Plagues And Peoples Chapter Summary

Plagues and Peoples by William H. McNeil is a book about the interaction between humans and parasites. McNeill goes through history, starting before the dawn of civilization until shortly before the eradication of smallpox (the book was published in 1976). McNeil distinguishes between “microparasites” and “macroparasites”. Microparasites are tiny organisms (such as viruses and bacteria). Macroparasites are larger predators such as animals or, more usually, other humans and governments. Both types of parasite can be either epidemic, where the parasite kills the host, or endemic, where they allow the host to survive, to continue feeding on it. The constant portrayal of mankind as not just a host, but also a parasite is one of the more interesting parts of the book.

The book is divided into six very long sections, each one covering a different time period in history. The author’s purpose with the book is to show that history as a whole is largely the result of the interaction between humankind and

McNeil, however, does a great job showing how the available evidence (from sources such as religious writings and population records) can shed light on when and how some epidemics broke out, what they were, how they viruses affected populations, and how the human body reacted to and affected these viruses over time. However, much of McNeill's data-based evidence, when available, are only based on the effects of the epidemic long after the outbreaks had began. As such, it is often difficult to verify the actual causes. For instance, his account of the Black Plague - the centerpiece of the story - predominantly relies on facts and figures from European resources long after the plague had already killed off lots of the European population. Given the limited data that he has, McNeill still presents the evidence in a cohesive style that one cannot help but be at least partially convinced of his argument by the