Twenty years ago, the world thought that biomedical science would protect it. Then came the AIDS epidemic and more unfamiliar pathogens in its wake. Meanwhile, the neglected diseases of the third world festered. Robert S. Desowitz traces the history of these diseases and the issues we must confront-the morality and legality of patent laws, global warming, public support for the biochemical industry, the dissociation of medical professionals, and the threat of bioterrorism.

About the Author

Robert S. Desowitz is the author of The Malaria Capers.

Reviews

"Desowitz's polemic is brilliant and timely... his account is up to date, starting with the West Nile virus and finishing with Cryptosporidium. It informs, entertains and scares in equal measure. It is a tract for our times that can be read with profit by anyone with an interest in the current human condition." Hugh Pennington, The Times Higher Education Supplement