Written by Gail Jarrow
Gail Jarrow, the author of Red Madness: How a Medical Mystery Changed What We Eat does a masterful job of bringing together her interest in medicine, science and history. This book is about the mystery of pellagra, a disease that mainly affected poor people in the South during the early 1900s. Pellagra was a mysterious illness that caused miserable red rashes, diarrhea, dementia and often death. The odd thing was that it mainly occurred in spring and early summer and would disappear only to return the following spring until the individual could fight it no longer and died. This book takes you on the journey through time as it shares the history and the science behind the discovery of the cure. Today this disease is no longer a threat to those who live in the US because of the great work of amazing scientists and the FDA requirement of enriching our bread.
I found this a fascinating read. It is well written and easy to understand. The format is very pleasing and engaging.
Review by Michelle Asay, Granger High School Media Center
Rating: ★★★★★ (5 stars)
Interest Level: 9-12
Author Website: http://www.gailjarrow.com/
Red Madness: How a Medical Mystery Changed What We Eat
Written by Gail Jarrow
Calkins Creek
192 pages
Release Date: April 1, 2014
ISBN: 9781590787328 (hardcover)
