The Ghost Map
by Steven Johnson · first published 2006
55% recommend45% neutral
Why HN recommends it
Narrative account of John Snow's mapping of the 1854 London cholera outbreak. It is a popular science story about how the epidemic was solved and how the investigation was carried out.
Summarised by Claude from recommending comments
A thrilling historical account of the worst cholera outbreak in Victorian London-and a brilliant exploration of how Dr. John Snow's solution revolutionized the way we think about disease, cities, science, and the modern world.From the dynamic thinker routinely compared to Malcolm Gladwell, E. O. Wilson, and James Gleick, The Ghost Map is a riveting page-turner with a real-life historical hero that brilliantly illuminates the intertwined histories of the spread of viruses, rise of cities, and the nature of scientific inquiry. These are topics that have long obsessed Steven Johnson, and The Ghos
Affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
Mentions per year
What Hacker News says
Related books
2019The New Silk Roads
Peter Frankopan
Recommended by 2 · mentioned by 22 recommend · 2 mention2 recommend · 22 recommend
2017–2019Flawless
Scott Andrew Selby
Recommended by 2 · mentioned by 22 recommend · 2 mention2 recommend · 22 recommend
American prison
Shane Bauer
Recommended by 5 · mentioned by 55 recommend · 5 mention5 recommend · 55 recommend
2010–2021Medium Raw
Anthony Bourdain
Recommended by 3 · mentioned by 53 recommend · 5 mention3 recommend · 53 recommend
2014–2021Iron Curtain
Anne Applebaum
Recommended by 4 · mentioned by 74 recommend · 7 mention4 recommend · 74 recommend
2019–2025Coders
Clive Thompson
Recommended by 4 · mentioned by 104 recommend · 10 mention4 recommend · 104 recommend
Steven Johnson's book The Ghost Map was about Snow's map and the process that went into creating it. A good read if you have the opportunity.
on “Fountain Drinks” ↗It's a great book but one sided in its analysis. I'd recommend pairing it with a book about a case where High Modernism worked great, like The Ghost Map or something. https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/36086.The_Ghost_Map
on “Seeing Like a Bank” ↗…trilogy and The Liveship Traders trilogy by Robin Hobb - pure pleasure. 5. Shades of Magic trilogy by V.E.Schwab, re-read, preparing to read new cycle. 6. Some Terry Prachett books. Non Fiction: 1. Ghost Map by Steven Johnson, about cholera outbreak in London in 1854, but more about society and life of that period. 2. Donnie Brasco - FBI guy infiltrated to one of five Mafia families and bring many people…
on “Ask HN: Books you read in 2023 and recommend for 2024” ↗Steven Berlin Johnson - The Ghost Map: http://www.amazon.com/dp/1594482691
on “As toll mounts, researchers peer into the H1N1 death spiral” ↗…1944-1956 by Applebaum, Anne, https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/13531848-iron-curtain - The Romanovs: 1613-1918 by Montefiore, Simon Sebag, https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/26109020-the-romanovs - The Ghost Map: The Story of London's Most Terrifying Epidemic--and How It Changed Science, Cities, and the Modern World by Johnson, Steven, https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/36086.The_Ghost_Map - Rise and Kill…
on “Ask HN: Best books you've read in 2019?” ↗…1944-1956 by Applebaum, Anne, https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/13531848-iron-curtain - The Romanovs: 1613-1918 by Montefiore, Simon Sebag, https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/26109020-the-romanovs - The Ghost Map: The Story of London's Most Terrifying Epidemic--and How It Changed Science, Cities, and the Modern World by Johnson, Steven, https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/36086.The_Ghost_Map - Rise and Kill First:…
on “Ask HN: Favorite Nonfiction Books of 2019?” ↗…the city, dog waste bags make up a significant portion of street trash. It would be wonderful if there was a way to compost or otherwise remove dog crap from the landfill. I remember reading the book "Ghost Map" (great book, BTW) and it said that Victorian London had "pure collectors" who collected dog waste and sold it to tanneries, but apparently that's not a resource stream anymore. :-D
on “A Next-Generation Trash Can” ↗The Ghost Map, by the author, is one of the best popular science books I've ever read. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Ghost_Map It was quite satisfying to see someone solve an epidemic, rather than make things…
on “Tool for Thought (2005)” ↗…discovery by Dr. John Snow that removing the handle from a public water pump in London could slow a cholera pandemic. The well was contaminated by human feces. Steven Johnson wrote it up in his book The Ghost Map. http://www.worldcat.org/title/ghost-map-the-story-of-londons... A board of church directors (a vestry) owned that pump, and Dr. Snow had to talk them into approving his plan. It wasn't easy: he was…
on “Down the Drain: How the Swachh Bharat Mission Is Heading for Failure” ↗After having Laurie Garrett’s The Coming Plague on my bookshelf for over 2 decades, I’ve started reading it in earnest. I also have on my read and reread pile: The Ghost Map by Steven Johnson Spillover by David Quammen The Great Influenza by John Barry The Rules of Contagion by Adam Kucharski The Mathematics Behind Biological Invasions by Lewis, Petrovskii, Potts The…
on “Ask HN: Any book recommendations in the time of a pandemic?” ↗…https://us.macmillan.com/books/9781250120854/thebondking (The Bond King: How One Man Made a Market, Built an Empire, and Lost It All by Mary Childs; ISBN13: 9781250120854) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Ghost_Map (The Ghost Map: The Story of London's Most Terrifying Epidemic and How it Changed Science, Cities and the Modern World by Steven Berlin Johnson; ISBN13 9781594489259) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Skin_in_the_Game_(book)…
on “Ask HN: What did you read recently? Preferably long form, non-tech” ↗…that his South London Water Works study would ultimately be the centerpiece of his argument, the Broad Street map merely a piece of supporting evidence, a sideshow. Johnson, Steven (2006-10-19). The Ghost Map: The Story of London's Most Terrifying Epidemic--and How It Changed Science, Cities, and the Modern World (p. 198). Penguin Group US. Kindle Edition. Here's a blog post that sums up the main points:…
on “Computational and Inferential Thinking – The Foundations of Data Science” ↗A 'further reading' is not a reference; 'further reading' means 'here are additional sources you might find relevant about material not covered here'. Which of 'Triumph of the City', 'The Ghost Map', and 'Guns, Germs, and Steel' did the stuff about animals come from, if you hadn't already read them? That's right - you don't know! Because he's not giving a reference.
on “Americapox: The Missing Plague (2015)” ↗…it's just not realistic. And that's ok: because I am unbelievably excited about the web browsing experience and the games on the iPad. Edit: I amend my comments above with a Tweet from the author of The Ghost Map and The Invention of Air: http://twitter.com/stevenbjohnson/status/11564792495
on “My verdict after one day of using the iPad” ↗