There are occasions when a story told from a personal viewpoint can illuminate a profession. Alfred Sommer’s epidemiological memoir is such a book. Adventurous, illuminating, and thought provoking, Ten Lessons in Public Health is more than the story of one man’s work. It tells the tale of how epidemiology grew into global health. The book is organized around ten lessons Sommer learned as his career took him around the world, and within these lessons he explains how the modern era of public health research was born.

Three themes emerge from Sommer's story: the duty to help your fellow human beings by traveling to places where there are problems; the knowledge that data-driven research is the key to improving public health; and the need to persevere with sensitivity and strength when science and cultural or sociological forces clash. Nothing in this compelling, sometimes controversial, history is glossed over, as the book’s goal is to explain when and why public health efforts triumph or fail. Readers will travel to Bangladesh, Iran, Indonesia, South America, and the Caribbean, where they will learn about spreading epidemics, the aftermath of storms, and vexing epidemiological problems. Sommer reveals the inner politics of world health decisions and how difficult it can be to garner support for new solutions.

Triumph, tragedy, frustration, and elation await those who set off on careers in public health, and Ten Lessons in Public Health is destined to become a classic book that puts the field into perspective.

About the Author

Alfred Sommer, M.D., M.H.S., is University Distinguished Service Professor and Gilman Scholar at the Johns Hopkins University and dean emeritus of its Bloomberg School of Public Health. He is the author of Getting What We Deserve: Health and Medical Care in America, also published by Johns Hopkins; Vitamin A Deficiency: Health, Survival, and Vision; and Epidemiology and Statistics for the Ophthalmologist.

"About this title" may belong to another edition of this title.

Store Description

Visit Seller's Storefront

Seller's business information

Slingshot, LP
1500 S Western Ave, Marion, IN, 46953, U.S.A.

Sale & Shipping Terms

Terms of Sale

All books are guaranteed to be in the stated condition. We
will refund the full
price of the book if it is not received within 15 days of the
estimated delivery
date. All customer support e-mails will be answered within
two business days.

Shipping Terms

Orders usually ship the next business days. Shipping costs are based on books weighing 2.2 LB, or 1 KG.

Shipping rates within U.S.A.

Shipping rates within U.S.A.
Order quantity	5 to 21 business days	3 to 6 business days
First item	US$ 3.25	US$ 5.50

Delivery times are set by sellers and vary by carrier and location. Orders passing through Customs may face delays and buyers are responsible for any associated duties or fees. Sellers may contact you regarding additional charges to cover any increased costs to ship your items.