Little Book of Pandemics: 50 of the World's Most Virulent Plagues and Infectious Diseases
Adult/High School—Moore answers questions about Ebola-including where it came from and what would happen if terrorists acquired the virus-and 49 other diseases. They are grouped by means of transmission and include headline grabbers such as SARS, avian flu, and anthrax, as well as conditions considered relatively mild in Western countries, such as measles and chicken pox. Basic information is provided in two to four pages and illustrated with a map of where the disease is active, a drawing of the human body showing the areas affected, and bar graphs indicating how infectious and severe the disease is, its fatality rate, and how dangerous it would be as a bioweapon. Owen's companion volume has a similar format, with brief narratives of 50 crimes, mostly murders, and an emphasis on explaining the methods by which the cases were solved by forensic science, including fingerprints, bite marks, fabric analysis, and computer records. Many of the accounts are illustrated with drawings or photographs. Teens interested in forensics and true crime will avidly devour Owen's work.—Sandy Schmitz, Berkeley Public Library, CACopyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.