This was an interesting and satisfying piece of nonfiction. The first part is caught up in the major cholera outbreaks in Britain and follows the actions of a few people who were curious enough about the workings of cholera to brave the infested areas of London to try to figure out how cholera worked. It outlines the contesting theories of contagion at the time, and how established ideas can be so detrimental to understanding a phenomenon.
The second part of the books goes into how an innovative way of mapping outbreaks was generated, so as to better visualize the spread of the contagion on a broader level.
The third part of this book brings us into the 21st century, where the basic principles of that early way of mapping are being applied today.
Very interesting, but the beginning sections are probably not for the squeamish.
audio: 8.5 hours
text: 240 pages
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