Books about Influenza from Amazon.com

At the height of WWI, history’s most lethal influenza virus erupted in an army camp in Kansas, moved east with American troops, then exploded, killing as many as 100 million people worldwide It killed more people in twenty-four months than AIDS killed in twenty-four years, more in a year than the Black Death killed in a century. But this was not the Middle Ages, and 1918 marked the first collision of science and epidemic disease. Magisterial in its breadth of perspective and depth of research and now revised to reflect the growing danger of the avian flu, The Great Influenza is ultimately a tale of triumph amid tragedy, which provides us with a precise and sobering model as we confront the epidemics looming on our own horizon..
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When we think of plagues, we think of AIDS, Ebola, anthrax spores, and, of course, the Black Death. But in 1918 the Great Flu Epidemic killed an estimated 40 million people virtually overnight. If such a plague returned today, taking a comparable percentage of the U.S. population with it, 1.5 million Americans would die.

In Flu, Gina Kolata, an acclaimed reporter for The New York Times, unravels the mystery of this lethal virus with the high drama of a great adventure story. From Alaska to Norway, from the streets of Hong Kong to the corridors of the White House, Kolata tracks the race to recover the live pathogen and probes the fear that has impelled government policy.

A gripping work of science writing, Flu addresses the prospects for a great epidemic's recurrence and considers what can be done to prevent it..
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Between August 1918 and March 1919 the Spanish influenza spread worldwide, claiming over 25 million lives, more people than those perished in the fighting of the First World War. It proved fatal to at least a half-million Americans. Yet, the Spanish flu pandemic is largely forgotten today. In this vivid narrative, Alfred W. Crosby recounts the course of the pandemic during the panic-stricken months of 1918 and 1919, measures its impact on American society, and probes the curious loss of national memory of this cataclysmic event. In a new edition, with a new preface discussing the recent outbreaks of diseases, including the Asian flu and the SARS epidemic, America's Forgotten Pandemic remains both prescient and relevant. Alfred W. Crosby is a Professor Emeritus in American Studies, History and Geography at the University of Texas at Austin, where he taught for over 20 years. His previous books include Throwing Fire (Cambrige, 2002), the Measure of Reality (Cambridge, 1997) and Ecological Imperialism (cambridge, 1986). Ecological Imperialism was the winner of the 1986 Phi Beta Kappa book prize. The Measure of Reality was chosen by the Los Angeles Times as one of the 100 most important books of 1997..
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Set against the backdrop of one of the most virulent epidemics that America ever experienced–the 1918 flu epidemic–Thomas Mullen’s powerful, sweeping first novel is a tale of morality in a time of upheaval.

Deep in the mist-shrouded forests of the Pacific Northwest is a small mill town called Commonwealth, conceived as a haven for workers weary of exploitation. For Philip Worthy, the adopted son of the town’s founder, it is a haven in another sense–as the first place in his life he’s had a loving family to call his own.

And yet, the ideals that define this outpost are being threatened from all sides. A world war is raging, and with the fear of spies rampant, the loyalty of all Americans is coming under scrutiny. Meanwhile, another shadow has fallen across the region in the form of a deadly illness striking down vast swaths of surrounding communities.

When Commonwealth votes to quarantine itself against contagion, guards are posted at the single road leading in and out of town, and Philip Worthy is among them. He will be unlucky enough to be on duty when a cold, hungry, tired–and apparently ill–soldier presents himself at the town’s doorstep begging for sanctuary. The encounter that ensues, and the shots that are fired, will have deafening reverberations throughout Commonwealth, escalating until every human value–love, patriotism, community, family, friendship–not to mention the town’s very survival, is imperiled.

Inspired by a little-known historical footnote regarding towns that quarantined themselves during the 1918 epidemic, The Last Town on Earth is a remarkably moving and accomplished debut..
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Just in time for cold and flu season comes this fun, funny and imminently practical guide to the fine art of germ avoidance

Admit it, you either are one or you know one: a person who prefers the scent of Purell to perfume, hates public restroom toilets and pushes elevator buttons with their elbow. In a word (well, two), a "Germ Freak." Well guess what—they're right!

In the bestselling tradition of the The Paranoid's Pocket Guide and The Worst Case Scenario Handbook, Allison Janse—a committed Germ Freak—gives readers the lowdown on how to avoid the common cold and survive flu season with your health and sanity intact. This is the practical information your doctor won't give you (they always say not to worry and may be giving you the latest bug by not washing their hands when they examine you!), but which you're almost literally dying to know, such as:

• How clean is my office desk? (In terms of germs, it's better to eat off a toilet seat)
• Do I have to shake that snotty person's hand? (The new etiquette says no)
• Are my hygiene products killing me? (No, but some increase your risk of illness)
• How do I get out of a public restroom without contamination? (Here's a five-step plan)
• What is the best way to wash my hands? (You have two detailed options)
• Am I the only germ freak in America? (Don't worry, 48% of women either use the toilet guard or make their own)
• Why didn't anyone tell me about The New Respiratory Etiquette? (Yes, it's real, and it's specifically designed for Germ Freaks just like you)

Germ Freaks unite! This book will help unenlightened germspreaders get a clue…or at least a HandiWipe…and prove to the world that, in the end, it's far better to be safe than sorry.

Are You a Germfreak? Some Ways to Tell

• Your exit strategy from a public bathroom rivals an NFL playbook
• Your family and friends think Purell is your scent
• You check elevator riders for anyone who is sniffling and opt for the stairs— even though you're going to the Penthouse
• You turn all public bathroom faucets with a piece of tissue
• You avoid buffets that don't have 10-foot-high GermGuard barriers
• You think BYOB means bring your own bathroom hand towels
• You only go to afternoon (or really bad) movies because they're less crowded

If you answered yes to any one of these questions, you're on your way to becoming a Germ freak.

If you answered yes to two or more, congratulations, you're a full-fledged freak.

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Want to know the best ways to care for your horse? Horse Health and Nutrition For Dummies gives you up-to-the-minute guidance on keeping horses healthy at all stages of life. It provides the latest information on equine nutrition and healthcare, explaining how your horse’s body functions and how to keep it in good working order.

Packed with practical advice on equine first aid and alternative therapies, this completely practical, plain-English guide explains exactly what to feed your four-legged “hayburner” and how much. You’ll find out what kind of preventive care is vital to keeping your horse in good physical shape and how to recognize signs of illness when things go wrong. You’ll get the low-down on the diseases and conditions most likely to plague the domestic horse and find help in deciding whether to treat problems yourself or call the vet. Discover how to:

• Manage your horse’s diet
• House your horse safely and comfortably
• Tend to the daily details of horse care
• Examine coat, eyes, hooves and manure
• Identify, control, and prevent equine diseases
• Understand links between horse behavior and health
• Practice good horse nutrition
• Grow your own horse food
• Cover horse-health-care costs
• Breed your horse
• Care for pregnant mares and newborns

A healthy horse is a happy horse. Keep your horse fit with a little help from Horse Health and Nutrition For Dummies, and you’ll be happy too!.
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Lydia Kilkenny is eager to move beyond her South Boston childhood, and when she marries Henry Wickett, a shy Boston Brahmin who plans to become a doctor, her future seems assured That path changes when Henry abandons his medical studies and enlists Lydia to help him invent a mail-order medicine called Wickett’s Remedy. Then the 1918 influenza epidemic sweeps through Boston, and in a world turned upside down Lydia must forge her own path through the tragedy unfolding around her. As she secures work as a nurse at a curious island medical station conducting human research into the disease, Henry’s former business partner steals the formula for Wickett’s Remedy to create for himself a new future, trying—and almost succeeding—to erase the past he is leaving behind.

Alive with narrative ingenuity, and tinged with humor as well as sorrow, this inspired recreation of a forgotten era powerfully reminds us how much individual voices matter—in history and in life..
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