Publisher's Synopsis
The epic history of how antibiotics were born, saving millions of lives and creatinga vast new industry known as Big Pharma. As late as the 1930s, virtually no drug intended for sickness did any good;doctors could set bones, deliver babies, and offer palliative care. That all changedin less than a generation with the discovery and development of a new category of medicine known as antibiotics. By 1955, the age-old evolutionary relationshipbetween humans and microbes had been transformed, trivialising once-deadly infections. William Rosen captures this revolution with all its false starts, lucky surprises, and eccentric characters. He explains why, given the complex nature of bacteria--andits ability to rapidly evolve into new forms--the only way to locate and testpotential antibiotic strains is by large-scale, systematic, trial-and-errorexperimentation. Organizing that research needs large, well-funded organisationsand businesses; and so our entire scientific-industrial complex, built around the pharmaceutical company, was born. Timely, engrossing, and eye-opening, Miracle Cure is a must-read sciencenarrative--a drama of enormous range, combining science, technology, politicsand economics to illuminate the reasons behind one of the most dramatic changesin humanity's relationship with nature since the invention of agriculture, 10,000years ago.
