PositiveThe New York Times Book ReviewAn indelible portrait of an era ... Smilios is not at her strongest when she tackles the science, but she still spins a lively, parallel account of the quest for a cure for TB ... In an otherwise excellent book, there is a disappointing lack of transparency in Smilios’s note to readers, which claims that \"all the accounts and scenes in the book — including quotes, thoughts and reactions — are based on oral reports\" corroborated by written documentation ... Despite this flaw, this is a book that deserves reading and remembering in our pandemic age.
Marilyn Brookwood
PositiveScience... excellent ... In chronicling a major intellectual battle of the 20th century, The Orphans of Davenport offers scientists a cautionary, timeless tale about groupthink’s power to subvert the dispassionate analysis of new findings. It is also yet another sobering reminder of how specious science can be wielded to justify evil ends—with the attendant suffering of those least able to defend themselves.
Timothy C. Winegard
PositiveThe Wall Street JournalIt’s an ambitious book ... This book, [Winegard\'s] first for a popular audience, can’t be accused of being stuffy ... Mr. Winegard presents a convincing argument ... Other writers more measured and expert have covered pieces of this ground many times over ... Still, Mr. Winegard offers an encompassing millennia-long tale that has the virtue of interlacing human hubris and empire-building with the world-shaping influence of an insect ... The author makes some sloppy errors ... The book is also peppered with awful prose ... Nevertheless, what The Mosquito lacks in literary merit it makes up for in gusto, interest and scope.
