4.03

4

Apr 21, 2019

I'm glad Dr. Peter Hotez is pushing back on the anti-vaxxers. There aren't a lot of qualified people doing so.

The book covers his training as a physician and scientist, the rise and risk of the anti-vaccine movement, and personal stories about his beloved Rachel.

The writing could be smoother. The real strength is in the information: the complete lack of evidence to support the claim that vaccinations as a cause of autism, brain changes in ASD children begin before birth, the risk of an

I'm glad Dr. Peter Hotez is pushing back on the anti-vaxxers. There aren't a lot of qualified people doing so.

The book covers his training as a physician and scientist, the rise and risk of the anti-vaccine movement, and personal stories about his beloved Rachel.

The writing could be smoother. The real strength is in the information: the complete lack of evidence to support the claim that vaccinations as a cause of autism, brain changes in ASD children begin before birth, the risk of an unvaccinated portion of the population, to name a few. Lots of solid information and worth reading for Rachel's story.


Dr. Peter Hotez with his daughter Rachel from New York Post ...more

5

Feb 11, 2019

The title of this book is incredibly apt to the discussion. Direct. To the point. Unequivocal. And based on facts and science. This is an absolute must-read for people who want to engage in thoughtful, reasoned discussion regarding vaccines and (Autism Spectrum Disorder). This is NOT for people who want their information distilled to a meme or bumpersticker or social media post.

Dr. Hotez, an intellectually and scientifically curious person from an early age, earned not only a medical degree, The title of this book is incredibly apt to the discussion. Direct. To the point. Unequivocal. And based on facts and science. This is an absolute must-read for people who want to engage in thoughtful, reasoned discussion regarding vaccines and (Autism Spectrum Disorder). This is NOT for people who want their information distilled to a meme or bumpersticker or social media post.

Dr. Hotez, an intellectually and scientifically curious person from an early age, earned not only a medical degree, but a PhD and a career fighting diseases. And as important: He is the father of several (now adult) children, including Rachel, his autistic daughter.

The story splices together personal history and Rachel's history along with important science-based information from his field of study and life long work. Some of the criticism is that it is too scientific, while others wanted more information about his daughter, and others wanted more of his wife's perspectives. I thought he balanced them well.

I have a son, nearing adulthood, who is autistic. His is a voice I needed to hear, quietly discussing important things among the people shouting to no one in particular. Take care of your kids. Take care of your communities. Take care of our humanity. It can start with this book. I promise you. ...more

4

Oct 29, 2018

It's good to finally have a work that shows someone who has a family member with autism AND deals with vaccines.

Vaccines do not cause autism.

I would have appreciated hearing more from Ann about raising Rachel, especially since the burden of childcare and dealing with Rachel's autism fell on her. It would have been good to hear from Rachel too, but then she may have opted out of putting her point of view in the book and that's okay.

It was helpful showing how Rachel progressed and how she It's good to finally have a work that shows someone who has a family member with autism AND deals with vaccines.

Vaccines do not cause autism.

I would have appreciated hearing more from Ann about raising Rachel, especially since the burden of childcare and dealing with Rachel's autism fell on her. It would have been good to hear from Rachel too, but then she may have opted out of putting her point of view in the book and that's okay.

It was helpful showing how Rachel progressed and how she behaved along with the input from Ann who had noticed something was different with Rachel before the diagnosis of autism. Showing the struggles, battles, heartache, and the good was helpful in showing that those on the autism spectrum and their families have to deal and cope with behaviors from their loved ones without a lot of support especially as an autistic child becomes an adult. It was also helpful to show an autistic girl because autism in girls has increased in the last few decades. Having a face to put to the diagnosis rather than a meaningless phrase of paper will help many see the humanity of those with autism rather than a impersonal diagnosis.

It's genetic and has about a 1000 genes that affect the development of autism with only 65 genes currently identified. The genes that cause autism affect development in the womb, not caused by vaccines. Autistic behaviors start before certain vaccines are given, ones falsely accused of "causing" autism. People are born with autism, not infected with it. Those with autism are usually born with a larger head (macrocephaly), don't bond or don't bond well with parents, cry easily and can't be consoled as babies, start overdeveloping their brains starting at 6 months, may regress in development milestones or be slow to meet them and are usually diagnosed between 18-24 months.

We don't provide enough services and support for those with autism and families that have an autistic family member. Vaccines are safe. Let's put more effort into developing and funding support and services for those on the autism spectrum and their loved ones. That's what we really need more of. ...more

5

Feb 03, 2019

This is a MUST read for so many people (scientists, medical health professionals, public and global health workers, parents, etc etc). Dr. Hotez very clearly outlines the history of the anti-vaccine movement, along with the most current research proving unequivocally there is NO link between vaccines and autism. It is such a good read because he goes into detail about his own daughter, Rachel, who has autism along with many other mental health diagnoses. The book ends with talking points, great This is a MUST read for so many people (scientists, medical health professionals, public and global health workers, parents, etc etc). Dr. Hotez very clearly outlines the history of the anti-vaccine movement, along with the most current research proving unequivocally there is NO link between vaccines and autism. It is such a good read because he goes into detail about his own daughter, Rachel, who has autism along with many other mental health diagnoses. The book ends with talking points, great ways to stimulate the conversation and show there is no good evidence between autism and vaccines. And furthermore, how it is becoming a public health crisis that vaccine coverage is dropping to a dangerously low level. ...more

2

May 15, 2019

I 100% agree with the author’s conclusions and I appreciate the fact that this is written from the perspective of a vaccine scientist who also has an autistic daughter but man, this is an awful book. (And frankly, once I understood that his daughter was autistic and got the gist of what that looks like for her and how hard it is to parent her, I skimmed everything else about her. It’s too much information.)

It reads like a very long term paper; many of the sections actually sound like (and I 100% agree with the author’s conclusions and I appreciate the fact that this is written from the perspective of a vaccine scientist who also has an autistic daughter but man, this is an awful book. (And frankly, once I understood that his daughter was autistic and got the gist of what that looks like for her and how hard it is to parent her, I skimmed everything else about her. It’s too much information.)

It reads like a very long term paper; many of the sections actually sound like (and possibly are) abstracts directly copied from studies. Consequently, it isn’t understandable to the average reader or parent, like me. Lots of medical jargon and acronyms, not all of which is explained. Example: “As part of the evaluation she underwent an EEG (electroencephalogram) that revealed an interesting finding of some right-sided temporal lobe spike discharges, for which she received tegretol for a time, possibly with some improvement (p.46.” Huh? What does any of that mean? Why is that interesting? What is the medicine? What did it do? What improvement? No clue. Never explained. That’s just one of many such instances throughout the book.

So unfortunate. A book like this is definitely needed to refute the anti-vaccination arguments floating around but it needs to be done in a way that is more accessible to the layperson. ...more

5

Apr 30, 2019

I really enjoyed reading this book. Peter Hotez found a great balance between personal experience and hard scientific facts. It is amazing how extremely polarised this topic is and to be honest I understand why parents are so scared to give their children vaccines. If I would not understand much about science and would constantly be confronted by apparent negative outcomes of vaccines I would also be hesitant to inject this "poison" into my own child. I also got that impression from him whilst I really enjoyed reading this book. Peter Hotez found a great balance between personal experience and hard scientific facts. It is amazing how extremely polarised this topic is and to be honest I understand why parents are so scared to give their children vaccines. If I would not understand much about science and would constantly be confronted by apparent negative outcomes of vaccines I would also be hesitant to inject this "poison" into my own child. I also got that impression from him whilst reading the book.

The main reason why I give this book 5 stars is because he managed to simplify the issue and the hard facts for anyone to understand. I really salute him for taking the time to write this book and push for the message that there is no scientifically proven link between vaccines and autism.

Furthermore he didn't just talk about the negatives but also about solutions that can help this epidemic of false information spreading. I recommend this book to anyone who is generally interested in the history of vaccines and especially to couples looking into having children or parents facing the decision of vaccinating their children. ...more

4

Apr 29, 2019

The best chapter was the one on the scientific findings of what does cause autism (not vaccines) and how the structure of autistic brains develop.
I was less interested in the biographical details.

5

May 04, 2019

Clear, concise, and well-written, from the perspective of a highly trained scientist AND the father of a child with autism.

5

May 07, 2019

Lots of great information. I did not know most of the concerns and arguments against vaccinations until reading this book juxtaposed with the scientific evidence that refuted each concern.
When we know definitively the cause and cure of autism, this book will seem really ridiculously.
Aside from the book itself, narration by PJ Ochlan was hard to get through. Robot reading is bad and I’d say that Ochlan reads a bit better than that.

4

Mar 09, 2019

This book has three main themes - Dr. Hotez's and his wife's struggles raising an autistic child, Hotez's career in fighting pediatric infectious diseases and the science refuting an autism-vaccine connection.

His account of his daughter's upbringing is what brings the book to life, along with the reminder that physicians and researchers working with vaccines often have parental concerns of their own and a personal stake in assuring that their children are healthy and protected from dangerous This book has three main themes - Dr. Hotez's and his wife's struggles raising an autistic child, Hotez's career in fighting pediatric infectious diseases and the science refuting an autism-vaccine connection.

His account of his daughter's upbringing is what brings the book to life, along with the reminder that physicians and researchers working with vaccines often have parental concerns of their own and a personal stake in assuring that their children are healthy and protected from dangerous infectious diseases.

The writing could have been a little smoother in transitioning between topics and I did not find the autobiographical details all that interesting, but overall this is a very worthwhile read. ...more

5

Mar 03, 2019

Brilliant

Great easy to read informative book. It explains the argument for vaccination well and why there is no link between vaccines and autism, but also gives good information on the causes of autism as well.
A persuasive book by a truly committed doctor with a personal interest.
It has given me a good place to start to reason with my patients who are anti-vax.
I wish Dr Hires and his incredible family all the best.

5

Jan 23, 2019

This book is very well written with plentiful sources and addresses why the author, a scientist (who develops vaccines) and a pediatrician, belives that vaccines (especially MMR) do not cause autism. Part of what makes his writing worthwhile is that not only does he develop vaccines but his daughter is autistic. It is brief and to the point and gives you a good detailed explanation why autism is not caused by vaccines.

4

Feb 03, 2019

This book has important information: Anti-vaccine beliefs (and they are beliefs -- not science) are damaging families. Autism is an important problem, too, but it is unrelated.
Now, we should start talking about how to help people build creative, fulfilling and safe lives for everyone, including people for whom it will never be easy.

5

Dec 24, 2018

Very nice recap for a lay audience of the relevant literature showing there is no link between vaccines and autism. I appreciated learning about his personal experiences as a father of a child with autism. Will be using this book as a teaching tool in my college microbiology classes.

5

Mar 24, 2019

Absolutely amazing and well written...

Most anti vaccination supporters are flat earthers also...in my opinion.

5

Feb 15, 2019

Very informative

I hope that expecting parents and parents of young children will read this book and make an informative decision about whether or not to vaccinate their children.

1

Nov 26, 2018

This book has cemented my want to be child free. It's frustrating and depressing to hear how Peter has to struggle with Rachel.

4

Dec 17, 2018

As Dr. Hotez says at the beginning, this book is very different than books by Mnookin or Offit. For sure a personal take - although some personal details and thoughts seem disconnected -- with science sprinkled throughout.

An important addition to Mnookin and Offit, as it seems the personal stories on the anti-vaccine side are lacking compared to those on the pro-vaccine side. That said, readers looking for a more academic evaluation of the topic will probably be disappointed (as this doesn't As Dr. Hotez says at the beginning, this book is very different than books by Mnookin or Offit. For sure a personal take - although some personal details and thoughts seem disconnected -- with science sprinkled throughout.

An important addition to Mnookin and Offit, as it seems the personal stories on the anti-vaccine side are lacking compared to those on the pro-vaccine side. That said, readers looking for a more academic evaluation of the topic will probably be disappointed (as this doesn't appear to be the goal of Hotez's book) and should look to The Panic Virus first, with this as a good companion to that piece. ...more

4

May 11, 2019

I thought the book was very good but I got it on audible and the narrator was HORRIBLE. It was extremely difficult to listen to but I persisted because I really wanted the information. Now that I’m finished though, I’m not sure I could carry out an educated conversation about vaccines and autism. It was dense with information and I’m not sure if I didn’t retain it well because of the horrible voice or if it was too science-y for me. Overall I understood everything he said and I think he more I thought the book was very good but I got it on audible and the narrator was HORRIBLE. It was extremely difficult to listen to but I persisted because I really wanted the information. Now that I’m finished though, I’m not sure I could carry out an educated conversation about vaccines and autism. It was dense with information and I’m not sure if I didn’t retain it well because of the horrible voice or if it was too science-y for me. Overall I understood everything he said and I think he more than proved his point. ...more

4

Mar 15, 2019

This book was not meant for me, because I believe in vaccines and science. This book is good for the people who are on the fence, or questioning.

I heard the author on a podcast and he was eloquent and interesting and I immediately ordered his book. The book goes into the details of vaccines (without going too over your head), the travesty of the Wakefield faux-science that started this whole debacle and how vaccines do not cause autism according to all the scientific research.

Why this book is This book was not meant for me, because I believe in vaccines and science. This book is good for the people who are on the fence, or questioning.

I heard the author on a podcast and he was eloquent and interesting and I immediately ordered his book. The book goes into the details of vaccines (without going too over your head), the travesty of the Wakefield faux-science that started this whole debacle and how vaccines do not cause autism according to all the scientific research.

Why this book is different is because the author has an adult daughter who is autistic. He is also a vaccine scientist and a doctor. So he comes to the conversation with the science, the experience and background. ...more

0

Feb 04, 2019

This is an important book, and I commend Dr. Hotez for his courage in sharing his family’s struggles with a disabled child (now an adult) to spread the word that vaccines are safe. Vaccines save lives. Vaccines do not cause autism. The latest measles outbreak in WA shows how dangerous the anti-vaccine movement is, how pervasive, and we need more strong, credible voices filling the silent void where anti-vaccination people make a lot of noise. What’s made abundantly clear in Dr. Hotez’s book is This is an important book, and I commend Dr. Hotez for his courage in sharing his family’s struggles with a disabled child (now an adult) to spread the word that vaccines are safe. Vaccines save lives. Vaccines do not cause autism. The latest measles outbreak in WA shows how dangerous the anti-vaccine movement is, how pervasive, and we need more strong, credible voices filling the silent void where anti-vaccination people make a lot of noise. What’s made abundantly clear in Dr. Hotez’s book is how difficult it is for families living with ASD, and how the energy and money spent refuting the false vaccine claim has taken away from ways to help people.

All that said, I was disappointed by the writing and editing of this book. I did not care for the writing style, despite the interesting history of vaccines and compelling family story, and I wanted to hear more from Ann and Rachel. ...more

5

Mar 09, 2019

This was clearly written and explained a lot. I already believe that children should be vaccinated against diseases, but perhaps this will help undecided parents or guardians decide that not vaccinating their children endangers the children's health and the health of those around them. The facts are there, in this book and elsewhere.

This was also an interesting look at a sort of autism that is said to be more common in girls than boys. And, when the girls grow up, women. Dr. Hotez' daughter This was clearly written and explained a lot. I already believe that children should be vaccinated against diseases, but perhaps this will help undecided parents or guardians decide that not vaccinating their children endangers the children's health and the health of those around them. The facts are there, in this book and elsewhere.

This was also an interesting look at a sort of autism that is said to be more common in girls than boys. And, when the girls grow up, women. Dr. Hotez' daughter Rachel was diagnosed as having a pervasive developmental disability as a toddler, and has intellectual disabilities, but after some time of having a speech delay, she became highly verbal. Rachel has great trouble with math, though.

Rachel would run away and hide from her parents when she was little. Of course this alarmed her parents. The account about how she'd run away and hide under racks of clothes in department stores seems like it would be a way to cope with sensory overload. At least for a respite from having a crowd of people around, hiding in the ladies' room also seems like a way to cope, though not a productive one.

Dr. Hotez is clear about how hard it was for him and his wife Ann to raise Rachel, and how they worry about whether she'll ever be able to hold down a job as of the time of his writing. This book was published in 2018. Rachel was 24 or 25 then. I believe that more time should be devoted to giving parents respite, and helping autistic individuals find jobs, and having a support network for parents and their autistic children, including the adult children. Those autistic children do grow up.

I liked that concept of "science tikkun," spun off of the "tikkun olam" concept of healing the world. Although Dr. Hotez says that there are reasons that scientists don't necessarily have much interaction with the general public, he believes that having more dialogue between reputable scientists and the general public would be very educational for the public. ...more

5

Feb 24, 2019

Full disclosure: I have met Dr. Hotez, had him sign my copy of his book and have attended as many of his lectures here in Houston as possible.

While I found his book echoes many of the points he makes in his talks---the sections about his daughter, Rachel, were heart-wrenching. Those anecdotes should be enough to convince skeptics that Dr. Hotez would never lightly dismiss their own struggles with children with special needs. A loving father such as Dr. Hotez would never pursue medical research Full disclosure: I have met Dr. Hotez, had him sign my copy of his book and have attended as many of his lectures here in Houston as possible.

While I found his book echoes many of the points he makes in his talks---the sections about his daughter, Rachel, were heart-wrenching. Those anecdotes should be enough to convince skeptics that Dr. Hotez would never lightly dismiss their own struggles with children with special needs. A loving father such as Dr. Hotez would never pursue medical research that might in any way have harmed his daughter---yet, some will still believe this might be so. It's hard to imagine that anyone would think this way, but then again, there are some people very strong in their opposition to vaccinations.

Part of the problem might be that Dr. Hotez’s writing wasn't willing to sensationalize claims about the harms that non-vaccination can incur---unlike many on the other side of this argument. And the other problem is that the medical community has not figured out how to talk to the general public. Having worked in medical video production, it was always an ongoing issue as to how to present patient education to have people understand and take ownership of their own health. So, one of the main issues that I read in other reviews about Dr. Hotez's communication style is one that is wrestled with every day in patient education circles.

I thought Dr. Hotez's points were well-made and his description of his family's challenges was also very poignant. I do wish he might have gone into more of the viewpoint of those of us who have worked in the TX Med Center. When I worked at MD Anderson, it was unthinkable to be the one that might infect a cancer patient at the nadir of their chemotherapy regimen when their immunity was the lowest. When I transferred over to the UT Medical school, I met organ transplant patients were also extremely vulnerable to infections. Therefore, while there is no medical procedure (including vaccinations) that does not have potential side effects---those risks were well-worth taking, just to be reassured that the most vulnerable patients around us every day would not be harmed.

Then when I worked around an ER--vaccination became more of self-defense as there was no way to know what might be coming through the door as far as infections. In an ER, there will always be the possibility of being exposed to diseases for which no vaccines exist---so just lessening the possibility of vaccine-preventable diseases by being current on our immunization schedules made working there easier.

Yet, I've never been able to convince my vaccine-hesitant friends based on my experiences and unfortunately, Dr. Hotez's book which is a mixture of heartfelt family struggles combined with vaccine science might not either. But it's an important first step on the long journey ahead to start the conversation and change public health.

Thank you, Dr. Hotez. ...more

4

Jun 13, 2019

Listened to this book of history of disease, science of vaccines, explanation and theory of autism causes and call to action for both parents making vaccine decisions, law makers debating policy and scientists researching to know the facts and speak the truth unashamedly. There were times it felt repetitive, and yet I really appreciated the personal view of a parent living the autism life.

I especially appreciated the last few chapters which simply summarize the issues and include talking points Listened to this book of history of disease, science of vaccines, explanation and theory of autism causes and call to action for both parents making vaccine decisions, law makers debating policy and scientists researching to know the facts and speak the truth unashamedly. There were times it felt repetitive, and yet I really appreciated the personal view of a parent living the autism life.

I especially appreciated the last few chapters which simply summarize the issues and include talking points for healthcare providers ...more

5

Jul 21, 2019

I have an adolescent son with autism, and I believe without a doubt that vaccines have nothing to do with autism. I'd been waiting for Dr Hotez' book to make an appearance at our local library and when it finally arrived, I grabbed it. His writing is a bit dry; it's obvious he's used to writing for academia, and more than once I had to Google some medical/scientific terms, but I appreciated his facts and his talking points re: the reasons people cite for believing that vaccines cause autism. I have an adolescent son with autism, and I believe without a doubt that vaccines have nothing to do with autism. I'd been waiting for Dr Hotez' book to make an appearance at our local library and when it finally arrived, I grabbed it. His writing is a bit dry; it's obvious he's used to writing for academia, and more than once I had to Google some medical/scientific terms, but I appreciated his facts and his talking points re: the reasons people cite for believing that vaccines cause autism. Unfortunately I suspect that the book will not change the minds of anyone who has committed to the idea that vaccines cause autism, but hopefully it will become a source of information for people who are wondering what to believe.

It was at the end of the book when I fully realized that Dr Hotez absolutely gets what this issue is costing families with autism: "the absence of support services for adults with ASD is one of the reasons I became angry with the anti-vaccine lobby. They deplete a lot of oxygen from the room to the point where elected leaders...could easily lose track of what families with ASD children really need- special services in school and after school, job placements and programs for adults- in order to focus on vaccines. I partly blame the anti-vaccine movement in America for why there are so few resources for adults and children with ASD......as it stands now, regarding Rachel, Ann and I are largely on our own". As he told the story of his daughter and his family, I found myself so often nodding my head, thinking, that's exactly what it's like, especially when young adults with ASD age out of the public school system. Dr. Hotez and I both live in Texas, and my own son has been on what is called an "interest list" for medicaid-waiver services since 2009. The resources are few, and stretched. I have personally witnessed how the vaccine "controversy" has taken over autism related issues to the point where, like Dr. Hotez, our family realized that we were pretty much on our own. It is unfortunate, because autism interest groups could be a potent force for real, meaningful change especially as children with autism become adults with autism and need job coaching, help with finding housing, navigating through the complexities of what passes for a safety net in this state and country, and so much else. ...more