Emergencies in Anaesthesia Book

This book was such a disappointment. Instead of a critical history of the EIS that places the organization in its historic and political context, Pendergrast delivers what seems to be little more than a summary of the EIS' cases.

The short vignettes all sort of blur into each other after a while. Plus, this format means that you never really learn much about any outbreak or EIS personality-- they just kind of come and go without reason. On one hand, I suppose that is how it must feel to track down epidemics. On the other hand, for a reader it means the book is rarely engaging.

Pendergrast has the research for a great book about EIS and the CDC's relationship to politics, international diplomacy, and personalities. Sadly, he delivered a book that doesn't move beyond the cases or reflect critically on the organization. It's okay as a quick reference, but to really learn about public health there are several better books.