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The Fever: How Malaria Has Ruled Humankind for 500,000 Years Paperback – June 21, 2011

by Sonia Shah (Author)
4.5 4.5 out of 5 stars 292 ratings
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In recent years, malaria has emerged as a cause celebre for voguish philanthropists. Bill Gates, Bono, and Laura Bush are only a few of the personalities who have lent their names--and opened their pocketbooks--in hopes of stopping the disease. Still, in a time when every emergent disease inspires waves of panic, why aren't we doing more to tame one of our oldest foes? And how does a pathogen that we've known how to prevent for more than a century still infect 500 million people every year, killing nearly one million of them? 
In The Fever, journalist Sonia Shah sets out to answer those questions, delivering a timely, inquisitive chronicle of the illness and its influence on human lives. Through the centuries, she finds, we've invested our hopes in a panoply of drugs and technologies, and invariably those hopes have been dashed. From the settling of the New World to the construction of the Panama Canal, through wartimes and the advances of the Industrial Revolution, Shah tracks malaria's jagged ascent and the tragedies in its wake, revealing a parasite every bit as persistent as the insects that carry it.  With distinguished prose and original reporting from Panama, Malawi, Cameroon, India, and elsewhere, The Fever captures the curiously fascinating, devastating history of this long-standing thorn in the side of humanity.
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  1. Print length
    320 pages
  2. Language
    English
  3. Publication date
    June 21, 2011
  4. Dimensions
    5.55 x 0.85 x 8.2 inches
  5. ISBN-10
    0312573014
  6. ISBN-13
    978-0312573010
  7. See all details
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Page 1 of 1 Start overPage 1 of 1
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  1. The Mosquito: A Human History of Our Deadliest Predator
  2. The Ghost Map: The Story of London's Most Terrifying Epidemic--and How It Changed Science, Cities, and the Modern World
  3. Rabid: A Cultural History of the World's Most Diabolical Virus
  4. The American Plague: The Untold Story of Yellow Fever, The Epidemic That Shaped Our History
  5. The Making of a Tropical Disease: A Short History of Malaria (Johns Hopkins Biographies of Disease)
  6. Fighting for Life (New York Review Books Classics)
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Editorial Reviews

Review

“Sonia Shah's tour-de-force history of malaria will convince you that the real sound track to our collective fate [is] the syncopated whine-slap, whine-slap of man and mosquito duking it out over the aeons.” ―The New York Times

“An often rollicking read . . . Shah has put together an engrossing cast of doctors, malariologists, and historical figures.” ―Time

“An insightful book explores the human struggle with malaria not just from a scientific angle, which is cogently detailed without being overwhelming, but also from sociological and anthropological perspectives. . . . Shah is to be commended. ” ―The Boston Globe

“Brilliant.” ―The Wall Street Journal

“The Fever is a vivid and compelling history with a message that's entirely relevant today.” ―Elizabeth Kolbert, author of The Sixth Extinction

“I didn't just read The Fever--I inhaled it. It's a fascinating book, elegantly written and superbly well researched: a poignant and important reminder of malaria's relentless human toll.” ―Nina Munk, author of Fools Rush In: Steve Case, Jerry Levin, and the Unmaking of AOL Time Warner

“A thrilling detective story, spanning centuries, about our erratic pursuit of a villain still at large and still a threat to mankind. The Fever is rich in colorful detail and engagingly told. An astonishing array of characters has joined the fray, and you can only be amazed at the deviousness and skill of the archenemy.” ―Malcolm Molyneux, Professor, Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine

“Extremely well-researched, The Fever provides a highly gripping account of one of mankind's worst diseases. Highly recommended.” ―Bart Knols, malariologist and managing director, MalariaWorld.org

About the Author

Sonia Shah is a science journalist and prize-winning author. Her writing on science, politics, and human rights has appeared in the New York Times, the Wall Street Journal, Foreign Affairs, Scientific American and elsewhere. Her work has been featured on Fresh Air, RadioLab, and TED, where her talk, "Three Reasons We Still Haven't Gotten Rid of Malaria" has been viewed by over 1,000,000 people around the world. 
Her 2010 book, The Fever, which was called a "tour-de-force history of malaria" (New York Times), "rollicking" (Time), and "brilliant" (Wall Street Journal), was long-listed for the Royal Society's Winton Prize, the world's most prestigious prize for science writing.

Product details

  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Picador; Reprint edition (June 21, 2011)
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • Paperback ‏ : ‎ 320 pages
  • ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 0312573014
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0312573010
  • Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 10.6 ounces
  • Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 5.55 x 0.85 x 8.2 inches
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.5 4.5 out of 5 stars 292 ratings

About the author

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Sonia Shah

Sonia Shah

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Sonia Shah is a science journalist and prize-winning author. Her writing on science, politics, and human rights has appeared in the New York Times, the Wall Street Journal, Foreign Affairs, Scientific American and elsewhere. Her work has been featured on RadioLab, Fresh Air, and TED, where her talk, "Three Reasons We Still Haven't Gotten Rid of Malaria" has been viewed by over 1,000,000 people around the world. Her 2010 book, The Fever, which was called a "tour-de-force history of malaria" (New York Times), "rollicking" (Time), and "brilliant" (Wall Street Journal) was long-listed for the Royal Society's Winton Prize. Her new book, Pandemic: Tracking Contagions from Cholera to Ebola and Beyond, is forthcoming from Sarah Crichton Books/Farrar, Straus & Giroux in February 2016.

Her prize-winning 2006 drug industry exposé, The Body Hunters: Testing New Drugs on the World's Poorest Patients (New Press), has been hailed by Publishers Weekly as "a tautly argued study...a trenchant exposé...meticulously researched and packed with documentary evidence," and as "important [and] powerful" by The New England Journal of Medicine. The book, which international bestselling novelist and The Constant Gardener author John Le Carré called "an act of courage," has enjoyed wide international distribution, including French, Japanese, and Italian editions. The Library Journal named it one of the best consumer health books of 2006.

Shah was born in 1969 in New York City to Indian immigrants. Growing up, she shuttled between the northeastern United States where her parents practiced medicine and Mumbai and Bangalore, India, where her extended working-class family lived, developing a life-long interest in inequality between and within societies. She holds a BA in journalism, philosophy, and neuroscience from Oberlin College, and lives with molecular ecologist Mark Bulmer and their two sons Zakir and Kush.

Photo by Joyce Ravid.

Customer reviews

4.5 out of 5 stars
4.5 out of 5
292 global ratings

Top reviews from the United States

Frederick S. Goethel
5.0 out of 5 stars A Wake Up Call to Americans About the Dangers of Malarial Infection
Reviewed in the United States on July 21, 2010
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The author begins the book with a look at how malaria developed and how the transmission cycle occurs in the Anopheles mosquito. Tracing it roots in Africa thousands of years ago, the author follows malarias spread around the world and explains why it is endemic in some areas while rarely found in others. She also delves into the issues of eradication and why it has failed to control, let alone conquer, the spread of the disease. From spraying to medications to netting, the author details why each has failed and how the malarial parasite has managed to survive most attempts to control it.

Most Americans rarely, if ever, think about malaria, and if they do, they think about it as it relates to poor African and South American countries which have not been able to eradicate malaria. I doubt many Americans are aware that we are precariously close to having malaria return to this country. Most mosquito experts will admit that we are potentially one infected person away from having malaria return to this country, and with globalization and easy travel available, it is inevitable that we will develop pockets of malaria. It really is just a matter of time.

The book is very well written, translating difficult technical information into very readable material that does not require scientific training to understand. As a board member of a mosquito control district, I am quite aware of how difficult it is to transmit readable, understandable information to the public, and the author has done an amazing job of doing just that. It should act as a wake up call to Americans about the dangers of malaria and why we need to be vigilant. I would recommend it to all, specifically those people living in areas where malaria is most likely to return.
12 people found this helpful
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Donald
4.0 out of 5 stars A Thorough Account
Reviewed in the United States on November 25, 2019
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The Fever is about the history of malaria. Malaria is an ancient disease. Although it was identified in 1880, author Sonia Shah traces it from Roman times. Today we understand much about this disease, but getting to this point has been arduous. First, malaria is caused not by a virus or bacteria, but by a one-celled parasite, the Plasmodium. Five species of Plasmodium infect humans, of which the Plasmodium falciparum is the most serious.

This parasite undergoes development in both mosquito and human through eight life stages. These transformations make it harder to detect. Scientists also struggled to discover how it spread. After the mosquito was suspected as the vector, and the Anopheles genus was discovered as the carrier, it was found that certain species of Anopheles carried different types of malaria, while a majority carried none. Additionally, carrier species were found in different parts of the world. So, while Anopheles subpictus might be a major malaria carrier in parts of India, Anopheles gambiae could be a major carrier in sub-Saharan Africa.

Finding an effective medicine was a struggle. Quinine at one time was preferred. But when it was most needed during WW II, the Cinchona tree grew mostly within conquered Japanese territory. Several synthetic substitutes gave false hopes when their effectiveness waned with the parasite’s growing immunity.

Even after an effective remedy was found, human nature found a way to squander it through mismanagement and indifference. Today, geography, ecology, and economics conspire to prolong malaria’s existence. Humans find out repeatedly that, while Asian and African natives find ways to coexist with the disease, foreigners with no immunity fall victim.

Efforts to eradicate malaria have failed. Malaria seems best checked by controlling its environment. Currently the scourge seems hidden from our view in the US. But it is still around, and most prevalent in the poorest countries where preventive measures are neglected.

Shah wrote a surprisingly comprehensive book. Her research is thorough. And it appeared that much of her research was first-hand. Her journalistic style, at times digressing but evocative, provides a respite from hard science; however, this might not be appreciated by all readers.

I also wondered if the place Shah gave malaria in shaping history is warranted. For example, although Roman campaigns frequently fell victim to sickness, malaria had many malevolent competitors.
2 people found this helpful
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EJ
5.0 out of 5 stars A brilliant synthesis of a complicated subject
Reviewed in the United States on July 20, 2010
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Malaria is not something most of us think about in-depth unless traveling to an area where the disease is common. However, this incredible book makes an excellent argument for why we should. The author manages to magically transform volumes of scientific information into a riveting tale that just about anyone will enjoy.

Ms. Shah traces the very complex history of malaria from the beginning of human/mosquito interaction, and covers a range of related topics including the routes of infection and transmission; why certain areas and populations are more susceptible to malaria; the role of war, technology, and industry in sparking the disease; and why the efforts to control or at least contain it have not been universally successful. The book is meticulously sourced (at least 30% of the text consists of the references listed at the end of the book and footnoted within each chapter), but is not dry in the least.

The book reads like fiction, and it's too bad that it's not. The author leaves the reader with a very well-developed sense that the merest change in environmental conditions can leave us all susceptible to the next wave of malaria. I recommend this book strongly to just about anyone, but particularly for those who are interested in medical history and public health.
30 people found this helpful
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Bookworm
5.0 out of 5 stars Malaria has ruled humanity for thousands of years. Why?
Reviewed in the United States on May 18, 2015
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The Fever presents an absolutely fascinating overview of how malaria and its effects on various groups of people have played a role in human history. You may wonder how this topic could be at all interesting, let alone fascinating. Sonia Shah manages to combine a personable and readable style with narratives that tie together wide-ranging events as connected with malaria, including as the fall of the Roman Empire and the slave trade in the Americas. I wish someone had given me this book to read when I was having my dry and meaningless history classes in high school!
This is like one of those epic historical novels, but with the malaria parasites as the main characters. For those who want to delve in in more detail, there are lots of references for every point; but the reading pleasure doesn't suffer from just reading past the scholarly references (which, I confess, I am doing).
7 people found this helpful
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Bai
5.0 out of 5 stars Comprehensive and readable history of a disease that shaped history
Reviewed in Canada on December 26, 2019
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History and science of malaria, a disease that has been around for 500,000 years and is still a problem today, even though many infectious diseases have been eradicated. Malaria is caused by a protozoan parasite that feeds on red blood cells, it's transmitted by mosquitos. After millennia of co-existence with humans, the parasite and our immune system have evolved many defenses and counter-defenses, for example: it hides in the liver to evade detection, and the sickle cell anemia gene provides defense against malaria.

Malaria has shaped history in many occasions: natives from malaria-endemic regions have acquired some degree of built-in immunity and rarely die from it, whereas white colonizers had no immunity and died frequently. This prevented white people from venturing deep into Africa, and a Scottish colony in Panama was doomed because everybody got sick. Conversely, human activity affects malaria as well -- malaria spreads when mosquitos have pools of stagnant water to lay their eggs. These conditions can be inadvertently created through land development, seasonality, climate change, etc.

Quinine (extracted from cinchona trees) was the first effective remedy for malaria, but supply was limited because it was difficult to grow. During WW2, synthetic quinacrine was developed, but the pathogens soon gained resistance. In the 70s, artemisinin was extracted from traditional Chinese medicine (one of the few success cases) but the parasite developed resistance to that as well, partially because Novartis made it too expensive and people used reduced doses, which leads to resistance. Currently the recommended treatment is artemisinin combination therapy, basically hitting it with a bunch of antimalarial drugs at the same time.

People in malaria-endemic countries often don't consider it a particularly serious disease, since 99% of the time you don't die from it, so public funding and interest is generally unstable. Still, it causes a lot of productivity loss as sick people are unable to work, one of the reasons for poverty. An effective counter is filling in ponds of stagnant water, which is how malaria was eradicated in the west; this is not feasible in tropical countries though. In the 50s, they attempted to use DDT to eradicate mosquitos; this was discontinued after birds were reported dying of DDT bioaccumulation. Still, many experts believe that DDT shouldn't have been banned since the benefits outweigh the costs.

What's next for malaria? The community is divided on whether complete eradication is a realistic goal; aiming long term control is more feasible. There will be no one-shot silver bullet solution, because in the past, every time the parasite soon develops resistance. Insecticide-treated mosquito nets are cost-effective, combined with medication and ecological reform, but it will be a long, slow battle.
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Saptarshi
5.0 out of 5 stars Must read for anyone interested in medical science❤️
Reviewed in India on December 17, 2020
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A treasure trove of knowledge on one of the deadliest diseases known to mankind
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Saptarshi
5.0 out of 5 stars Must read for anyone interested in medical science❤️
Reviewed in India on December 17, 2020
A treasure trove of knowledge on one of the deadliest diseases known to mankind
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John
5.0 out of 5 stars Interesting history of malaria
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on March 26, 2014
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This is worth a read. Sonia Shah provides a thought provoking overview of the history of this persistent disease and the terrible global toll it has caused,
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hs　kondle
5.0 out of 5 stars かゆい秋に考えよう
Reviewed in Japan on September 13, 2010
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30年前くらい前に寄生虫学の講義だったか、内科学の感染症の講義だったか、neglected diseaseといわれる、めったにない感染症にかかると、みたことのない若い医者は診断ができず、結局死にいたる。その外の大学からまねかれた講師は、あきれるくらい病原体がいるのにそれがわからないと我々に警告した。血液のsmearのなかにみられる青っぽいものはたしかに好中球の分葉核ではないのかというような像もある。これがマラリアである。
本書は、インド系のアメリカ人がいとこのいる、インドで蚊帳のなかで寝るところからはじまる。マラリアの伝達が蚊によるという発見の科学者間の争い、植民地化するときのマラリア対策（非対策）のいろいろなどがおもしろおかしく語られる。ローマ帝国が衰退していくころに、蚊のpopulation が変わって一気にマラリアの集団発生が各地に勃発したというところがおもしろかった。
マラリア原虫よりもAnophelesなんとかと多数でてくる蚊の研究に興味を覚える。ちょうど、九月は蚊が必死に差し出す頃で、この夏は猛暑で蚊の発生が少なく、秋にふえるのではないか（かゆい秋）という新聞記事がのっていた。また、Scienceの9月のはじめの号には、ビルマタイの国境付近でACT(ヨモギからとった抗マラリア薬とその仲間を組みあわせて用いて耐性の出現に対応する)治療にいそしむフランス人科学者や、あたらしい、抗マラリア薬を化学的アプローチで発見した報告などがのっている。Harvardのものすごいマラリアの研究所のことや、Big　pharma（Novartis）の戦略、偽薬の跋扈など、著者の得意とする分野であろう。
国連はなにを問題にすべきか。保健行政をなにに重点をおくべきかという議論はわれわれの知らないレベルで行われており、日本人のArata Kochiさんの話などの引用もあるし、現地のひとは、マラリア薬よりも、プラスチック製のバケツがほしいというといった現実の描写は納得がゆく。がんという病気だって、いずれはいまのマラリア蔓延地で重要になってくる問題であるが、expensive diseaseとして問題として全く認識されないという状況もよくわかる。
よみやすく、通読に向いた本である。
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Susan Eberth
5.0 out of 5 stars Malaria
Reviewed in Canada on July 18, 2021
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A decent historical account of malaria. From the DDT devastation when this was used to battle the bug to the power of the Gates Foundation.
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