The Ebola Epidemic: The Fight, The Future

Reviewed by: Brooke Faulkner - McArthur Public Library, Biddeford, Southern Maine Library District

Review Date: October 6, 2016

Review

This gripping, informative non-fiction volume provides a solid epidemiological overview of the Ebola virus, its history from the first known cases in 1976 in what was then Zaire to its most recent 2014-15 outbreaks in Guinea, Sierra Leone and Liberia, and a brief look at the work underway to develop more reliable testing and preventative medicine for this incredibly destructive disease. Featuring interviews with healthcare workers, researchers and survivors, Goldsmith achieves a nicely balanced chronicle -- at once sensitive to the human implications and respectful to those who've lost loved ones to the virus, clear about the economic, political and social forces that often impact prevention and care of Ebola, and concise in exploring the science behind the disease itself. Photos, charts and maps compliment the text, which is both well sourced and engaging. Source notes, a glossary, an index, and a bibliography are included, as well as an extensive list of suggested resources that provide further information. Middle and high school students interested in the medical field or biological sciences will find this an excellent source for school, but this would also be a great recommendation for fans of narrative non-fiction just looking for a good read.

Overall Book Score: excellent