Review: Patient Zero

Patient Zero: Solving the Mysteries of Deadly Epidemics by Marilee Peters
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Most people would agree that more people have died throughout history due to diseases than have died because of war. What many people may not be aware of is the variety of diseases and the processes that lead to the detection and treatment of these diseases. Patient Zero: Solving the Mysteries of Deadly Epidemics brings to life the stories behind the Great Plague, the Yellow Fever outbreak in Cuba, Typhoid in New York City, AIDS in the 1980’s and many other epidemics.

Patient Zero is a short book with fun drawings interspersed. Readers can delve into one epidemic during each reading session or complete the book in one sitting. There is enough science discussed to pique the interest of readers without leaving the unknowledgeable reader lost in the wake. This is not meant to be read by hard and fast science buffs, but if readers are willing to skim over a variety of topics this book can be a good break from fiction into non-fiction without being a chore. Not my first choice as a non-fiction science book, but I am also a former science teacher.


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