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Reviewed by:
  • Beasts of the Earth: Animals, Humans, and Disease
  • Anita Guerrini
E. Fuller Torrey and Robert H. Yolken . Beasts of the Earth: Animals, Humans, and Disease. New Brunswick, N.J.: Rutgers University Press, 2005. xii + 191 pp. 1 table, 1 fig. $23.95 (0-8135-3571-9).

E. Fuller Torrey and Robert H. Yolken, both physicians, offer an excellent introduction to zoonoses, both historical and modern. Most human infectious diseases [End Page 199] originated in animals, and with the outbreak of new diseases such as AIDS and the resurgence of old ones such as tuberculosis, this book is very timely. To call this a book for beginners is in no way a criticism; the authors summarize, clearly and readably, the current state of knowledge in genetics, molecular biology, and disease research, beginning with defining the microbe. Throughout their account, they also emphasize the interaction between ecological factors and microbes.

The authors begin their historical account in the distant past, with what they call "heirloom infections": infections that have passed to humans in the course of their evolution from earlier primate species; these include various herpes viruses and malaria. They go on to discuss hunter-gatherers, the domestication of animals, and the beginnings of urban culture and trade as signposts in the evolution and distribution of disease from animals to humans. Each of these developments in human culture led to the introduction of new microbes. Torrey and Yolken use a variety of sources—scientific, historical, and literary—and keep their narrative moving at a brisk pace, but their account never seems superficial, and their endnotes provide ample material for additional reading. While this first third of the book covers some of the same ground as the venerable Plagues and Peoples (1976) of William McNeill, the concision and up-to-date science of Beasts of the Earth provide an alternative for classroom use to McNeill's sometimes ponderous text.

The longest chapter discusses the phenomenon of pet-keeping and its relationship to disease causation. Torrey and Yolken acknowledge the therapeutic value of companion animals, but their catalog of microbes carried by dogs and cats will make many pet-owners look at Fido or Fluffy a little differently. The authors note the possible connection between exposure to dogs and multiple sclerosis, but after a typically judicious survey of the evidence they conclude that the relationship remains inconclusive.

Two chapters discuss the relationship between disease and food. The story of food-borne diseases such as salmonella and campylobacter is well known and has been told in detail by authors such as Nicols Fox in her 1997 book Spoiled (not cited by Torrey and Yolken). More interesting to this reader were the connections the authors establish between food-raising practices and the advent of such diseases as SARS, avian flu, and, most importantly, influenza.

Torrey and Yolkum end their book with a look at such "coming plagues" as AIDS and West Nile virus, and conclude that animal diseases have played a central role in history. While domesticated animals have provided humans with many necessities of life, they have also been the conduits of many of our worst ills: "the relationship between humans and other animals is marked by contradictions" (p. 138). This is an excellent short survey that is ideally suited for classroom use in courses on the history of disease, or disease and the environment. While the hardcover price is reasonable, a paperback edition would ensure a wide readership for this useful and informative book.

Anita Guerrini
University of California, Santa Barbara
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