Fourth Horseman: A Short History of Epidemics, Plagues, Famine and Other Scourges Book

While I did find this interesting in a gruesome way, I felt that some of his representation to be a bit racist. He calls the Indigenous peoples of North, Central and South America Amerindians which I find really off putting and a reference to the Irish as the N word of Europe left a really sour taste in my mouth. I realize that this was written in 1990 but it really bothers me. I found also the chapter on AIDS to be seriously outdated.

His descriptions of earlier plagues are really interesting, although his predictions for the way society would be run in the 2000’s was a bit off the mark. “The threats that bacterial resistance pose are so real and so serious that the new millennium will invite medieval if not Draconian measures. Travellers entering countries with low levels of drug resistance will be quarantined until their germ status has been determined.” I work in a hospital, and we do isolate patients, especially those who have travelled to other countries, but as far as I know travellers are not quarantined. I shudder to think about what is growing inside of me, having worked in hospitals most of my adult life.

Addendum:

I can’t believe I just read this a year and a half ago. So much has changed. My apologies to Andrew Nikiforuk. I take it all back.