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The Ghost Map

The Story of London's Most Terrifying Epidemic--and How It Changed Science, Cities, and the Modern W…

By Steven Johnson

(3)

| Paperback | 9781594482694

Book Description

A National Bestseller, a New York Times Notable Book, and an Entertainment Weekly Best Book of the Year It's the summer of 1854, and London is just emerging as one of the first modern cities in the world. But lacking the infrastructure-garbage removal, clean water, sewers-necessary toContinue

2 Reviews

As on-the-edge-of-your-seat gripping as any great fictional medical mystery.

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― SWReader said on Nov 14, 2009 | Add your feedback

50-75 pages too long

Ghost Map would have been a decent "whodunnit" if left to a tightly written story around the context (which he does a decent job of), facts (symptoms), investigation, confrontation (Snow vs Whitehead vs Government), and resolution. However, Johnson felt the need to pad the book with a conclusion st ... (continue)

Ghost Map would have been a decent "whodunnit" if left to a tightly written story around the context (which he does a decent job of), facts (symptoms), investigation, confrontation (Snow vs Whitehead vs Government), and resolution. However, Johnson felt the need to pad the book with a conclusion starring an inane monologue on city planning - or something, it was grim reading and when he felt the need to define "URL", I was ready to call it a day.
The Washington Post called Ghost Map "a true page turner". For all I know, that reviewer may just have wanted to get to the end. I found the subject to be of interest, but the execution to be lacking. Ghost Map contained snippets of good reading surrounded by seas of doldrums.
I abandoned Ghost Map 30 pages before the end (yes, the conclusion and epilogues were really that bad), and I still felt I'd read 30 pages too many. Had this been tightened up a lot by good editors, I would recommend Ghost Map. It wasn't, so I can't.

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― Andyberschauer said on Jul 14, 2009 | Add your feedback