The Bookshelf: May 12, 2015

Trib+Health is joining with respected books authority Kirkus Reviews to bring you select reviews of books of note in the field of health care. For more book reviews and recommendations, visit Kirkus.com.

EPIC MEASURES: One Doctor, Seven Billion Patients.

Smith, a freelance journalist who covers health and environmental issues for Discover, the Chicago Tribune and other leading publications, chronicles an ambitious project to collect comparative data on global health issues.

In 2013, the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation — sponsored and funded by the Gates Foundation — issued its groundbreaking report on world health, The Global Burden of Disease, a “meticulous decades-long creation … measuring the impact of 235 causes of death, 289 diseases and injuries, and 67 risk factors for men and women in 20 age groups.” The author compares the study to the Human Genome Project in its scope and potential benefits, and he identifies the impacts of health issues and available treatments on the duration and quality of life … A fascinating account of a charismatic visionary who successfully battles the convoluted politics of international health bureaucracies.

For full review, visit kirkus.com