Crosby. 1972. The Columbian Exchange. Greenwood Press Westport Connecticut
The Columbian Exchange written by Alfred Crosby is a publication that traces the migration of Native Americans across Beringia, using blood types as a means to illustrate the homogeneity of the population. Most importantly, this population remains isolated from the communicable disease pools that periodically decimate Afro Eurasians following the development of agriculture and cities. As European conquistadors and missionaries arrived in the fifteenth century, epidemics of Eurasian diseases spread like wildfire through Native populations often travelling faster than the Europeans themselves. This demographic collapse created the world's greatest labor shortage which set the stage for the slave trade.
James. 1995. Lies My Teacher Told Me. The New Press New York.
Lies My Teacher Told Me written by James Loewen is a publication that offers an insightful critique of twelve American history textbooks. The publication offers a brilliant synopsis of what is currently wrong with American history classes and textbooks alike. Loewen insists that the bland Eurocentric viewpoint of history is boring and mostly irrelevant to most elementary, middle and high school students lives. In order to make learning more relevant, Loewen insists that publishers, teachers and parents alike should highlight the drama that is inherent in history by presenting students with different viewpoints and stress that history is an ongoing process, not merely a collection of facts that are often misleading.
Sherman. 2006. The Power of Plagues. ASM Press Washington D.C.
The Power of Plagues written by Irwin Sherman describes the nature and evolution of human diseases. The book focuses on how scientists discovered the causes of infectious diseases and gives examples of how meaningful controls were developed in order to curb outbreaks and transmission of infections. The book also speak about the correlation between plagues and cultures and details the manner in which modern society has been influenced by infectious diseases. The work mentions in clear detail the current infectious diseases that are a large part of American society such as AIDS, cholera, tuberculosis, influenza and West Nile Virus. The book is a survey of major diseases, their biology, their transmission, and their major historic effects.
