richard Feynman: “To every man is given the key to the gates of heaven."
"There are abundant scientific notions to satisfy any reader picking up the book to understand the real subject matter, but not in the general bland fashion of studies-and-conclusions that tend to lose many a lay people. From the notions of introns and exons to the polygenic nature of most phenotypes, the feedback from environment to gene mutation and the massive role played by non-gene factors in most our traits, the author uncovers a staggering number of interesting findings in a highly understandable manner. As professionals or parents seek to weed out certain deformities, there are genuine risks of us eliminating some important evolutionary traits mainly out of ignorance of how genes really work at this stage but also out of their possible other utilities in long future."
"Siddhartha Mukherjee writes about the history of the understanding of the gene with a clear and engaging style."
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Best Climatology

Cosmos
RETURNING TO TELEVISION AS AN ALL-NEW MINISERIES ON FOX Cosmos is one of the bestselling science books of all time. Featuring a new Introduction by Sagan’s collaborator, Ann Druyan, full color illustrations, and a new Foreword by astrophysicist Neil deGrasse Tyson, Cosmos retraces the fourteen billion years of cosmic evolution that have transformed matter into consciousness, exploring such topics as the origin of life, the human brain, Egyptian hieroglyphics, spacecraft missions, the death of the Sun, the evolution of galaxies, and the forces and individuals who helped to shape modern science. With a lyrical literary style, and a range that touches almost all aspects of human knowledge, Cosmos often seems too good to be true.” — The Plain Dealer “Sagan is an astronomer with one eye on the stars, another on history, and a third—his mind’s—on the human condition.” — Newsday “Brilliant in its scope and provocative in its suggestions . He played a leading role in the Mariner, Viking, Voyager, and Galileo spacecraft expeditions, for which he received the NASA Medals for Exceptional Scientific Achievement and (twice) for Distinguished Public Service.
Reviews
"Its contents incorporate genetics, ancient history, chemical biology, sociology, religion, human psychology and philosophy... Dr Sagan weaves these realms together in the context of the Cosmos, and raises intriguing questions about hypothetical alternate turn of events as well as where we (humankind) go from here. Sagan goes as far as to compare government spendings on military weapons with scientific research funding, and demonstrates how far will have still to go before our loyalties are united not just within nation-states, but as a species of Planet Earth. I wonder what Dr Sagan would have thought about the state of the world today… recent election results, SpaceX, virtual reality, artificial intelligence/machine learning, Kepler missions, CRISPR-Cas9 gene editing, instability in the Middle East, the Higgs Boson… My guess is that he would simultaneously be alarmed that we are STILL arguing whether or not climate change is a problem, and amazed at our technological achievements with the internet and a legitimate goal to visit Mars. After having read the book, one could truly dwell on what we can do to unify ourselves as citizens of Planet Earth, with a mutual interest of survival, pursuit of interplanetary/interstellar travel and constant discovery of what our universe has to offer."
"The last chapter of "Cosmos" asks "Who speaks for Earth?""
"There are also occasional earthly detours - evolution of life on earth, ancient greeks, the library of Alexandria, voyages of explorers, etc.The book also tries to bring up some philosophical questions, especially in relation to the possibility of other civilizations in the cosmos, and how a contact between us and them would happen."
"I have previously read this book and thoroughly enjoyed it."
"Modern science quickly discards old theories but it still holds truth to the narrative - of that there are many new stories yet to be told: and Sagan's Cosmos is a foundational one, connecting the blocks how the history of science propelled the age of discoveries that have culminated at his time in the shuttle program, the moon landing probes, the Voyagers program."
"Read this years ago in hard cover when first came out."
"But really, this book ignites a love for and connection to the cosmos unlike any other."
"I have not started the book so I can only go by the author's reputation so I expect to enjoy learning."
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Best Microbiology

Microbiology: An Introduction
Praised for its exceptionally clear presentation of complex topics, this #1-selling text for microbiology non-majors provides a careful balance of concepts and applications, proven art that teaches and the most robust, dynamic media in MasteringMicrobiology. The Twelfth Edition ofTortora, Funke, and Case’s Microbiology: An Introduction focuses on big picture concepts and themes in microbiology, encouraging students to visualize and synthesize tough topics such as microbial metabolism, immunology, and microbial genetics. He belongs to numerous biology/microbiology organizations, including the American Society of Microbiology (ASM), Human Anatomy and Physiology Society (HAPS), American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS), National Education Association (NEA), New Jersey Educational Association (NJEA), and the Metropolitan Association of College and University Biologists (MACUB). He has spent his professional years as a professor of microbiology at North Dakota State University. He taught introductory microbiology, including laboratory sections, general microbiology, food microbiology, soil microbiology, clinical parasitology, and pathogenic microbiology. As a research scientist in the Experiment Station at North Dakota State, he has published numerous papers on soil microbiology and food microbiology.
Reviews
"I purchased this book for school."
"I hate carrying this heavy, oversized book along everywhere I go."
"The tables helped out wen I was reading the chapters, and the drawings were exceptional!"
"Arrive on time, Perfect in all shape, color as in the image, there is wear and tear,but I like it."
"Book was exactly as described."
"This book was inexpensive to rent and it was very detailed."
"Excellent book with great photographs and diagrams."
"It seems to be easy to use and read and it’s nice to have it as a reference during lectures and assignments."
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Best Tropical Medicine

Mandell, Douglas, and Bennett's Principles and Practice of Infectious Diseases: 2-Volume Set, 8e
John E. Bennett and Raphael Dolin along with new editorial team member Dr. Martin Blaser have meticulously updated this latest edition to save you time and to ensure you have the latest clinical and scientific knowledge at your fingertips. Put the latest knowledge to work in your practice with new or completely revised chapters on influenza (new pandemic strains); new Middle East respiratory syndrome (MERS) virus; probiotics; antibiotics for resistant bacteria; antifungal drugs; new antivirals for hepatitis B and C; Clostridium difficile treatment; sepsis; advances in HIV prevention and treatment; viral gastroenteritis; Lyme disease; Helicobacter pylori; malaria; infections in immunocompromised hosts; immunization (new vaccines and new recommendations); and microbiome. "This is what an in depth textbook should be, a superb and vast, yet highly readable review of its topic... without doubt this will appeal to a global audience whose primary interest is the clinical aspects of infectious diseases."
Reviews
"The book is great and have new chapters but I have received only 1 volume."
"The gold standard reference book for all infectious disease doctors."
"This is the gold standard, or the Bible of infectious disease books."
"The books arrived in very good used quality, and much more quickly than expected."
"This is the best text book of ID and best reference for any ID physician."
"everything arrived fine as expected."
"Awesome book!"
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Best Parasitology

This Is Your Brain on Parasites: How Tiny Creatures Manipulate Our Behavior and Shape Society
“Engrossing … [An] expedition through the hidden and sometimes horrifying microbial domain.” — Wall Street Journal “Fascinating—and full of the kind of factoids you can't wait to share.” — Scientific American Parasites can live only inside another animal and, as Kathleen McAuliffe reveals, these tiny organisms have many evolutionary motives for manipulating the behavior of their hosts. The horror and revulsion we are programmed to feel when we come in contact with people who appear diseased or dirty helped pave the way for civilization, but may also be the basis for major divisions in societies that persist to this day. "- BookForum “A fascinating account of an extraordinary suite of biological phenomena, only recently come to light and proving that given enough time and enough evolving species to work with, natural selection can accomplish almost anything.”. - Edward O. Wilson , Professor Emeritus, Harvard University, author of Consilience . In company with the best science writers, she shows us that reality can be way more interesting than fiction.”. - Valerie Curtis , Director of the Environmental Health Group of the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine and author of Don’t Look, Don’t Touch, Don’t Eat “Be prepared to throw away all your preconceptions about the order of life.
Reviews
"McAuliffe’s article on toxoplasmosis in the 2012 Atlantic “How Your Cat is Making You Crazy” is probably the reason for the word parasites in the title, but the subtitle, “How Tiny Creatures Manipulate Our Behavior and Shape Society,” is a more accurate portrayal of the topic of this excellent book. Here’s an overview of the chapters: 1 – The beginning of the study of parasites and microbs effecting the behavior of animals and humans. 5 – Rabies; toxocara (roundworms), and other parasites that effect “our essential sense of self – our moods, appetites, behaviors, and reasoning abilities.”. 6 – Gut microbiota. 8 – Behavioral immunity – things animals and humans instinctively do to heal our wounds and protect us from parasites. This book offers a lot to think about with far reaching impacts on our personal health and the state of the world."
"How about Hillary Clinton's extended bathroom break during a Democratic primary debate? Do you wonder about whether you have the larger anterior insula relative to total brain size? Remember the following tips: (1) eat vegetables that have been scrubbed throughly; (2) wear gloves while gardening; (3) cook meat well or, if you prefer it rare, freeze it first to kill the microbe's cysts ㅡT.gondii produces thick-walled cysts in the animal's muscle. Ectoparasites and microscopic parasites may exist anywhere around you... and jeopardize you, your partner, and your offsprings.... I bet you will totally lose track of the time while reading."
"McAuliffe surveys current cutting-edge research linking the impact of various parasites not only on the physical health and well-being of their hosts, but also on psychological functioning as well as social and cultural developments. Some of the studies she cites include ones with which I was already familiar – like the jewel wasp which turns a cockroach into a zombie as a living food source for her larva, or the molecule that can change a rat’s protective aversion to the smell of cat urine into attraction."
"Great insight into who might really be behind the wheel."
"Still reading this - as a non-scientist, I read it in small bites, then digest (ha!)."
"The world is stranger than we can ever imagine."
"Not a bad thing but seems to drag out the content form the core facts at hand."
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