Blood

By Douglas Starr,

Book cover of Blood: An Epic History of Medicine and Commerce

Book description

The story of blood is a story of transformation, divided into three eras. The first period, from antiquity to the early twentieth century, involves the transformation of blood from a magical substance - the blood of Christ as holy sacrament - to a component of human anatomy, capable of being…

Shepherd is reader supported. When you buy books, we may earn an affiliate commission.

Why read it?

1 author picked Blood as one of their favorite books. Why do they recommend it?

We think of blood as a gift: if you’re a blood donor you ‘give’ blood. But this book examines how it became a marketable commodity. It starts with Harvey but goes up to CJD and the AIDS crisis. It’s a fascinating story of generosity and greed as well as of those who worked in hematology in the early days when very little was known for sure. With lots of engrossing anecdotes, Starr brings to life the people whose experiments led to our knowledge today.

Want books like Blood?

Our community of 10,000+ authors has personally recommended 68 books like Blood.

Browse books like Blood

5 book lists we think you will like!

Interested in circulatory system, HIV/AIDS, and presidential biography?

10,000+ authors have recommended their favorite books and what they love about them. Browse their picks for the best books about circulatory system, HIV/AIDS, and presidential biography.

Circulatory System Explore 5 books about circulatory system
HIV/AIDS Explore 60 books about HIV/AIDS
Presidential Biography Explore 18 books about presidential biography