Plagues and Polities: Disease as the Etiology for Human History

摘要

We all remember history from school. For many of us, it was that gloomy subject where a vapid teacher loomed at the front of the class reading at interminable length from stagnant tomes bulging with frivolous facts and colorless characters — prime time for napping or natter in the back of the classroom. However, for the major geeks among us (including me, obviously) history was the single most riveting topic in the entire curriculum. A refreshing plunge into the lively currents of history made plain not only reams of basic facts ("George Washington slept here") but more importantly the passions that drive human enterprise ("We hold these truths to be self evident..."). History provides context and imparts meaning.