Reviews
A 1994 Notable Book of the Year
[A] remarkable book... Elegantly composed... It is written, and splendidly so, out of compassion for victims, respect for their courage and hope that their stories will enlighten us about current afflictions. Suffering is the books' compelling theme: not the genius of scientists but the pain and tenacity of the sick... [Rothman's] book is invested with a modestly humane hope that the past can teach us something useful... At stake is our collective civility as much as our health.
[A] moving account of what is was like to live in the shadow of death.
This is great reading, an illness narrative that dramatically illustrates how an exceptional, atypical life can inform historical knowledge.
[A] graceful and lucid history.
Dr Rothman has hit a home run. Sandlot Stats: Learning Statistics with Baseball is not only a fine book to read, but a text which can also serve as an excellent resource book.
Remarkably relevant. [Living in the Shadow of Death] conveys a troubling sense of déjà vu in a decade when we face both the AIDS epidemic and the recrudescence of tuberculosis itself; and it is important reading for those caught up in efforts to deal both effectively and humanely with either.
A fascinating and powerful book... compelling reading. Tuberculosis was a disease, now reemerging, that killed more Americans, young or old, rich or poor, than any other disease, until well into the twentieth century. It shaped our culture, determined careers, blighted lives. Rothman writes beautifully and with great sensitivity about the human condition. The book will, I believe, become a classic in the field.