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Contagion: How Commerce Has Spread Disease

Vladimir Nabokov

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From the Black Death to the Spanish Flu, commerce has played a major role in the spread of disease. In this book, historian Mark Harrison traces the ways that trade and travel have facilitated the transmission of deadly diseases throughout history.

Contagion: How Commerce Has Spread Disease

by Mark Harrison

4.7 out of 5

Language	:	English
File size	:	3420 KB
Text-to-Speech	:	Enabled
Screen Reader	:	Supported
Enhanced typesetting	:	Enabled
Print length	:	427 pages

Harrison begins by examining the role of the Silk Road in the spread of the Black Death. This devastating plague originated in Central Asia in the 1340s and spread along trade routes to Europe, where it killed an estimated 25 million people. Harrison shows how the movement of goods and people along the Silk Road created the ideal conditions for the spread of the disease.

Harrison then turns to the role of maritime trade in the spread of disease. He examines the case of the Spanish Flu, which originated in Kansas in 1918 and spread around the world via troop movements and trade ships. Harrison shows how the global reach of maritime trade allowed the Spanish Flu to infect an estimated 500 million people and kill as many as 100 million.

Harrison's book is a fascinating and informative look at the role of commerce in the spread of disease. He provides a wealth of historical evidence to support his arguments, and he does an excellent job of explaining the complex factors that have contributed to the spread of disease throughout history.

Contagion is a must-read for anyone interested in the history of disease or the role of commerce in global affairs. It is a timely and important book that sheds light on one of the most pressing challenges facing humanity today.

The Black Death was a devastating plague that originated in Central Asia in the 1340s. It spread along trade routes to Europe, where it killed an estimated 25 million people. The movement of goods and people along the Silk Road created the ideal conditions for the spread of the disease.

The Spanish Flu was a global pandemic that originated in Kansas in 1918. It spread around the world via troop movements and trade ships. The global reach of maritime trade allowed the Spanish Flu to infect an estimated 500 million people and kill as many as 100 million.

Contagion: How Commerce Has Spread Disease

by Mark Harrison

4.7 out of 5