Influenza: The Hundred Year Hunt to Cure the Deadliest Disease in History - Hardcover

Dr. Jeremy Brown trained at University College School of Medicine in London and completed his residency in emergency medicine in Boston. He was the Research Director in the Department of Emergency Medicine at George Washington University before moving to the National Institutes of Health, where he now directs its Office of Emergency Care Research. His opinion pieces have been published in The New York Times and The Washington Post, and he has written for Discover magazine.

“The influenza pandemic of 1918 was responsible for an estimated 50–100 million deaths worldwide. A century later, ‘The flu is still a serial killer,’ writes emergency-medicine physician Brown... Brown smartly examines this viral infection from all sorts of angles—medical history, virology, diagnosis and treatment, economics and epidemiology‚ health-care policy, and prevention.”
—Starred Booklist

“Influenza tells a surprisingly compelling and accessible story of one of the world's most deadly diseases. It is timely and interesting, engaging and sobering.” —David Gregory, CNN Political Analyst and former moderator for NBC’s, Meet the Press

“Jeremy Brown, one of the country's leading emergency physicians, has written a terrific book. From the Great Influenza Pandemic of 1918 to our most recent outbreaks, he tells a gripping story that brings an entirely new perspective on our battle against influenza. Extensively researched and often humorous, it reminds us of the great strides modern medicine has made, and of the dangers that we still face each flu season.” —Gail D’Onofrio MD, Professor and Chair, Department of Emergency Medicine, Yale School of Medicine

“Even now, a century after the great flu pandemic of 1918, which left an estimated 50 to 100 million people dead worldwide, there's still no cure, writes Brown, an ER veteran and director of the National Institutes of Health's Office of Emergency Care Research. In his debut, he traces the millions-of-years history of the virus, efforts to understand and treat it, and its many devastating outbreaks... A solid book of popular science.” —Kirkus Reviews

“Brown, director of the Office of Emergency Care Research at the National Institutes of Health, marks the 100th anniversary of the 1918 Spanish flu pandemic with this no-nonsense account of medicine’s long battle against influenza. Brown recounts the ‘epic effort’ in the 1990s to resurrect and genetically decode the Spanish flu, which, in addition to triggering concern that “all this tinkering was creating superviruses,” underscored influenza’s elusiveness. As an experienced ER doctor, he also offers plain advice on dealing with the virus.”—Publishers Weekly

"A thoughtful portrait of an elusive enemy.”
—Nature.com

“An in-depth look at what scientists know now about the 1918 strain [and] a fascinating look at the factors that make the more common seasonal flu so challenging to predict and prevent... For those who want more science with a frank discussion of the challenges influenza still poses, Brown delivers a clear and captivating overview.”
—Science News