Flu: The Story Of The Great Influenza Pandemic (ISBN 0743203984)

Amazon.com Review:
Feeling tired, achy, and congested? You'll hope not after reading science writer Gina Kolata's engrossing Flu, a fascinating look at the 1918 epidemic that wiped out around 40 million people in less than a year and afflicted more than one of every four Americans. This tragedy, just on the heels of World War I and far more deadly, so traumatized the survivors that few would talk about it afterward. Kolata reports on the scientific investigation of this bizarre outbreak, in particular the attempts to sequence the virus' DNA from tissue samples of victims. She also looks at the social and personal effects of the disease, from improved public health awareness to the loss of productivity. (The disease affected 20- to 40-year-olds disproportionately.) How could this disease, now almost trivial to healthy young people, have become so virulent? The answer is complex, invoking epidemiology, immunology, and even psychology, but Kolata cuts a swath through medical papers and statistical reports to tell a story of an out-of-control virus exploiting an exhausted world on the brink of transition into modern society. Through letters, interviews, and news reports, she pieces together a cautionary tale that captures the horror of a devastating illness. Research marches onward, but we're still at the mercy of something as simple as the flu. --Rob Lightner

grasping the true nature of the virus!!:
Gina Kolata's book is an informative look at the influenza pandemic of 1918. The author provides an opportunity to see the shortcomings of the world of science and medicine during that era. She also describes the search for the genetic make-up of this virus during the 1990's and the difficulties encountered even with the advancements in those fields. She reveals the devastation wrought upon the human race around the globe using stories compiled from survivors and published accounts. From stories involving families dying together, to the barracks of the Army, to the streets of Philadelphia the loss is nearly inconceivable. Few places on Earth were spared the death and ravaging effects of this influenza. She details the excruciating symptoms of the virus and the rapid speed with which it was transmitted. The numbers are staggering with estimates of the dead ranging from 20 to more than 100 million. The death toll was so high that life expectancy in the United States dropped by 12 years in 1918. The equivalent numbers today would equate to the death of 1.5 million in the United States alone. What the future will hold if an outbreak of this virus should strike again makes this book a compelling read. Ms. Kolata has researched and crafted a finely honed book that provides an open and honest vision of the potential disaster that lurks in the shadows. She has cast light onto this subject in a comprehensive as well as comprehensible manner. She has grasped the true nature and significance of the avian flu, as well as the importance of public awareness in the ability to cope with a future outbreak.

A very compelling read:
This book reads like a work of fiction, but every word is fact. The story of the devastation of the 1918 Influenza Pandemic and the subsequent decades-long search for the virus that caused it will frighten even the most jaded among us. That this deadly virus could one day return and kill hundreds of millions makes most other potential disasters pale by comparison. Gina Kolata tells the story with skill. Everyone needs to read this book.

One of my favorite books ever:
I loved this book, couldn't put it down. I learned a lot, not only about the 1918 flu, but about the science of virus research. The writing is very fluid. Kolata is on my short list of must-read authors.

More than just a story of Spanish Influenza:
I bought this book looking for information about Spanish Flu for a novel I was writing. I had already read other books on the subject and this one was a relief to read. It wasn't dry like much non-fiction tends to be. It was an interesting read. Though it wasn't a narrative non-fiction, it was filled with stories that accented the numbers and the big picture Kolata created about epidemic flu. Though I wasn't so interested in the history of disease and death chapter, most of the other ones were good. I found the human trials interesting. I am also fascinated by the cyclical jumps the flu seems to make between man, swine and birds. If you are interested in the study of influenza in general, this is a great start.

Good and comprehensive, but hindered by boring writing:
Kolata's book is a good history of influenza in the 20th century, but her skills at gathering and organizing a tremendous mass of information are unfotunately counterbalanced by a rather monotonous writing style. Even dropping personal details about the subjects of the book doesn't make me feel like they're real "characters". So in terms of entertainment, this book isn't that great. As a graduate student, the real payoff for me is to see all the things I've been reading about for most of the last year - flu strains, scientists, agencies, experiments - put into context by a narrator. I've seen the names Taubenberger, Garcia-Sastre, Palese, et cetera, et cetera, more times than I want to, but this is the first time I've seen them as people and not just references for looking up stuff. As a budding scientist being forced to look up and read a lot of primary literature, it's easy to miss the forest for the trees. So - recommended for laypeople who want to know what the fuss about flu is all about, and also recommended for students as a reminder that "science is not done by textbooks".