3.54/5
Author: Arthur Allen
Publication Date: May 17, 2008
Formats: PDF,Paperback,Hardcover
Rating: 3.54/5 out of 277
Publisher: W. W. Norton
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"A timely, fair-minded and crisply written
account."―New York Times Book
Review
Nov 29, 2009
This book was at different times: boring, informative, interesting and confusing. Certain chapters focused on science, others on public health & science policy, and others on the drawbacks of the ease of communication made by the internet.Feb 14, 2010
I deliberately started my vaccine research with this book - this is a history of vaccines from the times of Jenner and variolation to George Bush being vaccinated for now non-existent smallpox on TV to demonstrate his belief in the threat of bio-terrorism. I expected for this book to be as neutral as possible for a text on a controversial subject. As a parent to be, I am trying to go into the issue with an open mind - it is after all about the safety of my child, not which political group I I deliberately started my vaccine research with this book - this is a history of vaccines from the times of Jenner and variolation to George Bush being vaccinated for now non-existent smallpox on TV to demonstrate his belief in the threat of bio-terrorism. I expected for this book to be as neutral as possible for a text on a controversial subject. As a parent to be, I am trying to go into the issue with an open mind - it is after all about the safety of my child, not which political group I happen to identify with the most. On this particular criterion of neutrality, however, Allen does not quite measure up. For instance, after describing numerous confirmed cases of vaccine injuries, he would still refer to vaccines as "completely safe" or "entirely safe" without providing any justification for his logic. As a reasonable human being, I understand that both diseases and vaccines come with risks. What scares me is the denial or belittling of risks which leaves me in no position to compare them intelligently.Jul 21, 2011
Gah! I don't give a toss about how this or that researcher look like or how he's driven his wife mad to the point that she's comitted suicide!Mar 09, 2012
When I finished Vaccine, it seemed like I’d been reading it for months. In fact, I had been-this book took me forever and a day to finish and if it weren’t my intense fascination with the subject material, I don’t know if I would have made it through. That’s not necessarily a dig at the book, but many parts of it were definitely more exhaustive than I was looking for at the moment. It’s apparent that Arthur Allen spent a great amount of time and effort writing this book and although it’s more of When I finished Vaccine, it seemed like I’d been reading it for months. In fact, I had been-this book took me forever and a day to finish and if it weren’t my intense fascination with the subject material, I don’t know if I would have made it through. That’s not necessarily a dig at the book, but many parts of it were definitely more exhaustive than I was looking for at the moment. It’s apparent that Arthur Allen spent a great amount of time and effort writing this book and although it’s more of a popular narrative history, it’s also much more in-depth and occasionally dry than many other history books intended for a general audience.May 18, 2008
I was told to read this book by a professor whose current research is focused around creating a vaccine against tropical helminth disease. I'm preparing to join her research team in the fall so she wanted me to read this book in order to get an introduction on the history and controversies surrounding vaccines. While this book is probably a brief summary of the history of vaccines, I found it a little tedious to get through. The author did a great job explaining certain controversies but I feel I was told to read this book by a professor whose current research is focused around creating a vaccine against tropical helminth disease. I'm preparing to join her research team in the fall so she wanted me to read this book in order to get an introduction on the history and controversies surrounding vaccines. While this book is probably a brief summary of the history of vaccines, I found it a little tedious to get through. The author did a great job explaining certain controversies but I feel as though it went a little too far in depth about vaccine legislation is some places. However, I did learn a lot and found the majority of the book to be interesting! ...moreJun 25, 2008
An intriguing history of the controversy over vaccines--from smallpox to modern day. A fast read for non-fiction, but I would still recommend going straight the chapters on modern day controversies over the benefits vs. the risks of vaccination, the speculation about autism and vaccination, and the most recent attempts to mass vaccinate the US.Feb 27, 2008
Great insight into the pros/cons of public health requirements on the communityAug 22, 2008
definitely read if you are a science nerd or are interested in some of the history behind vaccinationsDec 07, 2008
The history of vaccination in the the western world has displayed the driving force in medical advancements as mans' fight against disease and at times the not so noble intentions that back it.May 13, 2014
This was an excellent book for presenting the long history of vaccine development and controversy. It is probably the most comprehensive book I've read on the subject, covering everything from the mishaps with early polio vaccines to the internal politics of vaccine development. It serves as the background for Seth Mnookins book "The Panic Virus" which picks up where Arthur Allen left off. I definitely recommend Mnookin's book as a follow-up, although the first few chapters seem to come straight This was an excellent book for presenting the long history of vaccine development and controversy. It is probably the most comprehensive book I've read on the subject, covering everything from the mishaps with early polio vaccines to the internal politics of vaccine development. It serves as the background for Seth Mnookins book "The Panic Virus" which picks up where Arthur Allen left off. I definitely recommend Mnookin's book as a follow-up, although the first few chapters seem to come straight from Arthur Miller's book. ...moreJul 25, 2009
Interesting, well-researched, and balanced history of the development of vaccines and the controversies surrounding them. The book was very informative and thought-provoking, I would definitely recommend it!Feb 07, 2015
This book depicts the complex history of Vaccines in the USA. It is an objective and neutral, a great source of reliable information. I recommend it to anyone curious about vaccines and their history.Aug 30, 2011
I'll say straight up that his position (pro vaccine) is clear and that with me he's preaching to the choir.Jan 28, 2010
I really enjoyed this book. Fanstastic balance of history, research, and willingness to identify gray areas of science. This is informative and lacks the conspiracy theories that domniate this topic in the media.Sep 24, 2008
This is an interesting book about what I consider to be one of our great modern miracles, but I just don't have time for an in-depth nonfiction book right now. I learned of this book through reading an article by the author in a recent issue of Mother Jones.Feb 22, 2009
Great overview of how vaccines came to be. Did you know, for instance, that the word vaccine comes from the Latin vacca, because the first vaccine came from scraping cowpox virus off of cow udders and then using the pus to innoculate people against smallpox? If you want to know more fascinating and disgusting facts to use at cocktail parties, this is the book for you.Feb 02, 2010
Covers this complex topic thoroughly and quite objectively. Not a fast read but the slower sections give the scientific and policy history so that current issues can be understood. A more balanced journalistic approach that is a good comapanion to more inflammatory treatments from all sides of the public health debate.Feb 03, 2011
Vaccine is a well-researched history of both sides of the vaccine wars, where proponents are motivated by fear of disease, and the opponents by fear of the vaccines themselves. Beginning with 18th century work on smallpox vaccines by Cotton Mather and Edward Jenner, it chronicles the 20th century successes with vaccines for polio and other diseases, and concludes with some discussion of the current debate about vaccines.Nov 15, 2012
A very informative and honest book about the history of vaccine development, the impact vaccines had on modern medicine & life expectancies, and a look at the current controversies. I can also say it was inspiring: after reading the chapter "People Who Prefer Whooping Cough", I was inspired to get my overdue tetanus & diptheria vaccination & made sure I got the version that also included pertussis (TDaP). Good timing to, seeing as how this year saw a huge spike in the number of A very informative and honest book about the history of vaccine development, the impact vaccines had on modern medicine & life expectancies, and a look at the current controversies. I can also say it was inspiring: after reading the chapter "People Who Prefer Whooping Cough", I was inspired to get my overdue tetanus & diptheria vaccination & made sure I got the version that also included pertussis (TDaP). Good timing to, seeing as how this year saw a huge spike in the number of pertussis/whooping cough cases... ...moreFeb 20, 2011
This book provides a great history of vaccine from its inception. You'll not find this book impartial, but I would call it informative. Unlike many books about vaccination, I appreciated that this author cites references throughout each chapter!!! IT was a pleasure to be able to look up the information that he used in his book.Jan 14, 2012
Highly intriguing read! From the initial work of Jenner and variolation to the contemporary (unfounded) controversy surrounding autism, Allen takes an honest look at the History of Vaccination.Sep 11, 2014
Immunization like all other medical practices has evolved over the past two centuries based upon the works of many of the pioneers like Pasteur,Jenner and others .These practices evolved mainly as a result of many bold trial and error methods.These methods when compared to present day practices were rather crude and certainly far from immunization standards of today.This book is certainly helpful for all those who think that immunization like all other medical practices has to be followed Immunization like all other medical practices has evolved over the past two centuries based upon the works of many of the pioneers like Pasteur,Jenner and others .These practices evolved mainly as a result of many bold trial and error methods.These methods when compared to present day practices were rather crude and certainly far from immunization standards of today.This book is certainly helpful for all those who think that immunization like all other medical practices has to be followed blindly.After reading this book i as a medico have started to think the utility of some vaccines and their dose schedules (eg ,hepatitis 0 dose) . ...moreSep 05, 2015
I had to read this for a course I'm teaching on bioethics and epidemics. It's a good book and an interesting story, but it could have been more. At times, there's more attention to the what happened when than to what the events meant, and to how they fit together. His best section is his portrait of Neal Halsey, debating what to do about thimerosal in vaccines - a crisis in what should have been an issue that could have been resolved more slowly. Nevertheless, it's a book that's still worthwhile I had to read this for a course I'm teaching on bioethics and epidemics. It's a good book and an interesting story, but it could have been more. At times, there's more attention to the what happened when than to what the events meant, and to how they fit together. His best section is his portrait of Neal Halsey, debating what to do about thimerosal in vaccines - a crisis in what should have been an issue that could have been resolved more slowly. Nevertheless, it's a book that's still worthwhile for those interested in vaccination and the public policy side of making people accept an immunization they don't want. It strives to be balanced, which may mean it leans a little too far to being polite about people willing to accept wild theories as science. He presents the theories and lets you judge. When people claim mercury is the reason vaccines cause autism, and then cite a series of vaccines their child received, none of which had any mercury, the point of the storytelling is still pretty clear. Recommended if the topic interests you; not a necessary book otherwise. ...moreFeb 03, 2015
If you want to read a 400-page New Yorker article, this is the book. It was fascinating and mind numbing due to the sheer amount of information. I learned things such as more WWI soldiers died from preventable infections than the war itself. George Bush was instrumental in not only the war on terror and fear mongering, but at the same time the possibility of bio-terrorism. If he got all the vaccines in 2002 that Saddam did not use against us, why didn't the rest of America's citizens get the If you want to read a 400-page New Yorker article, this is the book. It was fascinating and mind numbing due to the sheer amount of information. I learned things such as more WWI soldiers died from preventable infections than the war itself. George Bush was instrumental in not only the war on terror and fear mongering, but at the same time the possibility of bio-terrorism. If he got all the vaccines in 2002 that Saddam did not use against us, why didn't the rest of America's citizens get the same vaccines?Feb 29, 2016
Walking past the book shelf that we have in our office, I stumbled upon a book that seemed kind of dull at first due to the blank cover and large thickness it showed. Who would have known I was in for a surprise? The book Vaccine is really well written by Arthur Allen and he describes the pros and cons of vaccines in a perspective which is far greater than what I had settled for previously. Allen does this in such a way that properly convinces the reader to ultimately choose between the risk of Walking past the book shelf that we have in our office, I stumbled upon a book that seemed kind of dull at first due to the blank cover and large thickness it showed. Who would have known I was in for a surprise? The book Vaccine is really well written by Arthur Allen and he describes the pros and cons of vaccines in a perspective which is far greater than what I had settled for previously. Allen does this in such a way that properly convinces the reader to ultimately choose between the risk of receiving a vaccine, and it compares it with the benefits of being vaccinated.Take your time and choose the perfect book.
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