Broad Spectrum Bioluminescence: Shine On!

Volume 14, Number 2 280 Interwoven are Mnookin’s investigations into cognitive science about the reliability of instinct and gut reaction—often cited by parents as reasons for not vaccinating their children. One author of this review read The Panic Virus as a student in an undergraduate public health microbiology course and found the book detailed yet readable. Worthwhile for students seeking a glimpse into a struggle between science, the media, and hysteria, it focuses on many political and social factors surrounding the vaccine debate. Through extensive interviews with participants on both sides of the issue, and reference to scientific literature, the author demonstrates how muddled yet urgent this issue has become. Particularly valuable was Mnookin’s emphasis on the impact the debate has had on public health officials’ abilities to protect individuals unable to receive vaccinations. The other author of this review assigned The Panic Virus in a 200-level undergraduate pre-allied health microbiology course. Instructors looking to supplement microbiology or immunology course content will find The Panic Virus inadequate. It is much better suited to a learning outcome addressing connectivity of science and society. The book is exceptionally well written, and approachable in its content, but also very detailed and therefore not an especially quick read. For example, footnotes are common and five pages at the beginning of the book are dedicated to listing the “cast of characters” and “abbreviations.” Mnookin is unapologetic in his criticism of individuals (e.g., Andrew Wakefield) he posits as responsible for manufacturing a claim that has harmed many innocent participants—including children suffering from severe autism and those who care for them. It is the media, however, that receives his most scathing criticism for providing “...the fuel for this particular fire.” One of the greatest strengths of The Panic Virus is its comprehensive view of the many varied participants in the controversy and the compassion expressed for those desperately seeking answers and solutions who have been grievously misled in their search. Meticulously researched and reported, The Panic Virus is both contemporary scientific history and societal critique—an excellent case study of the struggle of science to impact human belief and behavior.