the ghost map

"The Ghost Map" by Steven Johnson is about the cholera epidemic in London in 1850s and Doctor John Snow who figured out how it was spread. It didn't grab my interest automatically, but it was actually quite thrilling and fascinating to follow his thought process step by step in an atmosphere of superstition and fear. He makes all kinds of interesting points about the development of cities and brain evolution.

One thing I recall is an argument that because Europeans in history drank alcohol (instead of water which could be tainted), their descendants can "hold their liquor" whereas Native Americans didn't have that history of exposure so they have a greater propensity for addiction. Reminds me of "Guns, Germs and Steel" by Jared Diamond. I love that kind of theory - explanations for WHY things are the way they are.

Also read "Burma" by Guy Delise about his year spent in Burma while his wife worked for Doctors Without Borders. He describes daily life in the sweltering country under military rule. It didn't wow me as much as "Pyongyang" did - but I enjoyed learning about power outages, whole cities of people addicted to heroin and the conditions of ruby and jade miners. He has a eye for the quirky - an old examination chair in a clinic, the Japanese fire engine.



Right now I'm read "Happy Families" by Laurie Colwin.