Although some estimates run as high as 100 million, at least 40 million people worldwide were killed in the great influenza pandemic of 1918. In spite of the horrific death toll, the flu pandemic of 1918 is often overlooked. Why this is the case, is but one of the many questions that Gina Kolata, a science writer for the New York Times, tries to answer in Flu: The Story of the Great Influenza Pandemic of 1918 and the Search for the Virus That Caused It (Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 1999). This paper is a critical review of her book, and topics of discussion will be Kolata's background, the central theme of her book, how she supports her claims, her presentation, and her organization. As well, a brief discussion of what the book contributes to the reader's knowledge and understanding of the field will be included.
Gina Bari Kolata (b.1948) is a science journalist who has been writing for The New York Times since 1988. She studied molecular biology at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and holds a master's degree in mathematics from the University of Maryland. …
