Polio: An American Story is a fascinating narrative nonfiction journey about polio in the 1930s - 1960s and the fight to find an effective vaccine. ThPolio: An American Story is a fascinating narrative nonfiction journey about polio in the 1930s - 1960s and the fight to find an effective vaccine. This book won the 2006 Pulitzer Prize in History.
The book opens with a scene in 1949 in San Angelo, Texas with one case. Within days, concern had turned into alarm. There were 25 cases and 7 deaths. Then it ballooned to 61 cases.
Residents were told to avoid crowds, wash their hands, and stay out of swimming pools. Lockdowns started occurring. Bars and bowling alleys were closed. High school athletic events were cancelled. (Sounds eerily familiar to the COVID pandemic.)
Oshinsky states that no disease drew as much attention, or struck the same terror, as polio. Polio hit without warning.
Immigrants were blamed for the disease. Initially it was thought that unsanitary conditions and dense living quarters caused the spread of polio. However, well-nourished children in wealthier neighborhoods frequently got polio more often than immigrant children. Children had to obtain travel certificates proving they were polio free. Some cities posted signs that children under the age of 16 were not allowed to travel into their cities. One newspaper headline indicated that 72,000 cats were killed due to fear of polio being spread by cats.
The March of Dimes turned polio into the most feared affliction of its time. Franklin Delano Roosevelt (FDR) got polio at the age of 39. Without FDR, the great polio crusade would never have happened. The March of Dimes made polio seem more ominous and more curable than other diseases. Its strategy revolutionized the way charities raise funds.
Maricopa County, Arizona created a Mother's March on Polio that was later replicated in many cities I reside in Maricopa County and did not know this piece of history.
The quest for a vaccine primarily focused on Jonas Salk, Albert Sabin, and Hilary Koprowski. Isabel Morgan was also one of the early trailblazers, but she stepped aside to raise her family.
The feud between Salk and Sabin outlasted both of their lives.
Oshinsky is a terrific author and researcher. I plan on reading several of his other books. ...more
Author Oliver B. Libby tackles controversial, complex issues such as climate change, immigration, education, healthcare, infrastructure, and justice fAuthor Oliver B. Libby tackles controversial, complex issues such as climate change, immigration, education, healthcare, infrastructure, and justice from a "radical center" approach in his book Strong Floor, No Ceiling: Building a New Foundation for the American Dream. Many of his ideas make sense but won't appeal to everyone.
Libby shares a John Maynard Keynes quote that sums it up succinctly, "The political problem of mankind is to combine three things: Economic Efficiency, Social Justice, and Individual Liberty."
The chapters on healthcare and education resonated the most with me. In the US, a person's zip code, rather than their genetic code, determines life expectancy. Healthy people are an investment in our economy. Ralph Waldo Emerson's quote is applicable, "The first wealth is health."
Education lights the way. We need an educated populace with critical reasoning skills. Unfortunately, our schools are woefully underfunded, and our teachers need to be respected and paid better in order to attract talent.
Overall, an informative and inspirational book.
Thanks to NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review. ...more
Wow!! I read Lisa Wingate's Before We Were Yours seven years ago. It is a historical fiction book based on horrors that occurred at the Tennessee ChilWow!! I read Lisa Wingate's Before We Were Yours seven years ago. It is a historical fiction book based on horrors that occurred at the Tennessee Children's Home. I rated Before We Were Yours five stars.
Shortly after Before We Were Yours was published, Lisa Wingate was contacted by many people who were adopted from the Tennessee Children's Home. Wingate began meeting with them to hear their stories. Before and After is the nonfiction journey of many adoptees and their stories about trying to find biological parents and siblings.
Fascinating, hopeful, and sad all at the same time....more
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