Deadly Companions: How Microbes Shaped our HistoryOxford University Press, 2018 M02 9 - 287 pages Ever since we started huddling together in communities, the story of human history has been inextricably entwined with the story of microbes. They have evolved and spread amongst us, shaping our culture through infection, disease, and pandemic. At the same time, our changing human culture has itself influenced the evolutionary path of microbes. Dorothy H. Crawford here shows that one cannot be truly understood without the other. Beginning with a dramatic account of the SARS pandemic at the start of the 21st century, she takes us back in time to follow the interlinked history of microbes and man, taking an up-to-date look at ancient plagues and epidemics, and identifying key changes in the way humans have lived - such as our move from hunter-gatherer to farmer to city-dweller — which made us vulnerable to microbe attack. Showing how we live our lives today — with increasing crowding and air travel — puts us once again at risk, Crawford asks whether we might ever conquer microbes completely, or whether we need to take a more microbe-centric view of the world. Among the possible answers, one thing becomes clear: that for generations to come, our deadly companions will continue to shape human history. Oxford Landmark Science books are 'must-read' classics of modern science writing which have crystallized big ideas, and shaped the way we think. |
Contents
1 | |
1 How It All Began | 9 |
2 Our Microbial Inheritance | 29 |
3 Microbes Jump Species | 54 |
4 Crowds Filth and Poverty | 82 |
5 Microbes Go Global | 112 |
6 Famine and Devastation | 139 |
7 Deadly Companions Revealed | 161 |
Other editions - View all
Common terms and phrases
Africa America ancestors ancient animal antibiotic Antonine plague areas attack aVected bacteria bacterium Black Death blight blood brucei bubonic plague caused cells cent century chain of infection chapter cities cycle devastating died diVerent doctor drugs early emerged epidemic Europe eVect evolution evolved eYcient falciparum farming fever virus genes genetic genome global Hong Kong host hunter-gatherer hunter-gatherer bands immune system infect humans inoculation invade Irish isolated jumped killed killer lethal living malaria malaria parasite measles microbes million molecular mosquito mutation Native Americans outbreak oVspring pandemic parasite pathogenic penicillin pestis phage plague of Athens population potato probably produce protein prowazekii resistance rodents SARS schistosomiasis skin sleeping sickness smallpox species spread strains survive susceptible suVerers syphilis trypanosome tuberculosis typhoid typhus vaccine vector Vibrio cholerae victims virulent viruses vivax wild Wnally Wnding Wrst Xeas Xourish yellow fever