Greater Good: People, Power, and Public Health

Description:

Through real-world case studies and key moments in history, The Greater Good explains what public health is and why it is vital to our society.

From cholera to coronavirus, disease outbreaks reveal how crucial public health is to our society's survival--yet most of us only pay attention to public health when disaster strikes. In reality, a vast and varied network of professionals, from epidemiologists to environmentalists, is constantly at work to keep communities safe and thriving. Whether it's seat belts or vaccines, the common flu or the AIDS epidemic, public health is ubiquitous.

Covering topics such as environmental hazards, disaster preparedness, and health disparities, The Greater Good explores the people, principles, and practices that shape public health. This illuminating and deeply researched graphic novel shows us how evidence-based changes in behavior and environment can yield major improvements for individuals and communities. By learning from public health's greatest successes--and failures--we can gain insight into building a healthier future.

Brief description: Whit Taylor is an Ignatz Award-winning cartoonist, editor, and health educator from New Jersey. She holds a BA in cultural anthropology from Brown University and an MPH from the Boston University School of Public Health with a focus in Social & Behavioral sciences. Her comics have been published by The Nib, the New Yorker, NPR, The Washington Post, and others. She lives in New Jersey with her husband and two little boys.

Review Quotes:

"An -encyclopedic graphic history and a massively useful examination of -public health's irrefutable -value. A must-buy for YA and general graphic -collections."--School Library Journal, starred review

"The Greater Good masterfully deploys nonfiction graphic narratives to illuminate how public health efforts that we can easily take for granted are vital to the quality of our lives."
--Meredith Li-Vollmer, PhD, Senior Communications Strategist for Public Health, Seattle and King County

"In an era where the very concept of public health is under attack, The Greater Good reminds us how the science of protecting our society has reshaped, improved, and lengthened the lives we lead today."
--Matt Bors, founder of the Nib

"From food safety to vaccines to environmental health, each chapter is engaging, accessible, entertaining, and most importantly, essential for our moment."
--Dan Nott, artist and author of Hidden Systems