"Medicine through the Ages: From Acupuncture to Antibiotics" by Michael Woods and Mary B. Woods is an insightful and comprehensive exploration of the evolution of medicine, spanning diverse cultures and historical periods. It is a beautiful edition with many photographs depicting the subject. The book stands out for its meticulous research, engaging narrative, and the authors' ability to provide a nuanced understanding of medical practices throughout history.

One commendable aspect of the book is Michael Woods and Mary B. Woods' dedication to offering a well-rounded view of medical advancements across different civilizations and eras. The authors navigate through the complexities of medical history, detailing the contributions of various cultures and the evolution of medical practices. The inclusion of both Eastern and Western perspectives adds depth to the narrative, creating a holistic portrayal of the development of medicine.

The writing style is informative and accessible, making the book suitable for a wide audience. The authors successfully balance scholarly research with a narrative flair, ensuring that the historical details remain engaging and relevant. The book's organization, covering topics from acupuncture to antibiotics, allows for easy navigation, making it a valuable resource for readers interested in specific aspects of medical history.

However, some readers may find the depth of information overwhelming, especially if they are not familiar with medical terminology or historical contexts. While the authors strive for accessibility, individual preferences for the level of detail may vary.

In conclusion, "Medicine through the Ages" is a commendable exploration of the rich history of medicine across cultures and time periods. Michael Woods and Mary B. Woods' meticulous research and engaging narrative make the book a valuable resource for those interested in the evolution of medical practices. While the depth of information may be challenging for some readers, the overall impact of the book lies in its ability to provide a comprehensive and nuanced perspective on the fascinating journey of medicine through history.

Discover how ancient civilizations pioneered complex medical techniques and instruments, establishing the foundation of today’s healthcare system.

This is an entertaining and informative book for children and adults. It focuses on civilizations throughout the ancient world, up until the fall of the western Roman empire.

Thanks, NetGalley, for the ARC I received. This is my honest and voluntary review.

Medicine through the Ages is a great way to teach kids about the history of medicine and help them to see how medicine has changed and evolved over time. I think this book also offers a great starting point for students doing research on different times in history - if a student finds a particular age of medicine especially interesting this offers them the basics and a good place to start with more expansive research. The pictures also help to further explain what medicine was like in the past. They also literally show readers what medical equipment looked like. Overall, this is a really great book for any younger readers interested in either medicine or history (or both). I highly recommend it for classroom and school libraries.

Very interesting. I am a healthcare worker and it was a good informative book to look at the different changes that medicine has evolved from and into.

While the book Medicine through the Ages: From Acupuncture to Antibiotics is aimed at a younger reader, I managed to learn quite a few new bits of medical history facts.

Each chapter of the book centers around one specific ancient society—Egypt, India, China, the Americas, Greece, and Rome—going into some detail about their most noted accomplishments. I appreciated the level of detail that the authors were able to impart without talking down to their intended audience.

If I have any quibbles concerning the book is that it concentrates mostly on ancient medical technology and quickly covers what we would consider modern medicine with a few paragraphs. Be that as it may, this is still a book worth reading, especially if you are interested in ancient medicine.

I really appreciated the extras in the book, including a very nice timeline of what was covered, a glossary, source notes, a selected bibliography, and websites that gives any young reader a good jumping off point for further discovery.

Medicine through the Ages: From Acupuncture to Antibiotics is squarely aimed at younger readers who have an interest either in history or medicine if not both. But if you are an adult, don’t let this deter you from picking up Medicine through the Ages: From Acupuncture to Antibiotics because you might just be surprised at how much you will learn.

5/5 stars

[Thank you to NetGalley and the author for the advanced ebook copy in exchange for my honest and objective opinion which I have given here.]

This is a great read for those (in grade school and beyond) looking for a quick study in science. One of the best aspects of this book, besides the readability for anyone in any stage of life, is the insightful photos within each chapter. It's always important to increase the literacy and knowledge of future generations, and I believe that this book does a great job in accomplishing this feat.

Thank you to NetGalley and Lerner Publishing Group for access to this ARC!

I think children's nonfiction is sometimes more difficult to get write than adult, and this one is done very well. This book is very concise, but still covers all the fun facts about ancient medicine that I've learned about in my college coursework.