Sally Furniss
Well-known member
Bird flu books filling the shelves
http://www.thejakartapost.com/detailfeatures.asp?fileid=20070318.N02&irec=26
Emmy Fitri, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta
It's enough to make you scared. If you browse through any major bookstore these days in the capital, you may come across numerous books on avian influenza (bird flu) on the shelves.
Most were published in the early 2000s -- dozens of titles have been written offering varying theories to simple how-to guidance to avoid the risk.
Many others may not be sold in the country but can be accessed for free via the Internet, such as Michael Greger's Bird Flu, A Virus of Our Own Hatching.
On the web (http://birdflubook.com), Greger writes a captivating tale of bird flu from various perspectives, both human and poultry.
Indonesian authors, too, have been quick to catch the moment. Some books -- Flu Burung dan Demam Berdarah (Bird Flu and Dengue), Menyingkap Rahasia Flu Burung, (Revealing the Secrets of Bird Flu) and Flu Burung (Bird Flu) -- are already on bookstore shelves.
The one that is suitable for you depends on what you need.
Laymen -- with families and relatives to worry about -- are left to rely on news and media reports that, most of the time, only present a fragment of the big picture of what is really happening and what might be to come.
Media news is, by its nature, insufficient to give a clear, yet detailed account of an emerging outbreak such as bird flu. Too many other factors and considerations make it impossible for the media to dedicate a regular column or page specially to bird flu.
With avian influenza, the randomness of its incidence and its rapid spread make it very difficult to determine the right moment to dedicate a program or page to the subject.
Learning from the past
Bird flu books tend to offer advice on do-it-yourself, simple preparations to brace for the threat of bird flu.
In his book, The Bird Flu Preparedness Planner, Grattan Woodson says in his introduction: "Chances are, if you opened a newspaper or turned on the news in 2005, you might be worried, perhaps even a little panicked, about the avian flu or bird flu -- and with good reason.
"What many people around the world dismissed as a minor headline in the international section of their newspaper seemed to mushroom overnight into a global health crisis."
Initially dedicating the manual to Woodson' patients, the book was published in 2005 by Florida-based Health Communications, Inc.
Grattan maintains factual explanations throughout the 83-page book to build up a scenario of what might happen under certain conditions, while stating that experts and scientists have yet to devise an effective plan to deal with the risks.
Grattan also points out how the U.S. government has been slow to respond to public fear about the disease.
"In my view, the gross underestimate of the impact of the next pandemic on the United States by the Department of Health and Human Services suggests a number of unsavory possibilities.
"Since they have access to the best-educated and brightest epidemiologists and medical scientists, the reason for their less-than-robust prediction, is not lack of information nor analytical ability."
The book as a whole provides a helpful, step-by-step understanding to what a pandemic is and how it will work in a worst-case scenario but without scare-mongering.
His messages are all down-to-earth and easy to understand, and are therefore quite helpful.
In another popular book, Everything You Need to Know about the Next Pandemic (Marc Spiegel, 2006), also has more or less the same purpose: explaining that excessive fear of a pandemic may lead to a paranoia.
Both authors explain why it is essential for U.S. readers to know the facts in detail about bird flu.
The U.S. has bitter memories of 1918 and the emergence of a devastating influenza that killed nearly 50 million people. Caused by a different type of virus -- H1N1 -- the Spanish flu, as it was popularly known, resulted in a huge number of fatalities due to the state of medical knowledge at the time, the existing infrastructure and much slower means of communication.
Spiegel however, is even harsher in stating why it is so timely to focus on the subject now. He says media hype and poor communication from health authorities have somehow created confusion among the public on the emerging disease.
"Unfortunately, with the bird flu scare there is no going back. Diseases that scare us out of proportion to their ability to infect us are lodged in our thoughts, and we believe that they are going to happen to us.
"Fear is irrational, but is very powerful. Once it is turned on, it is difficult to turn it off," Spiegel says in his introduction.
Common sense the best weapon
A business editor by profession, Colum Murphy has written an elaborate book, Flu Action Plan, A Business Survival Guide, a must-read book for business people. The book chronicles the business side of any possible pandemic without trying to scare people.
Meanwhile, published by Cambridge-based Icon Books, pocket book-sized Bird Flu by John Farndon is more straightforward in addressing the topic.
Eminent virologist from the University of Cambridge Tony Minson says in the foreword that Farndon tells us what we need to know, taking us through the issues in a straightforward style and using plain language.
"Farndon's conclusion is right: we are not ready yet, so keep your fingers crossed," he says.
Authors on the current bird flu outbreak all refer to John Barry's historical account The Great Influenza: The Epic Story of the Deadliest Plague in History, praised as one of the most enriching sources of information.
Through meticulous and detailed studies, Barry pieces together episodes on some of the U.S. states involved in the terrifying epidemic.
The book also chronicles the attempts of medical scientists to race against time and rapid deaths to seek a cure for the sick.
Ultimately, whatever book you read or however much you know about bird flu, commonsense, reasonable measures are what will prevent us all from succumbing to the virus.
Good basic sanitation measures like hand-washing, eating a healthy diet and knowing how and when to relate with our environment are the best defense.
http://www.thejakartapost.com/detailfeatures.asp?fileid=20070318.N02&irec=26
Emmy Fitri, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta
It's enough to make you scared. If you browse through any major bookstore these days in the capital, you may come across numerous books on avian influenza (bird flu) on the shelves.
Most were published in the early 2000s -- dozens of titles have been written offering varying theories to simple how-to guidance to avoid the risk.
Many others may not be sold in the country but can be accessed for free via the Internet, such as Michael Greger's Bird Flu, A Virus of Our Own Hatching.
On the web (http://birdflubook.com), Greger writes a captivating tale of bird flu from various perspectives, both human and poultry.
Indonesian authors, too, have been quick to catch the moment. Some books -- Flu Burung dan Demam Berdarah (Bird Flu and Dengue), Menyingkap Rahasia Flu Burung, (Revealing the Secrets of Bird Flu) and Flu Burung (Bird Flu) -- are already on bookstore shelves.
The one that is suitable for you depends on what you need.
Laymen -- with families and relatives to worry about -- are left to rely on news and media reports that, most of the time, only present a fragment of the big picture of what is really happening and what might be to come.
Media news is, by its nature, insufficient to give a clear, yet detailed account of an emerging outbreak such as bird flu. Too many other factors and considerations make it impossible for the media to dedicate a regular column or page specially to bird flu.
With avian influenza, the randomness of its incidence and its rapid spread make it very difficult to determine the right moment to dedicate a program or page to the subject.
Learning from the past
Bird flu books tend to offer advice on do-it-yourself, simple preparations to brace for the threat of bird flu.
In his book, The Bird Flu Preparedness Planner, Grattan Woodson says in his introduction: "Chances are, if you opened a newspaper or turned on the news in 2005, you might be worried, perhaps even a little panicked, about the avian flu or bird flu -- and with good reason.
"What many people around the world dismissed as a minor headline in the international section of their newspaper seemed to mushroom overnight into a global health crisis."
Initially dedicating the manual to Woodson' patients, the book was published in 2005 by Florida-based Health Communications, Inc.
Grattan maintains factual explanations throughout the 83-page book to build up a scenario of what might happen under certain conditions, while stating that experts and scientists have yet to devise an effective plan to deal with the risks.
Grattan also points out how the U.S. government has been slow to respond to public fear about the disease.
"In my view, the gross underestimate of the impact of the next pandemic on the United States by the Department of Health and Human Services suggests a number of unsavory possibilities.
"Since they have access to the best-educated and brightest epidemiologists and medical scientists, the reason for their less-than-robust prediction, is not lack of information nor analytical ability."
The book as a whole provides a helpful, step-by-step understanding to what a pandemic is and how it will work in a worst-case scenario but without scare-mongering.
His messages are all down-to-earth and easy to understand, and are therefore quite helpful.
In another popular book, Everything You Need to Know about the Next Pandemic (Marc Spiegel, 2006), also has more or less the same purpose: explaining that excessive fear of a pandemic may lead to a paranoia.
Both authors explain why it is essential for U.S. readers to know the facts in detail about bird flu.
The U.S. has bitter memories of 1918 and the emergence of a devastating influenza that killed nearly 50 million people. Caused by a different type of virus -- H1N1 -- the Spanish flu, as it was popularly known, resulted in a huge number of fatalities due to the state of medical knowledge at the time, the existing infrastructure and much slower means of communication.
Spiegel however, is even harsher in stating why it is so timely to focus on the subject now. He says media hype and poor communication from health authorities have somehow created confusion among the public on the emerging disease.
"Unfortunately, with the bird flu scare there is no going back. Diseases that scare us out of proportion to their ability to infect us are lodged in our thoughts, and we believe that they are going to happen to us.
"Fear is irrational, but is very powerful. Once it is turned on, it is difficult to turn it off," Spiegel says in his introduction.
Common sense the best weapon
A business editor by profession, Colum Murphy has written an elaborate book, Flu Action Plan, A Business Survival Guide, a must-read book for business people. The book chronicles the business side of any possible pandemic without trying to scare people.
Meanwhile, published by Cambridge-based Icon Books, pocket book-sized Bird Flu by John Farndon is more straightforward in addressing the topic.
Eminent virologist from the University of Cambridge Tony Minson says in the foreword that Farndon tells us what we need to know, taking us through the issues in a straightforward style and using plain language.
"Farndon's conclusion is right: we are not ready yet, so keep your fingers crossed," he says.
Authors on the current bird flu outbreak all refer to John Barry's historical account The Great Influenza: The Epic Story of the Deadliest Plague in History, praised as one of the most enriching sources of information.
Through meticulous and detailed studies, Barry pieces together episodes on some of the U.S. states involved in the terrifying epidemic.
The book also chronicles the attempts of medical scientists to race against time and rapid deaths to seek a cure for the sick.
Ultimately, whatever book you read or however much you know about bird flu, commonsense, reasonable measures are what will prevent us all from succumbing to the virus.
Good basic sanitation measures like hand-washing, eating a healthy diet and knowing how and when to relate with our environment are the best defense.