Product Description
"Marc Siegel is an articulate voice of reason in a world beset by hype and hysteria. We would be well advised to listen closely to what he has to say."
-Jerome Groopman, M.D., staff writer, the New Yorker

"Siegel cuts through the hype about the 'deadly' this and the 'lethal' that, and applies reason in seeking the answers."
-John M. Barry, author of The Great Influenza: The Epic Story of the Deadliest Plague in History

"Timely and needed. At such times, we need soothsayers and explicators to redirect the ready-fire-aim mindset. Siegel's book fulfills this role well."
-The Journal of the American Medical Association

As bird flu sweeps through Asia, the rest of the world has begun to worry that it might spread west and start infecting humans. As many experts have pointed out, an influenza pandemic is only a matter of time and that time could be now. Or is it? In Bird Flu, Dr. Marc Siegel cuts through the hype, the facts, the fears, and the realities to explain what has the experts so worried and why there's still plenty of reason to be calm. Among the questions he answers are:
* What is bird flu, and who has it?
* What can I do to protect my family?
* Should I stockpile Tamiflu?
* Will this be like the deadly Spanish flu of 1918?
* Why is there no bird flu vaccine?
* Will the annual flu shot protect me?

In his sensible and entertaining style, Siegel looks at the advances we've made in treatments, the research still to be done, and the challenges ahead for Asia to lay out a realistic plan for ending this global threat. While a bird flu outbreak in the United States may or may not happen this year, there's still a great deal of work to be done in readying America for outbreaks of any kind. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (26)

Don't bother!
Don't bother with this book unless you enjoy being talked down to by a condescending physician. He treats the readers as if they are imbeciles. The quality of the writing and research is abominable, and it is obvious that the author is just trying to make a buck off book sales. If you want the facts about avian influenza, don't read this. You won't find any facts or advice here.

Finally A Balanced View
Dr. Marc Siegel's book delivers what has been sorely missing in the discussion of bird flu--a balanced, reasonable, and objective view of this possible threat to our health. Dr. Siegel carefully explains that calls for alarm are not appropriate based on current scientific knowledge and only serve to raise the fear level. At the same time he outlines steps such as upgrading vaccine manufacture and government responsiveness in case a real threat materializes. His basic advice which is to eat smart, exercise, and reduce anxiety, will likely help all of us to live longer. This highly readable and informative book is really "everything you need to know" about this subject.

Good Insights!
Siegel believes that it is not likely that the bird flu will mutate to human form, and that even if it does, it will be less lethal than currently.In addition, generally unreported evidence from Hong Kong (about 16% of those tested had antibodies to the H5N1 virus) indicates it is less virulent than believed.

Siegel also suggests looking at the downward trend in U.S. flu pandemic deaths - about 500,000 in the 1918 Spanish Flu, 70,000 in the 1957 Asian Flu pandemic, and 34,000 during the 1968 Hong Kong Flu.He attributes this to improved sanitation and the use of pneumonia vaccines (pneumonia causing about half the deaths attributed to flu).Finally, he also points out that cooking poultry kills 100% of the flu virus.

The greatest problem with the avian flu, according to Siegel, is our tendency to panic and over-react.He does not recommend that citizens stockpile Tamiflu because it is expensive, only has about a three-year shelf life, and most citizens would probably waste it because they wouldn't know when to properly use it.

Siegel's "Bottom-Line:"We should be focusing more on the pandemic we already have - AIDS/HIV.

A sensible look into the hype, the facts, and the fears of Bird Flu
The spread of a lethal strain of bird flu in the past two years has sparked fears of a new pandemic. In Bird Flu, Dr. Marc Siegel looks through the facts, the fears, and the realities to explain what has the experts so worried and why there's still plenty of reason to be calm.Regardless of whether a bird flu outbreak will occur this year in the United States, there's still plenty of work to be done in preparing America for outbreaks of any kind.

A rational approach
Superb.Dr. Marc Siegel's book "Bird Flu" portrays a concise, realistic and informative outlook on a media bred epidemic: fear and anxiety.Certainly an epidemic from bird flu is possible, I know of no one who disagrees.One, however, needs not confuse the terms possibility with probability.The irrational belief that the bird flu virus has a greater chance of mutating to humans in opposition to the thousands of other viruses currently in existence is unfounded.Certainly we should not remain naïve of such possibilities but we also need to take into consideration the probability of an epidemic from one particular virus that has yet to master the chain of specific mutations it would need in order to become pandemic.Even if this virus mutated to infect humans on a large scale, who is to say that its virility and potential deadly effects would also not alter and wither.If we resort to stockpiling antidotes to this one particular virus, must we then stockpile antidotes for every other potential viral metamorphosis?It is not only impossible to achieve, it is also illogical to think that we should.More research to develop means of developing appropriate vaccines quickly as well as global containment preparedness would be better served.To Dr. Siegel I say "BRAVO" and I hope that you continue educating your readers with such rational approaches. ... Read more

Product Description
A Warning Shot is a story of paradoxes. It is about the failure of government regulatory oversight as well as the heroic efforts of public health officials to respond to the crisis. It is the story of catastrophic production failure at one company and the work of others to fill the void. It is a tale about the failure of national leadership to protect our nation’s vaccine supply at a time when many of these same leaders were taking great care to prepare for a potential pandemic influenza. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Praise and summary from JAMA
This informative monograph, directed at the general public, uses anecdotes to illustrate many of the problems associated with the influenza vaccine shortage of 2004.

The first section, tangential to the main topic, describes the 1918 influenza pandemic. The next two sections get back on track by presenting a short history of the development of influenza vaccine followed by a description of current production methods. Regulatory burden has led many manufacturers to withdraw from producing vaccines. By 2004, only three companies were licensed to sell influenza vaccines in the United States.

The author discusses the globalization of vaccine production. Some US-based production facilities are owned by foreign companies, and US companies have production facilities outside our boundaries. This obviously complicates oversight by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA). On October 5, 2004, the sudden announcement that the Chiron vaccine, which constituted almost half the US supply, would not be available caught US policy makers by complete surprise. The chaos and confusion that followed are well described.

(excerpt from extensive review in JAMA)
W. Paul Glezen, MD
Baylor College of Medicine
Houston, Tex ... Read more

Product Description
Contents

Introduction

1. Pandemic Basics

2. 1918 versus 1976

3. The Swine Flu Timeline

4. All You Need to Know

Bibliography

Index ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Kindle-Ready Resource on Swine Flu
Just posted to my blog at Kindle Nation Daily: The inside scoop on all things Kindle.

President Obama has just declared the H1N1 "swine" flu and national emergency. If you have a Kindle, there's an up-to-date, comprehensive new book available from publisher John Wiley, Swine Flu: The New Pandemic by Marc Siegel. ... Read more

Product Description
On September 15, 2012, a restaurant worker enters a hospital in China's Guangdong province complaining of flu symptoms. This single event ignites a conflagration of disease that burns its way around the world, leaving death, recession, revolution and war in its wake. In THE THIN WHITE LINE: A History of the 2012 Avian Flu Pandemic in Canada, Craig DiLouie presents a terrifying vision about how a pandemic might unfold, focusing on the Canadian experience but relevant to any country. Reading as if it were a non-fiction book describing a pandemic that has already happened, THE THIN WHITE combines a realistic, meticulously researched scenario with dramatic firsthand accounts of people who survived these tragic times. Global health officials have warned the world that a flu pandemic is an inevitable part of our future, just as it has been a frequent part of our past. In THE THIN WHITE LINE, our worst nightmare comes true. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

A fictional look at the effects of an avian flu pandemic...
A couple years ago, you couldn't turn on a newscast without getting a story about how avian flu was about to break out into a global pandemic.As with most news stories, the hype eventually wore down and media moved on to other hot topics.But the reality remains that a pandemic flu outbreak is something that could realistically happen with little to no warning.Craig DiLouie takes a fictional "after the fact" look at the effects of a pandemic in his book The Thin White Line: A History of the 2012 Avian Flu Pandemic in Canada.It's written as a documentary that looks at an avian flu pandemic that hit the world in 2012.Specifically, he looks at the history of the outbreak from where it started in China, how it got into Canada, and how it decimated the country for a ten week period.

In this fictional story, a restaurant worker in Guangdong province in China comes down with a case of the flu.Although the hospital there tries to treat him for flu and pneumonia, he quickly dies of this new illness.More cases start coming in, and as in the past China refuses to publically acknowledge that anything is amiss.This denial unfortunately allows others, especially non-Chinese, to come in contact with the infection and transport it home to their own countries.Two business travelers come home from a trip to Guangdong province.By this time, the world suspects that something major is going on, but there are few hard facts.Canadian border guards are able to detain and quarantine one of the men as he's going through customs.The other person is not showing symptoms and passes through.From this single mistake, the avian flu pandemic starts to spread like wildfire throughout the country (and the world in general).Hospitals are quickly overwhelmed with the crush of patients and the loss of their own staff.Essential services start to shut down as people are ordered to stay away from public gatherings.As basic commodities start to run short, the black market becomes a thriving business.Canada brings in their troops to enforce law and guard supply deliveries, but even then they're a target for attacks.After the first phase of the pandemic runs its course, things slowly start to come back online for Canada, but the world will never quite be the same.Its neighbor to the south, the United States, is a mere shell of itself after declaring martial law and having its economy collapse without having access to world funds to finance their debt.

For the most part, I found this smallish book an interesting read.It's one thing to be told by the media and officials that millions will die.It's another thing to read the "actual" story of how it happened and what effects it had on daily life.It was very obvious that we (the public) trust our lives to a relative minority of people who are willing to risk their own lives to care for us (doctors, nurses, law enforcement, etc.)It was also sobering to see how something like a flu outbreak could have such far-reaching consequences to the economy.Were something like that to happen now with our current economic credit crisis, I'm not sure we'd have anything left to go back to.The book is a bit dry and repetitive in places, but I attribute that to the "documentary" style of the writing.If this had been written as a novel, I'm sure the color and emotions would have been even stronger.

If you happen to come across this book at your library or bookstore, it's worth looking at.It won't necessarily prevent you from being a victim during the next pandemic (that *will* come someday), but it might start you thinking in terms of what you can do to be prepared for the disruption of life that will occur.
... Read more

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User's Guide Echinacea/Cold Flu Fighters is a Basic Health Books publication.
... Read more

Product Description
Why Take the Chance?

The Bird Flu is real. It's deadly. And it's spreading. Within the next year it could threaten your home, your livelihood, your family and even your life. It may not become the pandemic many experts now fear, but do you really want to take the chance of being totally unprepared?

This book is not hype. It's not scare tactics. It's the facts: what avian influenza is and what it can become from a physician who understands not only the bird flu, but what you realistically can and should do to protect your loved ones. Inside you'll find:

• A brief history of flu pandemics (like the 1918 flu)
• The current state of the bird flu
• Possible consequences of a flu epidemic
• How to prevent infection for you and your family
• Your personal medical and supply kit
• What to do if someone is infected

There’s no better preparation than information. Before you make any decisions, get the facts from the doctor who knows.

Customer Reviews (10)

This was worth my time to read
Like many Americans, all I knew about bird flu was what I got from headlines, and that information was very basic and not helpful as far as forming a plan of action.This book was different.While less than 100 pages, and some of those diagrams, there is no effort on the part of the author to impress (or boggle) your mind with fancy words.He speaks at a level that normal people can understand, and I feel more educated about this flu issue than in the past.He helped me understand what an epidemic means (not just the Webster definition) as in, how many people get sick, and what we might face.I hadn't considered how it might affect me if a sizable part of the nation got sick all at once (even if I remained untouched, there's still consequences).

Pros- Not complicated medical lingo (skips why the viral RNA has potential to mutate and therefore cross
from birds to humans because of gene marker...)Just what the common person needs to know
- Not an overly long book (not too much to remember all at once)
- Small enough to fit in your coat pocket to read little bits at a time
- Instruction is simple, in an even tone, not panicky
_ Recommendation of "The Great Influenza" was a good one, borrowed it from the library.You probably
won't find "the Bird Flu Preparedness Planner" in your library

Cons - Well, I wish I knew more, and I want some details, especially on how I can take steps on my own to deal
with this when it hits.
- $5 seems like a sum for a small book...

Overall:This book is straight-to-the-point, simple info on what a flu epidemic could be like.I think he hit his goal with getting the basic info out to the masses (this book just needs to move more) in a timely fashion (this was published for 2005) so that if the flu came, at least SOME info would be out there.He has written a second one, "Bird Flu Manual" which I have purchased but not read yet.I think it will fall to me to be the bird flu 'expert' in our family, so I am trying to educate myself.Emails don't count.I always put more stock in a bonafide published work that the author could be hung out to dry on if he writes fluff.Emails are anonymous, and forwards could be written by anyone.Zero authority.

Buy this, read it, get it to someone else.I gave my copy to my father, as he is also interested.

Brief introduction on surviving avian flu
Grattan Woodson wrote the brief book, "The Bird Flu Preparedness Planner," ". . .to prepare his patients for a possible catastrophic event. . ." (page 83).The book, as the title suggests, is a nuts and bolts volume, giving readers a brief introduction to avian flu (with a focus on H5N1) and how to deal with it if a pandemic breaks out.

There are introductory chapters about the nature of avian flu and why it could be so destructive of human life.The chapter beginning on page 21 is where this becomes a useful "how to do it" manual.This looks at "pre-pandemic" preparations, including preparing stockpiles of medicines and supplies that one might need if pandemic strikes.There is also am listing of nonperishable foodstuffs that are worth collecting beforehand.

The chapter beginning on page 41 speaks of home flu treatment advice.The author notes that one of the single most important pieces of advice is to (page 41): ". . .make sure [people] have plenty of fluids.Dehydration must be prevented, as this can be fatal in a patient who would otherwise survive."Diet recommendations for those afflicted with flu are enumerated as well.

One of the more sobering presentations in this book is a set of maps showing how rapidly that the 1918 pandemic swept across the United States.From a small outbreak in mid-September, we see the entire country infected by October 13th.

For those interested in a brief introduction as to what one might do to prepare, this is a useful volume.Of course, the brevity is also a problem if one wants much more detail.But if what one wants is "quick, dirty, and brief," this is a volume worth looking at.

Short but filled with crucial information
Dr. Woodson has shown keen insight last year in foreseeing the likely conditions that would prevent most people suffering from an influenza pandemic from obtaining treatment at overcrowded hospitals.Now the Federal and State governments openly admit as much.

The techniques and procedures contained within this book describe how to treat a family member who has contracted a highly pathogenic influenza, such as H5N1.While the severest cases still need hospitalization, the vast majority of other cases can be treated at home if one follows the carefully spelled out therapy Dr. Woodson has communicated in layman's terms.I loaned this book to my physician who called back two days later to confirm the soundness of the treatment plan.Interestingly enough, the book only costs $5, but the information within makes it worth its weight in gold.

Simple. Straight-Forward. Practical. Helpful.
The "Bird Flu Preparedness Planner" delivers what it promises in a clear, compelling, straight-forward way. Dr. Woodsen lays out the facts of this health threat with no hype and no panic. However, it is real, it is deadly, and it is heading our way.

The most valuable feature of this slim, easy-to-read manual, is its simplicity and practicality for preparedness. It has checklists of supplies, medicines, and food a family would need in case of a severe epidemic or pandemic. I will try to get Tamiflu (to help with ordinary strains of influenza) and the over-the-counter remedies he recommends.

I think the food list could have been a bit more comprehensive. I plan to have more than rice and potatoes on hand to feed a family of six for eight weeks. However my grocery list looks more like a summer cookout for a family reunion than an emergency stash. I suppose 8 cases of baked beans and 8 summer sausages is a little over-the-top.

prepared for what?
this extremely alarmist manual does not offer practical suggestions, but a ritualistic rule of worry that will instill doomsday panic in anyone who tries to follow it. Shame on a practicing physician for coming up with such nonsense. ... Read more

Product Description
How might a global flu pandemic affect you and your family? How can you avoid it, and what will you do if someone in your household contracts it? Here you will learn how to identify, prevent, and treat H1N1 swine flu. Information for individuals, caregivers, as well as medical professionals is provided in this complete guide. In addition to swine flu facts, information on other potential global health threats is included. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (5)

Cut through the media hype
The media is blowing this thing up and giving us dodgy information.Shocking, I know.In "Global Time Bomb" Dorrance gets all of his information straight from the CDC and presents it in a straightforward manner and refreshingly treats us like adults.Only time will tell whether Swine Flu is actually a global crisis or not.

Of all the information contained here, the information on avoiding and preventing MRSA may very well be the most valuable.

What you need to know
I'm still not sure whether this Swine Flu threat is hype or reality, but I wanted to arm myself with as much information as I could find. Get this book so you know how to protect yourself. If this swine flu takes hold, you're going to need it.

Concerning but Reassuring
I've been really worried about the Swine Flu outbreak, so I bought this book. I'm glad I did. The potential for these diseases is really scary, but having some solid information makes me feel a lot better. The background on the flu pandemic of 1918 really makes is clear how bad this could be.

The chapters include:
* A Global Pandemic
* Managing Flu Viruses
* Swine Flu H1N1
* Avian Flu
* MRSA
* West Nile Virus
* Appendix A: (Avian Flu Infections in Humans)
* Appendix B: (MRSA in Alaska)

The chapters on each disease include several sections:
* Symptoms
* Transmission
* Diagnosing
* Treatment
* Prevention
** Several sections specific to the disease.

I feel a lot better now that I have this book and now I know what is real and what is just made up by the media.

Not Just Swine Influenza

I travel a lot for work to Southeast Asia, so I'm always aware of any strange or worrisome diseases that I might be exposed to. I probably haven't been as careful as I should be about the nasty things you can catch on airplanes or in strange (to me) environments.

"Global Time Bomb", while it has a bit of a dramatic title, contains excellent basic information about the emerging Swine Flu, but it also covers the other very real threats that are floating around the globe. I'm personally more worried about the antibiotic-resistant superbug (MRSA) that is also covered in this book. From reading this book it sounds like Swine Flu is survivable if you're in decent health, but the superbug is nasty. It also covers bird flu and West Nile, but I'm not convinced that those are quite as big of a deal.

Valuable Resource
"Global Time Bomb: Surviving the H1N1 Swine Flu Pandemic and Other Global Health Threats" is a great resource. It dispenses with the hype and simply tells you what you need to know about Swine Flu and the other possible pandemics floating around right now.

Especially useful in cutting through the news hysteria and providing information on what you actually need to do to avoid catching one of these diseases if they do in fact become pandemics. Among the health threats included in "Global Time Bomb" are: Swine Flu, Avian Flu (Bird Flu)and MRSA (the "Superbug"). ... Read more

Product Description
Oh no!The scariest day of the year is just around the corner and Scary Godmother has come down with the terrible Boo Flu!Will Halloween come at all this year?Of course it will, thanks to Scary Godmother’s good friend, Hannah Marie!This plucky little girl bites off a bit more than she can chew when she bravely volunteers to become the substitute mistress of all things Spooky!Don’t miss Jill Thompson’s fourth annual SCARY GODMOTHER hardcover storybook, written in a rhymey prose that will scare the laughs right out of you!It’s the best SCARY GODMOTHER yet!Written and illustrated by Jill Thompson. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (4)

Scary Godmother
Scary Godmother has a clever storyline,attractive art,and makes you become another character in it just reading. It may be halloween ,but her appropriate use of the "tricks" for whom they belong and the "treats " for the deserving add to a perfect night for both readers and Scary Godmother. This is a good book for kids as well as adults. I recommend that you give it a try and see for yourself.

We need more Scary Godmother books!
Jill-
We have all four of your Scary Godmother books and need more!They are a great combination of story-telling, art, and spooky fun.More please!

Best Scary book yet!
I've purchased all of the Scary Godmother books in this seriesd and I have to say, I've enjoyed them all.But this is the one my nieces and nephews have me read over and over and over! It's almost Halloween and the Scary Godmother comes down with "the dreaded Boo Flu" so her little friend Hannah volunteers for Scary Godmother duty. It's a much bigger job than she thought. Great fun to see her trying to finish the list of Halloween chores. And poor Scary Godmother.The Boo Flu has her laid up in bed with the monsters trying to cure her. Yikes!There are so many fun things to look at.The full page pictures are really excellent.Lots of stuff for kids to point out and look at.And the whole book flows in a wonderful rhyme.

Great for Halloween and the rest of the year ( as my nieces and nephews have proved!)

Best Scary book yet!
I've purchased all of the Scary Godmother books in this seriesd and I have to say, I've enjoyed them all.But this is the one my nieces and nephews have me read over and over and over! It's almost Halloween and the Scary Godmother comes down with "the dreaded Boo Flu" so her little friend Hannah volunteers for Scary Godmother duty. It's a much bigger job than she thought. Great fun to see her trying to finish the list of Halloween chores. And poor Scary Godmother.The Boo Flu has her laid up in bed with the monsters trying to cure her. Yikes!There are so many fun things to look at.The full page pictures are really excellent.Lots of stuff for kids to point out and look at.And the whole book flows in a wonderful rhyme.

Great for Halloween and the rest of the year ( as my nieces and nephews have proved!) ... Read more

Product Description
Unflinching, thoroughly researched, and bound to be controversial, FOWL! will change the way you view environmental policy, the pharmaceutical industry, and the government's role in the dissemination of public health information. FOWL! is an investigative report into how dioxin, persistent organic pollutants (POPs), environmentalchemicals and industrial chicken farming are contributing to the illness of migratory birds, chickens and humans, making them more susceptible to the influenza virus called "bird flu." The culling of our early-warning messengers is akin to shutting off a blaring fire alarm without looking for a fire. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (9)

read before giving or getting the jab!!
This book is a masterpeice of political and medical truth.The chapter on what's in that needle, telling of what goes into making a vaccine must be read by people who still have any thought that vaccines are protecting anyone.This is a haunting, poignant, well-rounded, thoroughly researched discussion of what the vaccine industry is really all about.A must read for doctors, students, scholars and parents; all will see the unique wisdom that Dr Tenpenny has given the world.

Beat the Swine Flu Hype!!
Comprises a very decent examination of the facts surrounding the swine flu "pandemic." And, the government and media created hysteria.It also examines the very real dangers of the vaccine.Want the real story? Get this book PRONTO!! There are a few minor errors here and there, but don't let this discourage you. Our swine flu study group has been using this as our textbook. There was no pandemic in 1976, and there is no pandemic in 2009!PURE PROPAGANDA!!

Feel free to dialog about this.[...]

Fowl, Bird Flu It's Not What you Think
Outstanding sleuthing on an imperative problem facing our health and everyone on the planet.Certainly causes one to think and ponder the big questions.

The Truth about Bird Flu
This is an excellent book - a thorough systematic and well researched book which documents the REAL reasons for birds and people to be dying of 'bird 'flu'namely toxic residues of pesticides and herbicides including those persisiting form the agent orange bombings in vietnam, the appalling, cruel and inhumanely toxic conditions in which poultry are factory famed and the vested interests behind decimation of the traditional family poultry breeders and the pushing of a useless and dangerous vaccine.It includes what you really need to know to be healthy which is the only real immunity.
An excellent read, I couldn't stop turning the pages

Fowl!
While Fowl centers on the avian flu, it is comprised of information that ties together environmental, political, economic, and health issues in a way that presents a bigger picture to the reader. Dr. Tenpenny's interest and understanding of wholistic health is evident in the research and scope of the book. Through questioning the reliability of reports that the avian flu could jump to humans, she has looked at the bigger picture, which involves our environment, political influences on health care and information, and how economic factors contribute to situations that weaken health.

The book is well written and researched. It is also easy to read and presented in a way that is understandable to the reader. I had a hard time putting the book down. Also of use, was information in the book that encourages the reader to explore further into potential areas of interest,or to become involved in solving the dilemas that contribute to making us all more susceptible to illness.
... Read more

Product Description
We have been repeatedly warned by leading medical professionals and government health officials that a severe influenza pandemic is a very real possibility, with potential global death tolls exceeding 100 million.We are told that a pandemic will likely last 12-18 months in multiple waves, and to expect widespread social disruption.We are told that we need to stockpile non-perishable food and water, as our food supply chain and utilities may become severely degraded or completely inoperative.Yet there is little information available from them on how families can prepare for such a long term traumatic event.

This book lays out in detail the planning, preparation, and actions to take to avoid an inevitable mass scramble for suppliers' small and increasingly backlogged inventories of storable food, water storage and purification equipment, emergency lighting and communications, alternative transportation, and a host of other important necessities.The book provides planning guidelines and practical how-to for the;

• type, quantity, and source of non-perishable food
• techniques for collecting, storing, and purifying water
• approaches for reliable lighting and staying informed in the event of a electrical grid collapse
• formulas for sizing a solar PV system for backup (or everyday) power
• ways to keep your house warm in the winter
• measures to protect your family from public unrest
• procedures to treat sick family members when hospitals are overwhelmed
• approaches to simple cleaning and sanitation
• and a host of other preparations needed for families to stay healthy and safe during a serious influenza pandemic.
  
  Reviews
  
  ?The book is crammed with lots of very valuable information on preparing for this emergency with the focus on the needs of the family. I found it very informative and helpful for making and improving the quality of my family?s plan. This is a unique and very timely contribution to the preparedness literature that is long overdue. It is a must read and reference text for anyone who is serious about preparing their home and family for the possibility of a severe influenza pandemic.?
  -- Dr. Grattan Woodson, MD, author The Bird Flu Preparedness Planner, The Bird Flu Manual
  
  ?An intensively researched, user-friendly, and imminently practical crash course in surviving on limited resources. Whether coming as a pandemic, hurricane, or ice storm, disaster-induced disruption of societal support systems is increasingly inevitable, and this guide is a must-have to help you and your loved ones plan to survive.?
  -- Thomas Honey, owner of Honey Electric Solar Inc.
  
  ?William Stewart?s How to Prepare for a Pandemic covers the breadth of disaster planning and is an important, comprehensive contribution to the literature of pandemicpreparation.?
  -- Melanie Mattson, risk communicator, publisher The Flu Wiki
  ... Read more

  Customer Reviews (8)

  Get it!!
  This book is not to be left out of any survial book collection!
  It tells of what you can do and what to watch and listen for.
  It is well written and shows the steps that will be taken by the WHO and Governments in the case of the worst. Which the world seems to be heading too....!

  Pandemic preparations . . . a timely matter
  Anyone who has read Grattan Woodson's The Coming Pandemic Catastrophe is fully aware the world is ripe for this kind of disaster.When it occurs, the virus itself will be responsible for only a small percentage of the total deaths.The others will be due to secondary issues, such as contaminated water and food, causing violent chaos.Could this disaster be just around the corner?
  
  We have all been watching and reading about the "swine flu" threat.Today, in the hospital where I work, our staff scrambled to prepare for the pending disaster.In my department, our Human Resources Receptionist has been issued masks for sneezing applicants and disinfectant for the countertops and keyboards where people apply for jobs.General visitors to the hospital will be asked to use hand sanitizer immediately after their first step through the door.
  
  Most of us have never seen or even read about a disaster of this magnitude.The last flu pandemic occurred in 1958 and killed 40 to 80 million people worldwide.What should we do to prepare?Enter this book, which will help us know how to protect our families, and how to make sure we have access to water, food, and shelter should this sort of disaster occur.Just like Y2K, perhaps it won't happen . . . but what if it does?I am not waiting, are you?
  
  

  Excellent resource
  I thought about this for a long time, and could not come up with an adjective that was enough.
  Every household should have this book if they have no other. It is an excellent resource for getting your home and family ready for the imminent future.

  Maybe good for people with no idea where to start...
  This book...not much more than a "thick pamphlet," is basically a collection of web links and numerous quotes of warning from a variety of sources.The same information, in more depth, can be found very easily on the web for free.([...] is such a site focusing on avian flu...and preparing for it.)
  
  Overall, if you really have no idea what to do but you want to try getting prepared, this might help.But if you already realize that you'll need heat, shelter, food, water...this will be redundant to what seems to be common knowledge.

  Pandemic flu preparedness
  With the current swine flu epidemic, we cannot be too prepared.
  There is a free guide to pandemic swine flu - bird flu preparedness available at http://www.pandemicinfosite.com ... Read more

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Product Description
Tells the story of the 1918 outbreak of a mysterious influenza virus that killed millions of people worldwide, making it the deadliest pandemic in history. Written in graphic-novel format. ... Read more

Product Description
This is a story of hope and survival. Self-reliance andtraditional family values help our family to stick together and outlive the flu pandemiccrisis. In the process of overcoming this struggle, our family becomes stronger, as doesAmerican society. Throughout this life changing experience, there are elements of selfreliance, fear, death of a loved one, courage, family conflict, self preservation,life's lessons, going back to the simple basics, and so much more.

My hope is to create more public awareness and help people toprepare themselves and their families for the imminent calamity that one day each of uswill likely have to face. On that dreadful day when the pandemic comes, all of us willknow in our hearts that we did not do enough to prepare for it, and if it just sohappens that we do live through it, we will live out the rest of our lives burdened withthe knowledge and the guilt of that unforgiving fact. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (5)

Good novella - needs reformatting
Written as a first hand experience (from a many years later viewpoint) of survival during an extreme pandemic, the writing is surprisingly good, although the lack of an editor can be seen here and there.

Much of the rate of exposure, government and individual responses are plausible (and follow many government planning scenarios), but the apparent death tolls are much higher than even the worst case planning allows for.The behaviors of individuals, however, is probably much better than will occur in many areas (any that doubt this should check the papers for the recent crime waves nationwide just due to increased unemployment, then imagine what would occur if true national food shortages occurred). The scenes at hospitals are all quite orderly; not at all what has occurred when simply flu shots for an ordinary flu season are in short supply.A few jabs against our newly elected Democratic president find their way in now and then (the date it was written is somewhat revealed, however, by the characterization of the _female_ president), as do a few directed at some people's current expectation of total care by the government, while doing little to actually prepare to take care of themselves. Even the group central to the story have done little real preparation, with much of it simply a vague idea of where they can go if they need to hide out (with no real test runs or storage of food that might be needed for such a large group for the several months before any vaccine might be created and produced in quantities large enough to be available). They are, however, better off than those who remain in cities or who don't even have a few days of food on their shelves. Even so, they unrealistically take a couple of days to buy up what is needed, after the pandemic has started and even hit their city (since, it seems, no one else is panicked yet, either), yet don't buy up some extra storage for fuel for their chainsaws and vehicles or dry foods like beans and grain (instead, they take mostly canned foods).

Be aware, this is a novella, not a complete novel. The large file size is due to inclusion of many photographs (and probably fairly high resolution ones, at least as far as the Kindle will allow) that "document" their adventures. The photographs are not logically inserted where they are relevant to the text, but grouped at the end of chapters. Due to their size, they also take quite a while to display; changing the resolution to be more like newsprint quality would vastly improve the speed and still leave them viewable. The biggest problem is the poor formatting - this appears to be a simple conversion of a PDF file (no doubt using something like MobiCreator) which was then not edited to fix the extra line breaks that such a conversion almost always creates. As a result, sentences break in the middle and start on new lines, sometimes leaving single words on lines by themselves (in the middle of a paragraph), etc. There are no new pages started(or even extra line breaks) for new chapters, the photos are not interspersed with the appropriate text and the captions on them run into the text itself).

For those who agree in a potential worldwide epidemic that could come soon
Pandemic, when a disease gets so out of hand, it spreads all over the world. "The Difference Between Life and Death: Outliving the Flu Pandemic of 2009" is a prophecy stating that a world wide epidemic of flu is inevitable, and through certain steps, the event is outliveable for many. Seeking to create more awareness and preparation for the event along with advice on what to do when the time comes, it offers optimism in the fact of what can be done to fight the fates. "The Difference Between Life and Death" is up for consideration for those who agree in a potential worldwide epidemic that could come soon.

A Must Read Book
This book was hard to put down.I read it from cover to cover without stopping and immediately started reading it over again. It was thought provoking and exciting. The author did his homework about the deadly virus.He did an exceptional job of presenting the facts about the pandemic we are sure to face, maybe sooner than later.The information is transferred to the reader while it is simultaneously infused in to a story about a family's pioneering spirit, and their carefully planned efforts to avoid the deadly flu. I think he thought of everything.He did a great job of making me question how prepared my family is for such an event.It motivated me to share this information with others and to apply what I learned for my own family's survival.

Whether you are worried about the upcoming pandemic, or not, you will find it hard not to enjoy the story.

Family Values a Hallmark of this Timely Warning
As a published author myself, as well as someone deeply involved in the day-to-day "survival" of the United States, I believe I am well qualified to remark on "The Difference Between Life and Death."Dennis Miner's novella is most certainly a work of love and passion; love for his family and passion for his cause.He strives here to warn the public of the potential of an event that is not only possible, but potentially devastating for civilization as we know it as well.Yet, he uses his love of family and a stress on family values to provide a beacon of hope in a holocaust.Kudos to Dennis for a work well done!

A pandemic tale of family survival
Dennis Miner has written a very entertaining novella about family survival during the coming influenza pandemic.His realistic story of coping with this emergency is as interesting as it is informative for anyone concerned about this issue.Dennis's characters and settings are rich in detail.His family's adventures and the challenges they face during the pandemic emergency kept me on edge.The scenes are well drawn; so much so once I thought I smelled a whiff of smoke from their small cabin's chimney.This is where he and his extended family braved the cold during their first winter in the wilderness.I enjoyed this book because it made clear a number of the problems that we are likely to confront during the pandemic times to come.It is both a good read and an informative one.I highly recommend it.

Grattan Woodson, MD
Author of The Bird Flu Manual and The Coming Pandemic Catastrophe ... Read more

Product Description
The H1N1 Swine Flu pandemic is upon us!"Surviving The Swine Flu" takes a thorough and comprehensive look at the Swine Flu Pandemic of 2009, its origins, and the history of influenza.This REVISED SECOND EDITION contains over 30% newer content to keep up with the breaking news!Written by Dr. Gary L. Vincent, this book examines over a hundred reports to help you decide truth from fiction, and what you can do about it.You will learn:- what a pandemic is - what similar events have occurred in the past- several treatment methods that exist today- maintenance steps to keep you healthy- nutraceuticals and their role to combat this problemComplete with illustrations, "Surviving The Swine Flu" is a handy and convenient reference guide to assist you in preventing and surviving this world health crisis.An ideal book for all households. ... Read more