Description
Explore a profound journey through history with the book 'A Good Time to Be Born,' which unveils the remarkable decline of childhood mortality over the past century. In today's wealthiest nations, the tragic losses of children to diseases such as diarrhea and measles seem distant. Yet, just a hundred years ago, the specter of infant death loomed large, profoundly shaping culture and literature. Witness how figures like Louisa May Alcott and Eugene O'Neill captured the pain of loss in their writings. This compelling narrative by Perri Klass honors the transformative efforts of scientists, public health advocates, and pioneering female doctors, such as Sara Josephine Baker and Mary Putnam Jacobi. Their groundbreaking work in sanitation and vaccination was instrumental in reducing early deaths, allowing parents to embrace a future where childhood is cherished rather than feared. This book, published by W W Norton & Company, spans 384 pages of gripping historical insights and cultural reflections, making it a must-read for anyone interested in the evolution of public health and childhood wellbeing. Discover how our understanding of childhood has evolved and how pivotal medical advancements have reshaped society. Note: Shipping for this item is free. Please allow up to 6 weeks for delivery. Once your order is placed, it cannot be cancelled. Condition: BRAND NEW. ISBN: 9780393609998. Year: 2020.
Note: Shipping for this item is free. Please allow up to 6 weeks for delivery. Once your order is placed, it cannot be cancelled.
Condition: BRAND NEW
ISBN: 9780393609998
Year: 2020
Publisher: W W Norton & Company
Pages: 384
Description:
Only one hundred years ago, even in the world's wealthiest nations, children died in great numbers?of diarrhea, diphtheria, and measles, of scarlet fever and meningitis. Culture was shaped by these deaths; diaries and letters recorded them, poets and writers from Louisa May Alcott to Eugene O'Neill wrote about and lamented them. Not even the high and mighty could escape: presidents and titans of industry lost their children, the poor and powerless lost theirs even more frequently.
The near-conquest of infant and child mortality is one of our greatest human achievements, and Perri Klass pulls the story together for the first time, paying tribute to scientists, public health advocates, and groundbreaking women doctors like Sara Josephine Baker and Mary Putnam Jacobi, who brought new scientific ideas about sanitation and vaccination to families. Thanks to their work, early death is now the exception, bringing about a massive transformation in society and freeing parents to worry a lot more about a lot less.
Note: Shipping for this item is free. Please allow up to 6 weeks for delivery. Once your order is placed, it cannot be cancelled.
Condition: BRAND NEW
ISBN: 9780393609998
Year: 2020
Publisher: W W Norton & Company
Pages: 384
Description:
Only one hundred years ago, even in the world's wealthiest nations, children died in great numbers?of diarrhea, diphtheria, and measles, of scarlet fever and meningitis. Culture was shaped by these deaths; diaries and letters recorded them, poets and writers from Louisa May Alcott to Eugene O'Neill wrote about and lamented them. Not even the high and mighty could escape: presidents and titans of industry lost their children, the poor and powerless lost theirs even more frequently.
The near-conquest of infant and child mortality is one of our greatest human achievements, and Perri Klass pulls the story together for the first time, paying tribute to scientists, public health advocates, and groundbreaking women doctors like Sara Josephine Baker and Mary Putnam Jacobi, who brought new scientific ideas about sanitation and vaccination to families. Thanks to their work, early death is now the exception, bringing about a massive transformation in society and freeing parents to worry a lot more about a lot less.