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sallyavena's review
5.0
I picked this book because my husband was an EIS officer for the last 2 years. He loved his time as one and I wanted to read more about other's experience. The author probably picked the 2 busiest years the CDC has had in a long time. They dealt with 9/ll, Anthrax and SARS on top of all of the normal stuff. It seems like those couple of years were pivotal when it came to the world and not only the USA getting it's act together to enable them to handle global public health threats. My husbands 2 years weren't nearly as exciting, although he did get to work on some interesting stuff and go to some very interesting places, it would have been crazier had the world not had it's act together. I think that is one thing that this book brings to light. It was an interesting read for me and is well written, but I don't know how interesting it would be for someone that didn't have a connection to EIS or had an interest in infectious disease.
hc21's review
5.0
Highly recommend. This book on the elite unit of the CDC had been sitting on my shelf for years, and I'm so glad I pulled it down. McKenna tracks the lives and projects of the EIS officers of the class of 2002, deftly weaving together personal stories, science, and the history of the CDC. Completely approachable as someone who knew next to nothing about the operations of the CDC or epidemiology more broadly. If you're curious about basically anything related to science, check it out.
scheu's review
4.0
This is the sort of work I would be doing if I were ten times as ambitious, but just as cool.
lorisiformes's review against another edition
4.0
A warning to potential readers: Chapter 10 discusses an outbreak among drag queens on the U.S. East Coast and the author addresses the topic... ham-handedly. Be prepared for incorrect and outdated terminology, incorrect pronouns/misgendering, and no understanding of the difference between drag queens and trans people.
I truly would love an updated version of this book that fixes the issues above and fleshes out what we know about SARS, given its close relation to COVID-19. I enjoyed reading about how epidemiologists work to piece a story together often with very little information or resources, and am always interested in learning about how cultural and societal factors play into public health and disease management.
I truly would love an updated version of this book that fixes the issues above and fleshes out what we know about SARS, given its close relation to COVID-19. I enjoyed reading about how epidemiologists work to piece a story together often with very little information or resources, and am always interested in learning about how cultural and societal factors play into public health and disease management.
bloomerism's review
4.0
Rating: 4 stars
This book was so amazing, I couldn't put it down for a few days. It's a collection of stories about officers of the CDC's Epidemic Intelligence Service. This is a group that I one day hope to be a part of, so this book only made the desire stronger. It was exciting and provided an inside look into one of the coolest programs the CDC does (in my opinion).
This book was so amazing, I couldn't put it down for a few days. It's a collection of stories about officers of the CDC's Epidemic Intelligence Service. This is a group that I one day hope to be a part of, so this book only made the desire stronger. It was exciting and provided an inside look into one of the coolest programs the CDC does (in my opinion).
kami5's review
3.0
Material: 5, Writing: 2, overall 3.5.
This is a great read about the CDC and more specifically about its Epidemic Intelligence Service (EIS) members who are the health care specialists that track down diseases around the world to help stop their spread & find a cure. The one major flaw in the book is that the writing has all the charm & verve of a paper bag; it is cut dry, bland, and almost sleep inducing. Luckily, the stories about different EIS endeavors are fascinating by themselves to keep one entranced.
This is a great read about the CDC and more specifically about its Epidemic Intelligence Service (EIS) members who are the health care specialists that track down diseases around the world to help stop their spread & find a cure. The one major flaw in the book is that the writing has all the charm & verve of a paper bag; it is cut dry, bland, and almost sleep inducing. Luckily, the stories about different EIS endeavors are fascinating by themselves to keep one entranced.
lisaeirene's review
3.0
This book started out really strong, but it left me wanting more. The topic interests me and I liked that each chapter was a different epidemic and discussed the history of it. But I kept feeling like I was getting the bullet-point version and not the whole story. I wanted more details, more story.
catgood's review
4.0
This was fascinating and a must read for anyone who enjoys public health and epidemiology! I wish this could be updated to include all the new outbreaks that have happened over the past 14 years since this book was released.