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A National Bestseller, a New York Times Notable Book, and an Entertainment Weekly Best Book of the Year
From Steven Johnson, the dynamic thinker routinely compared to James Gleick, Dava Sobel, and Malcolm Gladwell, The Ghost Map is a riveting page-turner about a real-life historical hero, Dr. John Snow. It's the summer of 1854, and London is just emerging as one of the first modern cities in the world. But lacking the infrastructure — garbage removal, clean water, sewers — necessary to support its rapidly expanding population, the city has become the perfect breeding ground for a terrifying disease no one knows how to cure. As the cholera outbreak takes hold, a physician and a local curate are spurred to action-and ultimately solve the most pressing medical riddle of their time.
In a triumph of multidisciplinary thinking, Johnson illuminates the intertwined histories and interconnectedness of the spread of disease, contagion theory, the rise of cities, and the nature of scientific inquiry, offering both a riveting history and a powerful explanation of how it has shaped the world we live in.
Steven Johnson is the author of seven bestsellers, including Future Perfect, Where Good Ideas Come From, The Invention of Air, The Ghost Map, and Everything Bad Is Good for You, and is the editor of the anthology The Innovator’s Cookbook. He is the founder of a variety of influential websites—most recently, outside.in—and writes for Time, Wired, The New York Times, and The Wall Street Journal. He lives in Marin County, California, with his wife and three sons.
The Ghost Map Preface
Monday, August 28
The Night-Soil Men
Saturday, September 2
Eyes Sunk, Lips Dark Blue
Sunday, September 3
The Investigator
Monday, September 4
That Is To Say, Jo Has Not Yet Died
Tuesday. September 5
All Smell Is Disease
Wednesday, September 6
Building The Case
Friday, September 8
The Pump Handle
Conclusion
The Ghost Map
Epilogue
Broad Street Revisited
Author's Note Acknowledgments Appendix: Notes on Further Reading Notes Bibliography Index
MayDefarge
Posted January 19, 2010
In the London of 1854, to live was to be not dead yet.
A city of more than two million people in 30 square miles, London was a complex gathering of layers of underclasses mixed with the wealthy few. Lacking the infrastructure to support its exploding population, the city was ripe for plaque, epidemics, and rampant diseases. Knowing no reason for its cause and having no idea for its cure, the people of the city suffered numerous epidemics of Cholera during the 19th century.
"The city is life's largest footprint; from man to microbe; each found a new way of making a living," is the theme of this story. The author tells us of the story of a city that had no means of recycling its waste, and the disaster that was manmade. Water recycling is the hallmark of almost all complex systems from the rain forests to the coral reefs, and waste management, in whatever form, is essential to life on earth. The spread of cholera through drinking water was an unknown concept to a scientific world that had not yet discovered bacteria.
John Snow, renowned for his work in anesthesiology and the use of ether and chloroform, struggled to find the reason for the spread of cholera, even though he could not find a cure. This is the story of his journey to save the people of London, and his unlikely liaison with the Rev. Henry Whitehead. These two men changed the history of England's greatest city, and brought sanitation and water safety to a world that knew little of either. Visionary engineer Joseph Bazalgette was responsible for the sewer system of the city of London that has remained successful into the 21st century.
This history explores the dramatic increase of people in urban spaces, fueled by the loss of common land in England that brought tenant farmers to the cities and the use of coal that fueled the Industrial Revolution and need for cheap labor.
The author explains that through much of human history, the solution to the public health problem was not the purifying of the water supply: it was to drink alcohol with its antibacterial properties. Even though people did not know the reason, they knew that it was safe to drink beer (and later wine and spirits) than to drink water. Because alcohol is poisonous (ethanol) and additive, in order to survive, the chromosomes in the DNA of man had to adapt so that man could be genetically tolerant. As man evolved, his system was able to digest the alcohol. This genetic code is only found in the descendents of the town and city dwellers of early times, not the hunter-gatherers who did not live in towns.
It is fascinating to learn of the discovery of tea which became the de facto national beverage of England. The caffeine and tannic acid killed bacteria in the boiling and steeping process, warding off waterborne diseases. The effects were carried through the mother's milk, and fewer babies suffered from dysentery and child mortality rates increased.
The customary drinking of water from sources other than wells and streams came into practice in the mid-nineteenth century when it began to be piped into homes or cisterns. The water was piped from the river Thames which was also where all of London's waste was dumped. In 1894-95, more than 15,000 Londoners died of cholera from drinking water.
The megacities of our developing world are wrestling with the same problems of 19th century England, according to the author's research, and in 2010, the five largest cities on the planet will be Tokyo, Khaka, Mumbai, Sa
5 out of 6 people found this review helpful.
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Posted January 1, 2009
I love historical stories that aren't usually written about. Clearly this was well researched but it doesn't read as a typical, heavily researched book would normally. <BR/> Steven connects with the reader with well detailed accounts and historical figures so much so that you can easily set yourself back to 1854 London. <BR/> Simply wonderful.
5 out of 5 people found this review helpful.
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Posted April 24, 2012
Loved this book. Self professed science and history nerd who also loves a good narrative. This book had all three. Great read, at times depressing as you learn of all the death. Then just as quickly its uplifting as you read of the triumph of science over darkness and superstition, and its own ignorance and arrogance.
3 out of 3 people found this review helpful.
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Posted March 5, 2012
This is the story of a young clergyman and a young up-and-coming physician in London, who - for the most part - independently and almost unwittingly, forged a new science: epidemiology, in their tireless and fearless efforts to trace the source of a cholera outbreak in a poor part of town. Back then, the general belief (among the upper classes) was that disease of all kinds was airborne, and the poor were disproportionately afflicted because of their essential dirty, lowdown lives, which included (in the upper crust's minds anyway) their rotten morals.
The doctor and the pastor look, from our age, like towering heros compared to the much less likeable know-it-all "important" people who ran things. This book has it all: villains, heros, sympathetic victims, breathless suspense. For anyone interested in the history of medicine and science, this is a must-read. I would have given it 5 stars except the author has somewhat the tendency to repeat himself in places. Otherwise I'm glad I bought it because I will be reading it again, down the line a ways.
2 out of 2 people found this review helpful.
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Posted January 5, 2012
As usual, Steven Johnson has serious issues editing himself. When on topic, this writing is engaging and witty...when off topic, he is pompous and dull. Unfortunately, Mr. Johnson spends about 1/2 of all his books painfully off topic. Spend your money on "An American Plague" by Jim Murphy instead.
2 out of 2 people found this review helpful.
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Posted July 24, 2011
If you are at all interested in a good mystery or a fantastic scientific revelation you should read this book, it's in depth, informative, and has a powerful impact on your mind. It's fun to see how John Snow is smarter than everyone else because he's the only one who can see the solution to the cholera epidemic.
2 out of 2 people found this review helpful.
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Posted July 4, 2011
I would rate the first two-thirds of this book (actually I listened to the Audio CD) as a 4 to 5. It is very interesting from the medical and historical standpoint, on a subject one might think dull on first impression, presented in an entertaining way. However, the final third of the book, which I rate as a 1 to 2, degenerates into a boring jumble of socioeconomic/philosophical and political blabber, ranging from the benefits of the internet to city dwellers to nuclear terrorism, population control, global warming and even a random negative comment on "Intelligent Design". Perhaps the author needs to write a separate book covering these topics with better organization and editor. Save time and just read the initial medical/historical part!
2 out of 2 people found this review helpful.
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Posted July 2, 2010
This was a great book with hiostorical value. A topic few of us know much about. I particularly appreciated the inclusion of the lives of "real people". Johnson describes the work conditions, living conditions and struggles of those who lived in poverty and described the prejudices against them by arrogant "upper class" citizens and politicans of the day. He clearly makes a case for the onset, spread and poor managment of this outbreak as being in large part due to a class driven society in which the conditions of the poor and the onslaught of this disease are easily disregarded and accepted until it begins to spread beyond the confines of the slums.
2 out of 2 people found this review helpful.
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Posted November 30, 2007
I found this book to be very detailed and educating. The subject matter is not for a weak stomach: it's about cholera, a disease that is spread through human waste. But I thought it was fascinating to read the description on London at the time and then step by step through the detective process. I was mildy disapointed by the end though because it seemed to draw out and be a bit repetitive.
2 out of 2 people found this review helpful.
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Posted January 16, 2010
The Ghost Map begins in the back streets of London just before the great cholera epidemic. In fact, had I not known better, I'd have guessed it to be a novel of Dickensian London as the author is an excellent storyteller. The details of the Victorian period are at once captivating and a little off-putting, but there is a method to the structure that soon becomes apparent and draws the listener deeply into the science of it all. That Alan Sklar is a wonderfully talented reader makes the experience doubly intriguing. I, for one, would have believed forever that a rabbit-warren city like New York would be a hotbed of disease. Johnson's assertion that cities, with their clean water and sewer systems built on the realizations that cholera brought to light, are actually the least likely venues for blights of this nature left me with a new perspective and new avenues to explore. Insight is the subject of this book and its finest feature.
Scientists may already be familiar with the history of cholera and the simple, obvious cure that might have saved a city. The rest of us will just sit fascinated as the terror grows legs, is trapped and dissected and put, at last, to rest. Steven Johnson has brought avid readers a dramatic addition to private libraries everywhere.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.
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Posted March 1, 2013
Perhaps I am spoiled by reading books of a simialr genre written by Erik Larsen but I found it difficult to stay interested in The Ghost Map. Although the information in this book was interesting, it was presented in a really frenetic way, jumoing from social implications, to medical advances, to moral obligation and back again. I found the poor transiton between the topics and eras to be distracting. Overall, I was disappointed because this book had a topic with potential for a great read but it just never got there.
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Posted February 18, 2013
I learned so much from reading this book. However, the author got "stuck" in some areas and repeated and repeated the same info. At times, I wanted to close it up, never to return. But, I continued on. It was worth it, but it could have been 60 pages shorter.
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Posted May 23, 2012
Boring...
0 out of 3 people found this review helpful.
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Posted May 23, 2012
Very interesting history of cholera, diseases like it, and how medical science changed with the addition of public health concerns.
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Posted January 2, 2012
This book has layers of interesting and meaningful information. Author Steven Johnson should be supported through the purchase of this book. He has done his work.
Nook tips:
1. Stiffen the power connector cord that inserts into your Noon, Nook Color or Nook Tablet by straightening the cable about 4 inches. Next, use a stiff rod such as a plastic, a coffee stirrer or split popsicle stick under the cord. Secure everything with scotch tape, plastic ties in such a way that you are able to grasp the cord and insert the end connector without bending the end connector in the process. A word of caution. If you use duct tape, and if you ever have to undo your construction, then you will have a gluey mess on the cord. I suppose you could split a soda straw and sleeve it over the power cord before taping.
2. The charger for a Nook color and Nook Tablet are the same!
3. Search ((0.00 (your favorite topic)) for free media.
4. A microfiber cloth such as those used in car care work great for keeping the Nook screen clean.
municorns
Posted May 4, 2011
This does apply to real life issues!
0 out of 1 people found this review helpful.
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Posted February 21, 2011
I had to read this book for a sociology class and I must say it was one of the best books I read during college. Steven Johnson does a great job weaving together a story about scientific theory, plague,history, social welfare and politics.
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Posted July 3, 2010
why is this ebook more expensive than the paperback?
0 out of 1 people found this review helpful.
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Posted April 21, 2008
In a gripping account of intelligent work, Johnson has written the Ghost Map with suspense, intrigue and scientific accuracy. A great book for anyone interested in science, large cities of the past or anyone who just likes to read a good book.
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Posted January 24, 2008
The Ghost Map Steven Johnson Riverhead Book New York October 2006 The Ghost Map is a page-turner with a real-life historical hero that brilliantly illuminates the histories of the spread of viruses, rise of cities, and the nature of scientific inquiry. These are topics that have long obsessed Steven Johnson, and The Ghost Map is a triumph of the kind of multidisciplinary thinking that changes the way we think today. The Ghost Map takes place in the summer of 1854. A devastating cholera outbreak seizes London just as it is emerging as a modern city: more than 2 million people packed into a ten-mile circumference, a hub of travel and commerce, teeming with people from all over the world, continually pushing the limits of infrastructure that's outdated as soon as it's updated. Dr. John Snow¿whose ideas about contagion had been dismissed by the scientific community¿is spurred to intense action when the people in his neighborhood begin dying. With enthralling suspense, Johnson chronicles Snow's day-by-day efforts, as he risks his own life to prove how the epidemic is being spread. When he creates the map that traces the pattern of outbreak back to its source, Dr. Snow didn't just solve the most pressing medical riddle of his time. He ultimately established a precedent for the way modern city-dwellers, city planners, physicians, and public officials think about the spread of disease and the development of the modern urban environment. When I finished the book I found out so many different things about science and some history. I learned about the cholera outbreak and how it seized London. It was interesting to learn how one man could change a lot of people¿s lives. I recommend that you read it because it is an interesting and lets you know that Dr. John Snow changed people¿s lives and made a map to find the source of it. It¿s a great book and I think everybody should read it.
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Overview
A National Bestseller, a New York Times Notable Book, and an Entertainment Weekly Best Book of the Year
From Steven Johnson, the dynamic thinker routinely compared to James Gleick, Dava Sobel, and Malcolm Gladwell, The Ghost Map is a riveting page-turner about a real-life historical hero, Dr. John Snow. It's the summer of 1854, and London is just emerging as one of the first modern cities in the world. But lacking the infrastructure — garbage removal, clean water, sewers — ...