This is the story of a killer that has been striking people down for thousands of years:<BR>tuberculosis. After centuries of ineffective treatments, the microorganism that causes<BR>TB was identified, and the cure was thought to be within reach—but drug-resistant<BR>varieties continue to plague and panic the human race. The “biography” of this deadly<BR>germ, an account of the diagnosis, treatment, and “cure” of the disease over time,<BR>and the social history of an illness that could strike anywhere but was most prevalent<BR>among the poor are woven together in an engrossing, carefully researched narrative.<BR>Bibliography, source notes, index.