Germs, Genes, & Civilization: How Epidemics Shaped Who We Are Today, Rough Cuts

Description

This is the Rough Cut version of the printed book.

In Germs, Genes and Civilization, Dr. David Clark tells the story of the microbe-driven epidemics that have repeatedly molded our human destinies. You'll discover how your genes have been shaped through millennia spent battling against infectious diseases. You'll learn how epidemics have transformed human history, over and over again, from ancient Egypt to Mexico, the Romans to Attila the Hun. You'll learn how the Black Death epidemic ended the Middle Ages, making possible the Renaissance, western democracy, and the scientific revolution. Clark demonstrates how epidemics have repeatedly shaped not just our health and genetics, but also our history, culture, and politics. You'll even learn how they may influence religion and ethics, including the ways they may help trigger cultural cycles of puritanism and promiscuity. Perhaps most fascinating of all, Clark reveals the latest scientific and philosophical insights into the interplay between microbes, humans, and society - and previews what just might come next.

Sample Content

Table of Contents

   Preface     xiii

Chapter 1: Introduction: our debt to disease     1

   Epidemics select genetic alterations     4

   Every cloud has a silver lining: our debt to disease     6

   Crowding and culling     8

   The message of this book     11

Chapter 2: Where did our diseases come from?     13

   Africa: homeland of mankind and malaria     13

   Many human diseases originated in animals     17

   Are new diseases virulent to start with?     24

   Diseases from rodents     29

   Leprosy is a relatively new disease     30

   What goes around comes around     32

Chapter 3: Transmission, overcrowding, and virulence     33

   Virulence and the spread of disease     33

   Infectious and noninfectious disease     34

   Many diseases become milder with time     40

   Development of genetic resistance to disease     47

   Hunting and gathering     56

   How do microorganisms become dangerous?     60

Chapter 4: Water, sewers, and empires     67

   Introduction: the importance of biology     67

   Irrigation helps agriculture but spreads germs     68

   The class system, water, and infection     69

   The origin of diarrheal diseases     70

   Cholera comes from the Indian subcontinent     71

   Cholera and the water supply     72

   The rise and fall of the Indus Valley civilization     74

   Cities are vulnerable to waterborne diseases     76

   Cholera, typhoid, and cystic fibrosis     78

   How did disease affect the rise of Rome?     81

   How much did malaria contribute to the fall of Rome?     83

   Uncivilized humans and unidentified diseases     86

   Bubonic plague makes an appearance     90

Chapter 5: Meat and vegetables     93

   Eating is hazardous to your health     93

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