ALA Booklist (Thu Nov 01 00:00:00 CDT 2018)

Diseases such as Ebola and AIDS probably spring to mind at the mention of epidemic or health crisis, but venomous snakes bite more than a million people each year worldwide, often resulting in death or significant injury. Indeed, the World Health Organization has flagged snakebites as a neglected tropical disease. This slender, info-packed offering digs into the social, cultural, and economic conditions that make snakebites such a hazard in many parts of the world; the incredible expense and limited availability of antivenin; and the science of how venom works and the snakes that produce it. Taken together, these elements are referred to as "the Vicious Circle," a self-perpetuating cycle that keeps snakebites a dire problem and requires a multifaceted plan of attack to break. Well-chosen photos and helpful diagrams bring the book's subjects, both slithering and topical, into sharp focus. Readers will gain an understanding of the complexity of this issue and meet several scientists and researchers at the vanguard of antivenin program development. This thoroughly sourced text is a fascinating resource that can be used across many disciplines.

Horn Book (Mon Apr 01 00:00:00 CDT 2019)

Approximately one million people are bitten by venomous snakes each year; a tenth of them die, especially in places where there is limited medical care. Hofer considers numerous dimensions of this issue, including snake biology, research, production of antivenom, the evolution of human aversion to snakes, and snakebite treatment around the world. There are almost too many topics tackled, but most are covered in depth. Diagrams and high-quality photographs are plentiful. Reading list, websites. Bib., glos., ind.

Kirkus Reviews

Venomous snakes are part of the ecosystem, but their bites endanger millions of people around the world every year—a global health crisis with a vicious circle of contributing factors.Science writer Hofer (Washed Away by Floods, 2018, etc.) offers a comprehensive introduction that would be particularly suitable for high school students, especially given its extensive suggestions for further research. Drawing readers in with a dramatic medical situation in Benin, he goes on to describe the challenges of finding and providing remedies, major families of venomous snakes, the nature and purpose of venom, the production of antivenom, and international efforts to provide safe and effective treatment. He touches on the impact of climate change on snake habitats and the potential of venom to provide cures for other human diseases. The backmatter also includes a short guide to the venomous snakes of the United States. His exposition is clear and well-organized. The lively design includes snake-patterned upper margins, and there are some explanatory images and plentiful, well-captioned photographs which show a diverse range of professionals in the field. Pullout boxes add additional information. Drawing extensively on the work of Dr. Leslie Boyer, founding director of the VIPER Institute at the University of Arizona, the author provides interesting examples and needed background in context.A welcome addition to a middle or high school library on a compelling subject. (source notes, glossary, selected bibliography, further information, index) (Nonfiction. 12-18)

School Library Journal (Fri Feb 01 00:00:00 CST 2019)

Gr 4-9 Snakebites are an escalating worldwide health crisis that are underreported in mainstream media. The statistics revealed in the strikingly colorful and vibrant book are staggering: one million snakebite victims a year; over 100,000 deaths; and 400,000 amputations. Packed with startling facts, figures, and photographs, this slim volume covers biology, pharmacology, economics and more in an engagingly written manner. One-page insets highlight related issues that may surprise readers, such as the role of 3-D printing on prosthetics or the deadly worldwide impact of mosquitoes. Far from simply providing a litany of horrible snakebite stories, the author explains the vicious cycle of antivenom, focusing on the challenges of production, distribution, and the astronomical costs of treatment. For readers in areas where snakebite is not a real concern, the author makes a connection between snakebite epidemics and the opioid epidemic as both tend to occur in rural poor areas where health care is a challenge. Readers will be shocked at the scale and scope of this issue, from the huge Mexican horse farms that provide crucial blood for antivenom to the now contained Mexican scorpion crisis that almost claimed the life of the Mexican president's son. The international aspect includes scientists, governments, the World Health Organization, and many institutes and agencies. An illustrated guide to venomous snakes of the U.S. rounds out this up close look at an eye-opening issue. VERDICT A solid choice for reports, this title is a general purchase for upper elementary and middle school nonfiction shelves. Lee De Groft, Jamestown High School, Williamsburg, VA