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Apart from the fact that they have the same title, these two books are similar in various other aspects. Both were written as a form of ‘pocket guide’ of all the major germs and diseases that threaten humanity, with also a chapter each on bioterrorism thrown in to make them more relevant in the contemporary global state of affairs. Absent are the complicated terms, confusing scientific gibberish, and the formal, academic style of writing. In short, these books are intended to keep the ignorant populace informed of the plethora of microbiological dangers that continuously threaten to divulge them. These books are the layman’s (or perhaps almost everyman’s) all-in-one guide to germs and diseases, and thus they are written in an uncomplicated language so that all can comprehend the dangers we are facing, or rather the dangers we are mostly ignorant of. For those of you who avoid reading, whether by lacking ability or interest, both books have been designed with a gas mask on the cover to instil the appropriate fears.
The Zimmermans’ guide presents a sort of medical history (in layman’s terms, of course) of the alleged origins of diseases and viruses, and of humanity’s efforts to contain them. Thus we have the stories of plagues, bacteria, parasites, antibiotics, bacterial resistance, AIDS and bioterrorism. The accepted heroes also appear: Edward Jenner, Louis Pasteur, Joseph Lister, Robert Koch, Alexander Fleming, Robert Gallo and others. The prime concern of AIDS is allotted a separate chapter and, in keeping with the ‘layman methodology,’ subheadings in this chapter include ‘A new disease emerges,’ ‘Searching for a cause,’ and ‘Where did HIV come from?’ While stating that “AIDS is a most insidious disease,” in their final analysis of the disease the Zimmermans find reason for much optimism: “…we appear to be on the threshold of discovering new drugs and drug combinations that will greatly slow down, if not halt, the virus in its tracks…Too many great minds and great technologies are at work worldwide for us not to succeed.” Surely such sentiment is quite appropriate for the layman: no light at the end of the tunnel yet, but always hope springs eternal.
Moore’s account also seeks to draw the historical thread of diseases and the heroes who first pioneered effective defences from the Bubonic Plague up until the appearance of the polio vaccines of the 1950s. The obvious chapter on bioterrorism also appears, followed by the other obvious chapter on AIDS. Other interesting chapters in Moore’s account include ‘The Mighty Mosquito’ and ‘Foot-and-Mouth.’ Admittedly, Moore’s account does include slightly more scientific terminology than the Zimmermans’ account. Thus we find a chapter entitled ‘PR is for prions,’ and we also read about things like variolation. Yet Moore’s account is often couched in informal language, and thus we find subtitles such as ‘And now for my next trick’ and ‘And then confusion’ appearing. Moore’s chapter on AIDS differs little from that of the Zimmermans’, focusing on the layman’s nexus of ‘where does it come from?, what is it?, what about the future?’ Where the accounts do differ, however, is on the small subject of the HIV status of an Englishman who died in 1959 from AIDS-like symptoms and whose blood was frozen for testing. When the blood was eventually tested decades later, states the Zimmermans, the Englishman’s blood tested positive for HIV – and was thus the first known case of HIV infection among humans. Not so, says Moore, when the Englishman’s blood was tested the results turned out negative for HIV - “a case of mistaken identity.” If the authors are referring to the same 1959 Englishman, then this is an interesting discrepancy indeed.
Having enlightened his reader with the required elementary knowledge of the major germs and diseases, Moore concludes his account by stating that “infectious diseases are here to stay. Our task is to give them as little room for manoeuvre as possible lest they develop their skills and become pandemic-causing killer germs.” For their part, the Zimmermans ask the question whether the human species is likely to survive the prolonged onslaught of its microbiological antagonists, and they answer this question by stating “in all likelihood, yes. Logic dictates that if we have survived to this point…we will survive whatever future pestilence nature fashions to infect us with.” Moore and the Zimmermans’ grim conclusions notwithstanding, in their layman accounts these authors have contributed somewhat to the proper understanding of humanity’s deadly microbial antagonists.
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