Updated with bonus material, including a new foreword and afterword with new research, this New York Times bestseller is essential reading for a time when mental health is constantly in the news. In this astonishing and startling book, award-winning science and history writer Robert Whitaker investigates a medical mystery: Why has the number of disabled mentally ill in the United States tripled over the past two decades? Interwoven with Whitaker’s groundbreaking analysis of the merits of psychiatric medications are the personal stories of children and adults swept up in this epidemic. As Anatomy of an Epidemic reveals, other societies have begun to alter their use of psychiatric medications and are now reporting much improved outcomes . . . so why can’t such change happen here in the United States? Why have the results from these long-term studies—all of which point to the same startling conclusion—been kept from the public? Our nation has been hit by an epidemic of disabling mental illness, and yet, as Anatomy of an Epidemic reveals, the medical blueprints for curbing that epidemic have already been drawn up. Praise for Anatomy of an Epidemic “The timing of Robert Whitaker’s Anatomy of an Epidemic, a comprehensive and highly readable history of psychiatry in the United States, couldn’t be better.”—Salon “Anatomy of an Epidemic offers some answers, charting controversial ground with mystery-novel pacing.”—TIME “Lucid, pointed and important, Anatomy of an Epidemic should be required reading for anyone considering extended use of psychiatric medicine. Whitaker is at the height of his powers.” —Greg Critser, author of Generation Rx

The COVID-19 pandemic is a Shakespearean mini-series in five episodes. The spring surge of 2020 took the Northeast by storm. The summer surge caught the South sleeping. The fall surge, culminating at Christmas, was ushered in by the chilly winds of the upper Midwest with the rest of the country following. A COVID-19 variant came from The UK to do battle with our efforts at vaccination. And the Summer of 2021 brought the Delta variant with new powers of transmission. In this book, David Parsons explains the forces that shaped each of these hugely different episodes. Weather, politics, population density, and lack of preparation all played their roles. But in the end, human behavior determined the course of events for both good and bad. Over the last ten years, Mr. Parsons has written six books where he shared his understanding of complex systems. The first two laid out his vision of the art of problem solving. He then compared the current architecture program at the Harvard Graduate School of design to his experience at the school in the 1960's. With sixty years of experience in computer programming, he published a short guide to artificial intelligence. With two of his granddaughters, he documented an investigation into how gravity manages to act as it does. And now, after publishing a weekly report on the COVID-19 pandemic for over a year, he takes us through a compelling exploration of why the pandemic trajectory followed its torturous course.

Adding a reflective piece to the COVID-19 puzzle, Dr. Widad Akreyi offers a brilliant dissection of a world-shaking pandemic. Will the COVID-19 crisis ever be over? What does the outlook look like in an altogether more chaotic period? How do variants impact illness severity? Do genes and gender play a part in disease risk? Are there any adverse events that happen after vaccination? What should I be watching for? If you have been asking yourself questions like these, this book has the answers for you. By combining her unsurpassable compassion and exemplary intelligence with her instant access to the latest medical research, Dr. Widad Akreyi has created a book that will be of tremendous help to you in navigating a smooth path past these trying times. Stunningly illustrated and written by an expert in the field, Anatomy of COVID Calamity supplies readers with an objective, data-driven assessment of not only the threats facing us right now, but also the problems we all will face in the years ahead. It gives you the unvarnished truth of what is known and what remains unknown with respect to Covid, making the book a key resource for all readers. Widad's compelling messages will resonate widely. Her infectious positivity will guide you in warding against the virus and moving forward.

"Describes pandemics, including the microbes that cause disease, what causes diseases to spread, and how scientists are working to stop pandemics"--Provided by publisher.

Gives an inside look at various kinds of disasters.

Pandemics have been challenging the existence of humankind since before the first recorded pandemic, the Bubonic Plague, in the 14th Century. For example, there was Smallpox in 1780 while the 1880s saw the rise of Tuberculosis. Spanish Influenza was the scourge of civilization during the years of World War I while the AIDS outbreak overwhelmed North America in 1969. Now Ebola stands at stage center demanding the world's attention as its most formidable foe in the 21st century. Anatomy of a Pandemic: Ebola Virus Disease in the 21st Century uses the Ebola virus outbreak of 2014-15 as a model for describing what pandemics are, how they are transmitted between organisms, how they are disseminated throughout the world, and how they are eradicated. Anatomy of a Pandemic: Ebola Virus Disease in the 21st Century was written by Jonathan Jeffreys, biologist and Science Editor for BiologyCoachOnline. Jeffreys' story begins in a schoolhouse in the little village of Yambuku in the tiny West African country of Zaire in 1976 and he takes the reader on the epic journey as the Ebola virus blooms from a local epidemic to a worldwide pandemic right before our eyes. Along the way, Jeffreys explores: the history of infectious disease and pandemics; signs and symptoms of Ebola Virus Disease; Ebola's epic journey out of Africa and into Europe and eventually to the continental United States; the potential for Ebola's use as an agent of bioterrorism and biological warfare; and the profound impact of pandemics on the global economy. Jeffreys entertains as he informs thus making Anatomy of a Pandemic: Ebola Virus Disease in the 21st Century an exciting read for anyone planning a career in medicine or healthcare, the person interested in science or science history, or anyone fascinated by the natural world and natural processes.

Presents information on epidemics, defined as diseases that affect many people at once. Offers general information about disease and about specific epidemics. Includes animated maps showing the spread of epidemics. Highlights such epidemics as AIDS, influenza, smallpox, the plague, and mad cow disease. Details the causes and prevention of diseases. Contains quizzes, a glossary, and a discussion area. Notes that the information was prepared by students as part of the ThinkQuest student competition.