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The ghost map : the story of London's most terrifying epidemic--and how it changed science, cities, and the modern world / Steven Johnson.

By: Material type: TextTextPublication details: New York : Riverhead Books, 2006.Description: 299 p. : ill., maps ; 24 cmISBN:
  • 1594489254
  • 9781594489259
Subject(s):
Contents:
Preface -- Monday, August 28 : the night-soil men -- Saturday, September 2 : eyes sunk, lips dark blue -- Sunday, September 3 : the investigator -- Monday, September 4 : that is to say, Jo has not yet died -- Tuesday, September 5 : all smell is disease -- Wednesday, September 6 : building the case -- Friday, September 8 : the pump handle -- Conclusion : the ghost map -- Epilogue : Broad Street revisited -- Author's note -- Acknowledgments -- Appendix : notes on further reading -- Notes -- Bibliography -- Index.
Summary: "An account of the worst cholera outbreak in Victorian London--and an exploration of how Dr. John Snow's solution revolutionized the way we think about disease in cities. In the summer of 1854, a devastating cholera outbreak seized London just as it was emerging as a modern city: more than 2 million people packed into a ten-mile circumference, a hub of travel and commerce, continually pushing the limits of infrastructure that's outdated as soon as it's updated. Author Johnson chronicles Snow's day-by-day efforts as he risked his own life to prove how the epidemic was being spread. When he created the map that traced the pattern of outbreak back to its source, Dr. Snow didn't just solve a pressing medical riddle--he established a precedent for the way modern city-dwellers, city planners, physicians, and public officials think about the spread of disease and the development of the modern urban environment.--From publisher description."--From source other than the Library of Congress
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Holdings
Item type Home library Collection Call number Materials specified Status Date due Barcode Item holds
Adult Book Adult Book Main Library NonFiction 614.21 J69 Available 33111005116971
Total holds: 0

Enhanced descriptions from Syndetics:

A thrilling account of the worst cholera outbreak in Victorian London and a brilliant exploration of how Dr John Snow's solution revolutionised the way people think about disease, cities, science and the modern world. This is an endlessly fascinating and compelling account of the summer of 1854, from the microbial level to the macro-urban-theory level, including, most importantly, the human level. A cultural critic with a poet's soul.' - The Village Voice'

Includes bibliographical references (p. [285]-290) and index.

Preface -- Monday, August 28 : the night-soil men -- Saturday, September 2 : eyes sunk, lips dark blue -- Sunday, September 3 : the investigator -- Monday, September 4 : that is to say, Jo has not yet died -- Tuesday, September 5 : all smell is disease -- Wednesday, September 6 : building the case -- Friday, September 8 : the pump handle -- Conclusion : the ghost map -- Epilogue : Broad Street revisited -- Author's note -- Acknowledgments -- Appendix : notes on further reading -- Notes -- Bibliography -- Index.

"An account of the worst cholera outbreak in Victorian London--and an exploration of how Dr. John Snow's solution revolutionized the way we think about disease in cities. In the summer of 1854, a devastating cholera outbreak seized London just as it was emerging as a modern city: more than 2 million people packed into a ten-mile circumference, a hub of travel and commerce, continually pushing the limits of infrastructure that's outdated as soon as it's updated. Author Johnson chronicles Snow's day-by-day efforts as he risked his own life to prove how the epidemic was being spread. When he created the map that traced the pattern of outbreak back to its source, Dr. Snow didn't just solve a pressing medical riddle--he established a precedent for the way modern city-dwellers, city planners, physicians, and public officials think about the spread of disease and the development of the modern urban environment.--From publisher description."--From source other than the Library of Congress

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