A collection of writings by leading experts and newer researchers on the SARS outbreak and its relation to infectious disease management in progressively global and urban societies.<ul><li>Presents original contributions by scholars from seven countries on four continents<li>Connects newer thinking on global cities, networks, and governance in a post-national era of public health regulations and neo-liberalization of state services<li>Provides an important contribution to the global public debate on the challenges of emerging infectious disease in cities<li>Examines the impact of globalization on future infectious disease threats on international and local politics and culture<li>Focuses on the ways pathogens interact with economic, political and social factors, ultimately presenting a threat to human development and global cities<li>Employs an interdisciplinary approach to the SARS epidemic, clearly demonstrating the value of social scientific perspectives on the study of modern disease in a globalized world</ul>