The Spanish influenza pandemic of 1918 is reviewed in great and exhaustive detail in this book. This author will really make you consider (in depth) the vulnerability of society to an epidemic (you may find yourself wanting to buy a shelter for your home!). Furthermore, what this book teaches you about scientific thought and the history of modern medicine is so well written and thought provoking it will have you talking about odd facts with friends and even strangers on the street. For example, I had no idea that 100 years ago, it was easier to get certified to be a physician than it was to go to college. This book is one of the best and most informative books I have read in a long time and it was well-researched and easy to read.