YELLOW FEVER BLACK GODDESS

In the tradition of The Coming Plague and other recent books exploring the origins, discovery and treatment of disease, Yellow Fever Black Goddess traces the development of ancient diseases, such as cholera (the Black Goddess), as well as more “modern diseases,” such as AIDS. Richard Davidson helps to make this rather dense topic accessible. Davidson sets a good pace, moves smoothly through the scientific terms, and reads the text as if he’s accompanying the listener on a learning adventure that he too is seeking to understand. For many, particularly those who are not generally students of these diseases, the audio format may be a great advantage as it helps one avoid getting bogged down in the detail that Davidson passes through easily. J.E.M. ©AudioFile, Portland, Maine [Published: AUG/SEP 98]