Pox Americana Book Review Essay

3. What are the best parts of this book? Why? What are the worst parts of this book? Why? Give details with page numbers from the book to explain.

     While reading this book I found myself making notes on how I disagree with certain topics but I didn’t realize until I was about half way through that there were many good points made. Some of the good points I did notice can be found in every chapter

Personally, I did not enjoy the book. It didn't get all that interesting until the last couple of chapters. Before that, it spewed facts in my face and lacked an intriguing plot. I learned a lot from this book, but You would be better off reading a science journal, magazine, or website. Otherwise, it was an okay book.

1. Discuss your views on this book. Did you enjoy this book or would you have wanted to read another book? Give at least 3 reasons why or why not.

The book is primarily an account of the Smallpox Eradication Program (1967–80), the ongoing perception by the U.S. government that smallpox is still a potential bioterrorism agent, and the controversy over whether or not the remaining samples of smallpox virus in Atlanta and Moscow (the “demon” in the freezer) should be finally destroyed.

In her book, Pox Americana, Elizabeth A. Fenn takes on the challenge of writing about a little-known topic with large gaps in the existing research. Fenn states in the foreword that the previous research about smallpox focused on specific locations, "often with vague but tantalizing references to a larger background pandemic." I commend Fenn on her attempt to write about that large epidemic and I think that she successfully combined the facts and figures that spanned an entire hemisphere into her book.

I did actually really like this book. I was not sure if I was going to enjoy it when the project was first assigned, but after reading for a while, I became really interested

The history of the United States began with Virginia and Massachusetts; their histories begin with epidemics of unidentified diseases. Smallpox was the worst and the most amusing diseases that were out. Smallpox were just killing down all the Native Americans, they didn’t know what to do with it all. The epidemic destroyed half of the Cherokee in 1738, in 1759 almost half of the Catawba’s, in the first years of the next century two-thirds of the Omaha’s and perhaps half of the population between the Missouri River and New Mexico.

When Captain Pánfilo de Narváez landed, there was a slave on his ship who was stricken with smallpox, a disease which has never been seen before (Motolinía’s History of the Indians of New Spain). Smallpox had an immense effect on Latin America during the 16th century. Smallpox began its attack in New Spain, where there was a large population of Indians. Throughout the land, in most provinces more than half the population perished. According to the map provided, smallpox affected the Native American peoples from Central America, stretching all the way down to South America. Smallpox affected social order in Latin America. Although the disease spread throughout Latin America by the people themselves, they believed it was caused by supernatural forces. They also blamed animals for the breakout. They killed as many fish as they could, to prevent the disease from spreading any

The transmission of the smallpox was yet another unavoidable disease that was constantly contracted. “The Negroes are so incident to the smallpox that few ships that carry them escape without it.” (Document B) “pain in the head, back, shivering, vomiting, fever, etc.” (Document B) Due to the small living conditions, diseases, such as the Smallpox, were easily transmitted and passed throughout the

Smallpox was most commonly brought to America during the eighteenth century by English immigrants or recently

In a letter to Patrick Henry in 1777, George Washington wrote of Small Pox “I know that it is more destructive to an army in the natural way than the sword”. At times the most minute things have the most immense impact on our lives, such was the smallpox Epidemic of 1775. It is not known how or where the outbreak began, but by 1775 it was raging through Boston. The devastation of Smallpox during 1775 played a key role in the outcome of the revolutionary war and in shaping modern medicine and how we handle diseases. But these medical advances didn't come without terrible sacrifice. Nearly 30% of people living in the Americas or 130,658 would succumb to smallpox. The death rate of Variola Major, which is the common form

The problem in researching such a novel is that there is very little criticism. One cannot rely on book reviews

Imagine a quick spreading rash throughout the entire body, leaving not a single space behind; every opening and crevice in your body, including your mouth and eyes covered in painful bumps accompanied by high fever and severe body aches. Flat red spots transforming into fluid-filled lesions and soon oozing out yellow pus, evidently emitting a pungent odor to anyone who dared get close. The live virus present in the darkening crusty scabs that would soon fall off only to leave behind a deep pitted scarred filled complexion on anyone who was fortunate enough to survive. These scars would be forever remembered as the hallmark for the smallpox epidemic which tormented the world for over 3,000 years. (Riedel “Deadly Diseases”).

Have you ever wondered why smallpox is so deadly? Or why the disease spreads so wildly on the skin of a person? In today’s society most people don’t know what the lethal virus that has taken a great toll on their ancestor’s lives was. Smallpox has ruined human beings throughout the years. The disease has taken lives from all different age groups. Today I will be talking about how the disease affects a person, the biology of the organism, and the economic costs.