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On the 100th anniversary of the devastating pandemic of 1918, Jeremy Brown, a veteran ER doctor, explores the troubling, terrifying, and complex history of the flu virus, from the origins of the Great Flu that killed millions, to vexing questions such as: are we prepared for the next epidemic, should you get a flu shot, and how close are we to finding a cure?While influenza is now often thought of as a common and mild disease, it still kills over 30,000 people in the US each year. Dr. Jeremy Brown, currently Director of Emergency Care Research at the National Institutes of Health, expounds on the flu's deadly past to solve the mysteries that could protect us from the next outbreak. In Influenza, he talks with leading epidemiologists, policy makers, and the researcher who first sequenced the genetic building blocks of the original 1918 virus to offer both a comprehensive history and a roadmap for understanding what's to come. Dr. Brown digs into the discovery and resurrection of the flu virus in the frozen victims of the 1918 epidemic, as well as the bizarre remedies that once treated the disease, such as whiskey and blood-letting. Influenza also breaks down the current dialogue surrounding the disease, explaining the controversy over vaccinations, antiviral drugs like Tamiflu, and the federal government's role in preparing for pandemic outbreaks. Though 100 years of advancement in medical research and technology have passed since the 1918 disaster, Dr. Brown warns that many of the most vital questions about the flu virus continue to confound even the leading experts. Influenza is an enlightening and unnerving look at a shapeshifting deadly virus that has been around long before people - and warns us that it may be many more years before we are able to conquer it for good.



About the Author

Jeremy Brown

Having a great book to read makes me happy, and I try to provide that for you. I have written ten books across multiple genres, and my day job is writing lore and story arcs for a very popular video game. I used to write technical validation documents in the basement of a pharmaceutical company--novels and video games are much more fun. My wife and I have a rescue dog who collects mud and two cats who aren't impressed by anything we do. We bought a lawn tractor last year and took turns posing with it. That was a great day. If you'd like to contact me, please visit jeremywbrown. com.



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