At the beginning of the 20th century, Ireland was one of the very few developed countries to be experiencing a rise in tuberculosis mortality, which was rapidly declining in the rest of the British Isles. Jones (history, U. of Ulster at Jordanstown, Northern Ireland) traces the history of the disease from that point to the 1950s when mortality rates had fallen to a level commensurate with other developed countries. She explores the social and economic factors for the disparity, and examines if the history of the disease in Ireland can shed light on the nature of tuberculosis epidemics in general. Her conclusions, while not reducible to simple formulations, suggest that public health campaigns, demographics of urbanization, nutrition levels, and economic disparity are all factors that should be explored in epidemiological investigations of tuberculosis. Annotation copyrighted by Book News, Inc., Portland, OR

Russell Hill is the author of three Edgar-nominated novels as well as several other books. His work has been translated into French, German, Polish, Japanese, and Spanish, and one novel, The Lord God Bird, has been optioned for a movie. Hill is an avid fly fisherman, has written for outdoor magazines, and has taught writing for forty years. He still lives in California where he has spent most of his life.

When Robert Contreras attempts to enlist in World War II, his medical exam reveals he has tuberculosis and he is committed to a frightful sanatorium. Amid his relapses and recoveries he meets a series of women who have an effect on his life: a mysterious French doctor, another patient, a sinister acquaintance from a Los Angeles barrio. Meanwhile, the hospital newsletter describes how tuberculosis patients have been treated throughout history, often alienated and administered bizarre treatments. The author equates these to modern medical experimentation and the superstitious pagan practices of witchcraft and satanism of the California barrios. Based on a true story of the author's uncle.

When Robert Contreras attempts to enlist in World War II, his medical exam reveals he has tuberculosis and he is committed to a frightful sanatorium. Amid his relapses and recoveries he meets a series of women who have an effect on his life: a mysterious French doctor, another patient, a sinister acquaintance from a Los Angeles barrio. Meanwhile, the hospital newsletter describes how tuberculosis patients have been treated throughout history, often alienated and administered bizarre treatments. The author equates these to modern medical experimentation and the superstitious pagan practices of witchcraft and satanism of the California barrios. Based on a true story of the author's uncle.

The contributors to Captivating Technology examine how carceral technologies such as electronic ankle monitors and predictive-policing algorithms are being deployed to classify and coerce specific populations and whether these innovations can be appropriated and reimagined for more liberatory ends.