Biographies of Disease assembles the writing talents of a diverse group of experts, including some of the country's most highly regarded health professionals, research scientists, and historians of medicine. Each volume in the series tells the fascinating "life story" of a major disease or medical condition, from its earliest known origins to the present. While tracing this history, each Biography examines in clear prose the science underlying the disease's workings on the human body, the physical, social, and emotional impacts of the disease on patients, their families, and the broader community, and the latest research on treatments and cures for the disease and speculation on what the future may bring. Brought together by editor Julie K. Silver, MD, of Harvard Medical School, the authors have contributed their expert knowledge to a series exceptional not only for the depth of its coverage but also its accessibility to the general audience.