Synopses & Reviews
The riveting story of one of the greatest scientific accomplishments of the twentieth century, from the coauthor of the #1
New York Times bestseller
Apollo 13.
With rivalries, reversals, and a race against time, the struggle to eradicate polio is one of the great tales of modern history. It begins with the birth of Jonas Salk, shortly before one of the worst polio epidemics in United States history. At the time, the disease was a terrifying enigma: striking from out of nowhere, it afflicted tens of thousands of children in this country each year and left them literally overnight paralyzed, and sometimes at death's door.
Salk was in medical school just as a president crippled by the disease, Franklin D. Roosevelt, was taking office and providing the impetus to the drive for studies on polio. By the early 1950s, Salk had already helped create an influenza vaccine, and was hot on the trail of the polio virus. He was nearly thwarted, though, by the politics of medicine and by a rival researcher eager to discredit his proposed solution. Meanwhile, in 1952, polio was spreading in record numbers, with 57,000 cases in the United States that summer alone.
In early 1954, Salk was weighing the possibility of trials of a not-yet-perfected vaccine against as the summer approached the prospect of thousands more children being struck down by the disease. The results of the history-making trials were announced at a press conference on April 12, 1955: "The vaccine works." The room and an entire nation erupted in cheers for this singular medical achievement.
Salk became a cultural hero and icon for a whole generation. Now, at the fiftieth anniversary of the first national vaccination program and as humanity is tantalizingly close to eradicating polio worldwide comes this unforgettable chronicle. Salk's work was an unparalleled achievement and it makes for a magnificent read.
Review
"[I]n this unabashedly laudatory history, the story...is a terrific one. Scientific triumph by a medical hero, described with admiration and lucidity." Kirkus Reviews
Review
"...Kluger masterfully fills out [the plotline] with sketches of the many players, crossroads incidents, and scientific politicking....Can't-put-it-down medical-science history." Booklist (Starred Review)
Review
"This fast-paced scientific adventure story has all the elements of good drama....Kluger...reminds us that real life and real people can often be far more interesting and exciting than fiction." Houston Chronicle
Review
"Splendid Solution is not a heart-pounding page turner. In tone and style, it's a rather old-fashioned historical tale. But in its quiet manner, it's a terrific account, and well-told." Oregonian
Review
"...Kluger does a fine job of resurrecting another time and of demonstrating the drama that always attends significant scientific breakthroughs." BookPage
Synopsis
Kluger reveals the thrilling story of Jonas Salk's quest to conquer polio in this medical adventure full of rivalries and last minute reversals that culminated in one of the greatest accomplishments of the 20th century.
Synopsis
In medical school when Franklin Delano Roosevelt was diagnosed with the disease shortly before assuming the Presidency, Salk was given an impetus to conduct studies on polio. His progress in combating the virus was hindered by the politics of medicine and by a rival researcher determined to discredit his proposed solution. But Salk's perseverance made history-and for more than fifty years his vaccine has saved countless lives, bringing humanity close to eradicating polio throughout the world.
Splendid Solution chronicles Dr. Salk's race against time-and a growing epidemic that reached 57,000 reported cases in the summer of 1952-to achieve an unparalleled medical breakthrough that made him a cultural hero and icon for a whole generation.
About the Author
Jeffrey Klugeris a senior writer at Time. Coauthor of Lost Moon: The Perilous Voyage of Apollo 13, which was the basis for the movie Apollo 13, he is also the author of Moon Hunters: NASA's Remarkable Expeditions to the Ends of the Solar System.