The Ghost Map; The Story of London's Most Terrifying Epidemic--and How It Changed Science, Cities, and the Modern World.

“'This is a story with four protagonists: a deadly bacterium, a vast city, and two gifted but very different men.' So begins Steven Johnson’s multi-layered account of the 1854 London cholera epidemic. London was just emerging as one of the first modern cities in the world, but it lacked the public health infrastructure to support its exploding population. As a result, the city became the perfect breeding ground for a deadly disease. Rising up against the dogma of the scientific community, two men, Dr. John Snow and Reverend Henry Whitehead, attempted to put a stop to the epidemic, and in doing so revolutionized the way we think of the spread of disease, the nature of scientific inquiry, and the rise of the modern city." [Introduction to the online Penguin Reading Guide.]

The following summary is taken from www.ghostmap.com

"It is the summer of 1854. Cholera has seized London with unprecedented intensity. A metropolis of more than 2 million people, London is just emerging as a one of the first modern cities in the world. But lacking the infrastructure necessary to support its dense population - garbage removal, clean water, sewers - the city has become the perfect breeding ground for a terrifying disease no one knows how to cure.

As their neighbors begin dying, two men are spurred to action: the Reverend Henry Whitehead, whose faith in a benevolent God is shaken by the seemingly random nature of the victims, and Dr. John Snow, whose ideas about contagion have been dismissed by the scientific community, but who is convinced that he knows how the disease is being transmitted. In a riveting day-by-day account, The Ghost Map chronicles the outbreak’s spread and the desperate efforts to put an end to the epidemic - and solve the most pressing medical riddle of the age.

The Ghost Map is the chilling story of urban terror, but it is also a story of how scientific understanding can advance in the most hostile of environments. In a triumph of dynamic, multidisciplinary thinking, Steven Johnson examines the epidemic from the microbial level to the human level to the urban level. Brilliantly illuminating the intertwined histories of the spread of disease, the rise of cities, and the nature of scientific inquiry, Johnson presents both vivid history and a powerful, provocative explanation of how it has shaped the world we live in."

Why we selected this book

We have chosen The Ghost Map as this year's common reading for several reasons.  A central feature of a liberal arts education is developing the capacity to think critically and carefully about real world problems.  Global health concerns are among the most urgent problems we currently face.  It is also an area of growing interest to Macalester students and faculty. The Ghost Map brings to life the interdisciplinary nature of public health issues and underscores how important it is for all citizens to understand the role science plays in solving problems.  Moreover, The Ghost Map is a great read, with the pacing of a gripping mystery, which makes it a perfect choice for a summer reading.