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The Viral Underclass: The Human Toll When Inequality and Disease Collide by Steven W. Thrasher
emaybury's review
5.0
I highly recommend this book to anyone interested in building a world rooted in love, respect, and care for all living beings. This is a fantastic introduction to the social determinants of health and balances intricate concepts with touching personal narrative.
Dr. Thrasher reflects on various examples of viruses exposing inequalities, and the COVID-19 pandemic is a central theme in the explanation of his viral underclass theory. With this said, it’s been disappointing to see maskless photos of the author at recent actions and protests. In 2024 we know that SARS-CoV-2 is airborne and transmissible outdoors. Opposing genocide is fundamental to challenging our current relationship with viruses, and forgoing mitigation efforts at crowded events filled with individuals who are already closer to/part of the underclass he so thoughtfully defends feels counterproductive at best.
Dr. Thrasher’s ongoing activism and reporting will only be strengthened by modeling mask wearing and community care at actions that are so deeply interconnected with the entirety of this excellent book.
Dr. Thrasher reflects on various examples of viruses exposing inequalities, and the COVID-19 pandemic is a central theme in the explanation of his viral underclass theory. With this said, it’s been disappointing to see maskless photos of the author at recent actions and protests. In 2024 we know that SARS-CoV-2 is airborne and transmissible outdoors. Opposing genocide is fundamental to challenging our current relationship with viruses, and forgoing mitigation efforts at crowded events filled with individuals who are already closer to/part of the underclass he so thoughtfully defends feels counterproductive at best.
Dr. Thrasher’s ongoing activism and reporting will only be strengthened by modeling mask wearing and community care at actions that are so deeply interconnected with the entirety of this excellent book.
youngthespian42's review against another edition
2.0
This book exposed me to a lot of ugly history about the underclass and minority treatments in health system and policy in America history. It frequently ties past policy to current conditions in ways that feel like stretches at time, hyperbolic, and sometimes outright offensive.
The author constantly inserts themselves into the narrative and makes the plight of so many about their personal identity.
While this books makes several statements about classism being the lynchpin of unequal treatment and outcomes in America, there is a constant need to highlight intersectional lens to these outcomes. In book constantly calling out America’s black and brown people as disposable to capitalism, the author truly discards the many poor white people victim to the system.
Understanding systemic racism is important and certain communities disproportionate suffering to these systems is important but none of this is going to change without a broad coalition of working people. You cannot get there by othering working class white the same way the system others minorities. We need to unite against the plutocrats and tear the system down together.
The author constantly inserts themselves into the narrative and makes the plight of so many about their personal identity.
While this books makes several statements about classism being the lynchpin of unequal treatment and outcomes in America, there is a constant need to highlight intersectional lens to these outcomes. In book constantly calling out America’s black and brown people as disposable to capitalism, the author truly discards the many poor white people victim to the system.
Understanding systemic racism is important and certain communities disproportionate suffering to these systems is important but none of this is going to change without a broad coalition of working people. You cannot get there by othering working class white the same way the system others minorities. We need to unite against the plutocrats and tear the system down together.
dominiquejl's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
informative
reflective
sad
medium-paced
4.0