Summary Of The Great Influenza By John Barry

“What do you want to be when you grow up?” is a question every little kid is familiar with. Doctors, singers, and astronauts are all common answers, but what about a research scientist? John Barry writes about this occupation with the purpose of informing the public and maybe inspiring the little ones. In his New York Times Best Selling Book, The Great Influenza, Barry accounts purposeful syntax, such as anaphora, expressive analogies, and clear cause and effect to display the hardships of scientific research. John Barry employs anaphora in order to emphasize the characteristics needed for scientific research, which can be very difficult to achieve. Repeating words in adjoining sentences is known as anaphora and makes it clear to the reader

First, he compares scientists to pioneers, discovering the unknown and making it known. Barry points out, “All real scientists exist on the frontier.” The frontier is a reference to the pioneers because they would call the untapped Americas “the frontier.” This analogy displays similarities between the very difficult exploration of the new world and the very complicated experimentation scientists do. By incorporating analogy, the author is able to make connection more easily with his audience. They can comprehend that the frontier is just like the unknown in science. Furthermore, Barry explains his point of informing the reader of the difficulties related to scientific research with another analogy. He correlates the different strategies needed to complete an experiment with simple tools for his audience to understand. To show this, Barry asks, “Would a pick be best, or would dynamite be better?” He uses the scenario of digging a hole and analyzing a rock to create a deeper understanding of the point he is trying to make. Determining whether to use a shovel or dynamite to study the rock is like trying to solve a scientific problem with no clear path to solve it. Additionally, Barry is communicating that most times there is not one single way of finding answers; as a result, determining the correct solution can be difficult. By incorporating this analogy into his writing, Berry is able to explain complex ideas into simple examples. Altogether, he forms a better understanding of scientific research by explaining the different methods of