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Dim Sum

House on Fire: The Fight to Eradicate Small Pox

In 1806, Thomas Jefferson prophesized that: “Future nations will know by history only that the loathsome smallpox has existed.” William (Bill) Foege’s inspiring memoir, House on Fire: The Fight to Eradicate Small Pox tells the story of how, nearly 200 years later, the worldwide eradication of the deadly virus became a reality. Foege’s book is an in depth and personal look at an extraordinary triumph in public health and medicine from someone who was in the center of the fire fight.

Foege’s detailed descriptions of the containment strategy that eventually eradicated smallpox is fascinating, peppered with personal anecdotes. These stories make for easy reading, even to a layperson. His unwavering optimism and obvious respect for his coworkers, evident throughout the story is remarkable.  He describes an optimistic and courageous team that were “simply too young to realize they couldn’t do it.” The hard work and risk taking that went into this incredible feat put an end to a horrible disease that for centuries had killed and scarred millions.
 
The eradication campaign ran into a number of roadblocks along the way, with many believing it was impossible. On a few occasions it looked like the containment strategy would be abandoned, particularly in India. Foege recounts all these trials and tribulations with humor but acknowledges with humility that a lot of luck accompanied the hard work of the international medical community. There are a number of significant lessons that can be gleaned from this book but the one that is most striking is: “We all know the adage that some things have to be seen to be believed. In fact, the opposite is often true: some things have to be believed to be seen.” Those who believed that smallpox could be eradicated were a fundamental part of the smallpox eradication campaign. They were rewarded for their belief and ingenuity as they put out the fire of smallpox.

– Gahan Furlane

State of Wonder

In her book State of Wonder, New York Times bestselling author Ann Patchett gives us a great waning summer beach read, transporting us to the wild and unfamiliar world of the deep Amazon. We follow Dr. Marina Singh, a research scientist at a pharmaceutical company on an epic journey to the great river. Marina has been sent into the Amazon to uncover the mystery shrouding the death of her coworker and friend, who was sent to monitor the progress of a drug being developed. Marina suffers through the heat of Manaus and is then transported into the unknown when she heads into the heart of the Amazon. She travels by boat with her former mentor and teacher, the unsympathetic and hardnosed Dr. Annick Swenson, who has all but disappeared in the Amazon while working on an extremely valuable new fertility drug based on the habits of the Amazonian Lakashi tribe. Marina surprises herself and the reader as she “goes native,” during this odyssey.
 
Patchett’s well-written prose allows the reader to suspend disbelief as they are introduced to the Lakashi tribe where women continue bearing children well into their seventies. Patchett paints a vibrant picture of the Amazon’s lush and vivid flora and fauna, as rich as Marina’s journey.
 
Overall, Pachett’s characters are well-defined and captivating in a world where science and adventure are intertwined. The plot slows a bit in the middle while the ending seemed a little rushed as Patchett abruptly tries to tie loose ends. It is also sometimes difficult to believe the farfetched science of this fantastical story. Despite the unhurried pace that is sometimes reminiscent of the slow dreamy laziness of Marina’s time in the Amazon, the plot, characters and shocking revelations draw the reader in and create a mesmerizing narrative. This book might be just what the doctor ordered for the sand between the toes reader.

– Gahan Furlane

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