Smallpox
Of all the diseases that humans have suffered throughout history, the biggest killer by far has been smallpox. It's believed that as many as half a billion people died from this disease in the twentieth century alone. Today, the disease no longer exists as a threat to civilization. Modern medicine has helped to wipe this disease off the face of the earth. It only exists frozen in laboratories. It is no longer a threat to daily life and the way we live. The road to eradication is an interesting one. As it spread throughout the world, it affected families, communities, and entire civilizations. It caused more deaths in the last hundred years than all the wars fought during that period combined. The disease knew no economic, political, geographic, or social boundaries. It touched the lives of the rich and the poor, kings and peasants, chauffeured presidents and ordinary pedestrians. This is the heartbreaking, tragic, but ultimately triumphant story of the diseases rise, spread, and eventual eradication. Even more compelling is this book's account of how society was shaped by the dread disease and the course of civilization permanently altered.
* Reviews *
Series Review: Epidemics and Society"These books are all high-interest/low-reading level which is very helpful when teachers are differentiating for reading levels in the classroom. The format in this series also lends itself nicely to group work as each book not only has information on the history of the disease, the disease itself, and the future of the disease, but also a Myth vs. Fact page, "10 Great Questions to ask a Doctor", and interesting facts about famous people associated with the disease...This series lends itself not only to science, but to social studies and language arts curriculum as well."
--VOYA Magazine
Series Review: Epidemics and Society
"For up to date information on epidemics that have plagued society for hundreds of years, this series will be most welcome...Short sentences and many pictures, photographs, and diagrams make these good for lower level readers and for differentiating instruction by providing current materials on a variety of reading levels...Schools needing current, low reading level materials would benefit from this series."
--Library Media Connection
