This new title in the Biographies of Disease series offers a thorough examination of medical and scientific efforts to battle polio, from the 19th-century identification of the virus to the great 20th-century epidemics, from the unprecedented campaign to find a vaccine to recent efforts to confront polio in West Africa and South Asia and eliminate it entirely.

Beyond the science, "Polio" looks at the effects of the disease on individuals and the United States as a whole. The book gives readers a sense of what it was like to have polio and to recover from it. It also describes how the...

Written in accessible but medically accurate prose, Anorexia provides a detailed explanation of how the diagnosis of anorexia is made, common physical and personality characteristics of those affected by the illness, and both short and long-term complications.

Anorexia takes the discussion a step further than similar books on the subject by placing the disease in context with a broad survey of the history of self-starvation from Antiquity to the present, and it tackles the difficult question of whether anorexia nervosa existed before the 19th century or is a...

Tuberculosis is a complicated medical condition that has a rich and important history, a distinctive social context, and an active and destructive present. The disease appears in Greek literature as early as 460 BCE and was a favorite of 19th-century novelists whose heroines often succumbed to "consumption." Through history, the development of TB diagnosis and treatment has been synonymous with events in the development of medicine.

"Tuberculosis" presents TB from the perspective of the people and events that shaped its past and the factors that influence its current global state. The...

Written by a professor of medicine who is also personally affected by the disease, "Multiple Sclerosis" offers an overview of every aspect of the condition. It begins by introducing the central nervous system and describing how multiple sclerosis affects the brain and spinal cord. The author then reviews early understanding of MS, how it was first recognized as a disease, and the discoveries that have helped explain its causes.

Moving to contemporary understanding of multiple sclerosis, the book explores the epidemiology of MS in the United States and around the world, describes MS...

Anxiety disorders are significant mental health illnesses that impair lives and cost society millions of dollars in health care expenses and lost productivity. Greater awareness of anxiety disorders is essential for both the general public and health professionals if those who suffer from them are to be identified, receive proper treatment, and have a chance at leading fulfilling lives.

To that end, "Anxiety" begins with a historical overview of the ways in which anxiety disorders have been understood, from the prehistoric era until the present time, examining the disorders from the...

Millions of people are affected by thyroid disease worldwide, yet most people know little about the thyroid. "Thyroid Disease" fills that gap, explaining the importance of the thyroid gland to the smooth functioning of the human body and mind.

This book covers all of the important aspects of diseases of the thyroid, a small gland that secretes hormones that deliver energy to cells of the body. Historical details on the earliest references to the thyroid gland and goiters, as well as historic details on the links between goiter, iodine, and cretinism are discussed. Thyroid diseases, such...

In "AIDS," three Harvard-educated physicians explore the evolution of the HIV epidemic, contextualizing the disease from historical, social, and medical perspectives. Addressing the last 25 years, the book examines basic biological principles, including what a virus is, how the human immune system works, and how HIV impairs these functions. It presents an in-depth discussion of the HIV life cycle, explores central issues pertaining to diagnosis and treatment, and sheds light on how the treatment was developed and implemented.

The book also reviews global epidemiology of HIV/AIDS and...

Alzheimer's disease is a vastly underrecognized disease that primarily appears in patients age 65 and older. It affects the entire family of those afflicted and has a tremendous impact on our health care system--the Alzheimer's Association estimates the cost of treating this form of dementia at $172 billion annually in the United States. Current treatment with medications has only limited success. Therefore, awareness of symptoms--which are often mistaken for aging or stress--and early recognition of the disease are the best ways to help patients and their...

Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder is a comprehensive and thoughtful examination of the nature, causes, and treatment of PTSD. Drawing on the vast experience of its team of authors, the book details the insidious nature and history of PTSD, from the internal and external factors that cause this form of suffering to the ways it manifests itself psychologically and socially. The most cutting-edge research on treatment, intervention, and prevention is thoroughly discussed, as are the spiritual and psychological strengths that can emerge when one progresses beyond the label of...