Reviews of The Fever: How Malaria Has Ruled Humankind for 500,000 Years (Sarah Crichton Books/Farrar, Straus & Giroux, 2010)

“Human history marches to the beat of what? A big brass band? A choir singing hymns? The lub-dub of the human heart? Sonia Shah’s tour-de-force history of malaria will convince you that the real soundtrack to our collective fate is none of these: it is the syncopated whine-slap, whine-slap of man and mosquito duking it out over the eons.”

—New York Times, July 27, 2010
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“The Fever is an often rollicking read, spanning from modern-day Panama and Malawi to medieval Italy….Shah has put together an engrossing cast….Most fascinating is Plasmodium itself. Like fiction’s best supervillains, it is a complex, brilliant and mysterious foe that has resisted all attempts to tame it. While recent campaigns have had some success, Shah warns that to underestimate the parasite’s resourcefulness is to invite future epidemics. We have 500 millennia of suffering as proof.”

—TIME magazine, July 12, 2010

“The lessons of history should give us pause….All these issues, and many more, are brilliant exposed in Ms. Shah’s book.”

–Wall Street Journal, November 19, 2010

“As Sonia Shah shrewdly points out in The Fever: How Malaria Has Ruled Humankind for 500,000 Years, these campaigns are predicated on the optimistic notion that fighting malaria is easy. ‘The individual literally can step
forward, make a contribution, buy a bed net and directly save a life,’ an official from the American charity Malaria No More told a journalist in 2006. I wish people like him would read Shah’s book.”

—Harper’s magazine, March 2011

“Raw, vivid…Shah presents a fascinating history….The Fever is a mine of information, drawing on diverse accounts from medical experts and field workers. This is an important book on the historical lessons we must not forget and the mistakes we are still making today in the battle against what remains a formidable killer.”

–New Scientist, July 14, 2010
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“The Fever is a call to arms, though it’s written with admirable clear-headedness and not a trace of alarmism. It’s a compelling account of a disease that remains out of sight — and thus out of mind — for most Americans, even as it slowly tightens its grip on other parts of the world. Despite Shah’s engaging prose and obvious enthusiasm, the subject matter means it’s far from an easy read — but it might well be an essential one.

–NPR.org “Books We Like,” July 12, 2010
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“This insightful book explores the human struggle with malaria not just from a scientific angle, which is cogently detailed without being overwhelming, but also from sociological and anthropological perspectives, which turn out to be the real strengths of this work . . . Shah is to be commended for focusing much of this well-written book on exactly these aspects of humankind’s interaction with malaria and how they have contributed to the lack of success in vanquishing it. Focusing on the science of medicine while ignoring its other components is akin to trying to ride a bicycle with only one wheel, and this is true not just with malaria, but also with AIDS, tuberculosis, and other diseases that afflict large numbers of people.”

—The Boston Globe, July 7, 2010
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“Engrossing and terrifying….Shah brings a balance of poetry and hard science to her reporting.”

—Barnes & Noble Reviews, August 24, 2010

“Shah weaves a compelling tone throughout her book, using her descriptive-writing spell to bring the reader through failed malarial eradication programs even as smallpox and polio vaccinations succeeded.”

–Elizabeth Howell, “Forget Vampires. These bloood-suckers are deadly,” The Globe and Mail (Canada)

A “compelling expose…Shah tells a heart-breaking story.”

—Canberra Times (Australia), July 31, 2010

“Science writer Sonia Shah tells all….A good, bleak read.”

—The Weekend Australian, September 18, 2010

“Good science writing is worth its weight in diamonds and Shah’s book is no exception.”

—The Sunday Age (Australia), August 1, 2010

“A fascinating book that examines a complicated landscape of anthropology, medicine, history, biology and politics.”

—Townsville Bulletin (Australia), August 7, 2010

“Fascinating, eye-opening and thoughtful. Part science, part history and part cultural study, it reminds us of the dangers in the hubristic belief that technology can solve all our problems.”

—Adelaide Advertiser (Australia), August 7, 2010

“Science journalist Sonia Shah traces the origins of malaria and the history of our attempts to control it….Shah generally does well with her complex subject but she really shines in her critique of the anti-malarial efforts ot governments and aid agencies.”

—The West Australian, September 18, 2010

“Impressive…Shah unpacks the complexity of malaria, showing how its impact is dictated by a dizzying array of variables.”

—Maclean’s (Canada), September 20, 2010

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“A  story of high drama that encompasses big money, big egos, politics, public health and of course, the clever creature itself.”

—Yale Journal for Humanities in Medicine

“A fascinating history of the attempts to eradicate…this troublesome scourge….insightful, even revelatory, on the problems of bed nets.”

–Wendy Orent, “The Monster Mosquito,” The New Republic, August 12, 2010

“Meticulously researched and passionately written….one of this year’s most significant science books for the general reader.”

—Cleveland Plain Dealer, July 26, 2010

“Shah is skeptical of a surge of private charity that emphasizes the use of mosquito nets following the decline of government-led anti-malaria programs in the 1990s. Acknowledging the contributions of Bill Gates and former Presidents George W. Bush and Bill Clinton, she lists Veto the ‘Squito, a youth-led charity; Nothing but Nets, an anti-malarial basketball charity; and World Swim Against Malaria. She quotes The New York Times as decrying “hip ways to show you care.” Her own comment: “Just because something is simple doesn’t necessarily mean that people will do it.”

–Associated Press, July 5, 2010
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“In The Fever, journalist Sonia Shah makes sense of the multifaceted history of this harrowing disease and our response to it….By describing malaria’s role in the rise and fall of peoples, cities and civilizations, the book reveals the massive imprint of this disease on health and life expectancy, politics, commerce and war….The Fever clearly traces the growing understanding of the causes, transmission and prevention of malaria….Shah astutely points out that many of the challenges that stalled past efforts have yet to be overcome….Shah’s ultimate message is spot on: that the fight against malaria is complex. Ending it, as she says, is tough and unlikely to happen in our lifetimes. Key actors from different sectors at national, regional and global levels need to harmonize their efforts. Today’s malaria movement has brought both an unparalleled diversity of experience, knowledge, skills and resources to its cause, and far more coordination through an inclusive global consultative process. Hopefully, The Fever will bring new partners to the table.”

—Nature, July 8, 2010

“A standout…Shah’s flair for conversational, dramatic narrative compels from page one….Shah’s gifted, evocative story-telling partnered with deep research yields a dense, layered, yet well-paced text embracing history, biology, ecology, economics, and past and present policy battles….[“The Fever”] has certainly raised the bar in presenting the complex calculus of the ancient scourge.”

—American Journal of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene, July 2012

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“Sonia Shah has written a very interesting book about malaria and its impact on humanity.  More than just a scientific (and medical) overview of the disease, the book also very skillfully examines many of the social, cultural and anthropological reasons behind the lack of success in achieving its eradication.  Reading “The Fever”, one is reminded that science is only one of many components of the art of medicine, and that those who would focus solely upon it at the exclusion of the others do so at their own (and their patient’s) peril.”

—Psychology Today

“Fascinating, mordant…Shah’s is an absorbing account of human ingenuity and progress, and of their heartbreaking limitations.”

—Publishers Weekly, May 10, 2010
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“[A] sobering account with important lessons for medical historians, anthropologists, biologists and, most of all, policymakers.”

—Kirkus Reviews, June 1, 2010
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“Investigative journalist Shah maintains her signature pattern here, exposing both the seemly and not-so-seemly aspects of the subject under review….Malaria may rule humankind, but Shah rules the in-depth investigative report.”

–Booklist, June 1, 2010
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“A vivid and compelling history with a message that’s entirely relevant today.”

–Elizabeth Kolbert, author of Field Notes from a Catastrophe

“A fascinating book, elegantly written and superbly well-researched—a poignant and important reminder of malaria’s relentless human toll.”

–Nina Munk, contributing editor, Vanity Fair

“A thrilling detective story spanning centuries, about our erratic pursuit of a villain still at large and still a threat to mankind…Rich in colorful detail and engagingly told…An astonishing array of characters have joined the fray, and you can only be amazed at the deviousness and skill of the arch-enemy.”

–Professor Malcolm Molyneux, Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine, WHO expert panel on malaria

“Extremely well-researched, The Fever provides a highly gripping account of one of mankind’s worst diseases….Highly recommended.”

–Bart Knols, Managing Director, MalariaWorld

Reviews of The Body Hunters: Testing New Drugs on the World’s Poorest Patients (New Press, 2006)

“Fast paced and highly readable…a good antidote to the usual historical presentation…will provoke lively discussion in any classroom.”

–The American Journal of Bioethics, 2008, 8(2):52

“Shah’s book raises important issues and is a good conversation starter…For those interested in clinical trials, medical ethics, and health care delivery this book is a welcome addition.”

-Psychiatric Services,  February 2008

“Lucid…an engaging and valuable book. As an investigative journalist…Shah is an experienced muckracker, and if any business has muck that deserves to be raked, it is the clinical trials industry.”

-The American Prospect

“Shah has produced a well researched and passionately argued analysis of an important and rapidly developing field.”

-British Medical Journal, February 24, 2007

“Deftly sketch[ed]…a convincing case…This is a painstakingly researched expose; Shah is a skilful guide, presenting quite convoluted events and the science involved with a storyteller’s craft. Knowing Big Pharma’s penchant for litigation, this is a brave book and the author’s vigorous style makes it a real page-turner.”

—New Internationalist, December 2006

“A readable book that flows, at times, like a detective novel. Shah has a good story to tell. And like any competent journalist, she tells it well, with three-dimensional characters that stand out from the page, and a narrative style that carries her argument along at a brisk pace.”
—The Lancet, November 18, 2006
“An accessible account… important…powerful…derive[d] from a rich set of sources…. It is critical that those engaged in drug development, clinical research and its oversight, research ethics, and policy know about these stories.”
—New England Journal of Medicine, December 7, 2006
“Devastating…This is a tough book to read, shocking, and frequently depressing. But anyone who has relied on 21st-century science to heal what ails them should take a look.”
—San Diego Union-Tribune, September 24, 2006
“Investigative journalist Sonia Shah has written a lucid, well-researched work on professional and governmental corruption and mismanagement… It deserves the attention of leaders of the medical profession and policy analysts.”
—JAMA: the Journal of the American Medical Association, November 1, 2006, 2149-50
“Her terse, unsentimental reportage is admirable, and the book offers a nuanced argument that recognises the need for testing of new drugs, but denounces the double standard between rich and poor patients.”
—The Guardian, October 14, 2006
“Shah’s book is more than a work of courage: it is the calculated risk of a highly skilled investigative journalist who has marshalled her facts so thoroughly and efficiently as to be legally bulletproof. Perhaps only an investigative reporter would appreciate the depth and scope of Shah’s research, but any reader will recognize the irrefutable conclusions drawn by her journalism — which is that big pharmaceutical companies and their researchers, faced with an unwillingness on the part of educated Western subjects to allow themselves to be used as medical guinea pigs, are increasingly turning to the poor and ignorant of the Third World to test their drugs….This book deserves to be widely read and discussed. Buy a copy, read it, and then send it to your Member of Parliament.”
—Edmonton Journal, September 17, 2006
“Journalist Shah isn’t afraid to ask hard questions. …With references to medical experimentation’s grim history, including Nazi concentration-camp inmate “studies” and the Tuskegee syphilis study, Shah reveals how the poor, underinformed, or simply powerless have born the weight of medical advances. The story is as big as the issue is complex, and Shah’s heavily documented account endeavors to be evenhanded, given what are clearly her own feelings about the topic.”
—Booklist
“Government officials from India and other developing countries that seek to exapnd the local presence of the commercial clinical trials ‘industry’ should read this book, as should patient advocates everywhere.”
—James Love, director, Consumer Project on Technology
“Impressive and very much needed.”
—Vincent Navarro, professor of health policy, Johns Hopkins University
“This eye-opening account offers an inside look into how the pharmaceutical industry, aided and abetted by FDA policies, carries out ethically problematic research in developing countries.”
—Ruth Macklin, professor of bioethics, Albert Einstein College of Medicine
“Shah’s ‘The Body Hunters’ draws a two-pronged conclusion about Big Pharma: that it is too aggressive about ‘body-hunting’ vulnerable patients to test some drugs—ones that can be marketed in the West—but not aggressive enough in researching and providing others, particularly those with less profit potential.”
—Boston Globe, July 2, 2006. (Read the full article.)
“Having spent years gathering research in Africa and Asia, investigative journalist Shah…explores the ethical issues involved….she provides compelling evidence and suggests solutions that would still provide clinical data without exploiting the poor.”
—Library Journal, June 15, 2006
“Raises the curtain on a trend that’s harming patients and health care systems.”
—Alternet, June 9, 2006
“A trenchant exposé…Meticulously researched and packed with documentary evidence, Shah’s tautly argued study will provoke much needed public debate about this disturbing facet of globalization.”
–Publishers Weekly, May 1, 2006
“This book is an act of courage on the part of its author and its publishers…Using clear, accessible language and carefully annotated case histories, Sonia Shah struck a blow for all who dream of harnessing the huge power for good that is invested in the pharmaceutical industry, of seeing its products made available to those who most need them, and of curtailing the greed that drives its worst practices.”
-John Le Carré, from the preface to The Body Hunters

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Reviews of Crude: The Story of Oil (Seven Stories Press, 2004)

“Comprehensive without being overwhelming…well-researched…eminently readable.” -Online Journal, April 2, 2007
“Her compelling account illuminates how oil reserves came to be and how this cheap fuel shaped the U.S. auto industry, contributed to human-rights abuses and rapid climate change, and created the ‘petrolife’ Americans enjoy today.” -Sierra magazine

“Challenging current attempts at obfuscation and oversimplification, Sonia Shah’s Crude: The Story of Oil tackles an issue that has fueled society, politics, and environmental destruction for over 100 years.” In the Fray magazine, February 7, 2005. Read the review

“A definitive new book on oil.” —Playboy magazine, July 2005
“Shah has written a brilliant book—This is not a Michael Moore-style anti-corporate rant—Shah writes beautifully, with dispassionate, elegant clarity—and it is all the more powerful for it.” —The Guardian, February 26, 2005.
Read the full review >
“If someone sitting in air-conditioned comfort in one part of the world believes that what happens in Iraq or Nigeria, Venezuela or Colombia doesn’t affect him or her, Sonia Shah’s Crude: The Story of Oil takes that little daydream and shakes it up…[Shah] has written a book that couldn’t be more relevant.” —USA Today, October 17, 2004.
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“Sonia Shah—deftly [shows] how the oil companies’ relentless pursuit of new fields to exploit has led them to drill for oil in some of the most impoverished and unstable areas of the world—particularly eloquent on the despoliation of the Delta region of southern Nigeria.” —Michael Klare, The Nation, November 8, 2004
“Though Shah could have easily written a laundry list on the disruptions Big Oil and its government cohorts continue to wreak, this volume is more than that – it is an insightful missive to her readers to understand their consumptive reality. In her steady tone, she presents the danger signs—When she looks into a sci-fi future where humankind interfaces with the next great epoch of crude, the scene shows moment that Shah eloquently challenges us to rise to—right here and now.” —Clamor magazine
“Sonia Shah is an elegant writer and her captivating history of the world’s most critical natural resource is impossible to put down. The lure of “black gold” haunts every page as Shah illuminates the roots of our prime energy source, the science, the economics, the lore and the politic…how our obsession with oil began and how it dominates our existence. Indeed, to understand the story of oil, one must dig deep. The author begins with its birth, hundreds of millions of years ago and brings us to the exploration and exploitation of today. Herein lies the mystery of the planet’s future and the fate of mankind. Crude is so compelling you will soar through its pages and share it with others. It’s surely one of the most important books of the year.” -Dingbat magazine: the monthly review of cool tools
“Flitting somewhere between Naomi Klein’s No Logo and Michael Moore’s films…Crude presents a monumental amount of research.” –Courier Mail (Brisbane, Australia), April 2-3, 2005
“A stinging jeremiad—deft—Shah has a crisp writing style and that knack for deploying statistics judiciously, rather than maniacally—most rewarding.” —The Age (Melbourne, Australia), April 16, 2005
“Could hardly be timelier.” —Sydney Morning Herald (Sydney, Australia), April 16, 2005

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Reviews of Dragon Ladies: Asian American Feminists Breathe Fire (South End Press, 1997)

“Dragon Ladies explores the emergence of a distinct Asian American feminist movement through the rich perspectives of well-known Asian American activists, writers, and artists who analyze personal experiences through a political lens.” —Ms. Magazine

“Sonia Shah cultivates a unique space for the feminist movement and the intricacies of Asian American life…Shah’s group of 28 powerful writers courageously strike each page with thought-provoking subjects.” —The Chicago Reporter

“Dragon Ladies, a collection of essays by Asian American women representing an impressive range of experience, takes apart the concepts of ‘women,’ ‘feminism,’ ‘Asian,’ and ‘Asian American,’ and thoughtfully and thoroughly examines the pieces…The first hand accounts or organizing struggles, spiritual awakenings, and punk-rock culture clashes make gripping reading.” —The Workbook

“Dragon Ladies is the first book about Asian American feminists that will have a broad audience and a profound impact…Shah successfully fulfills her purpose…too many stellar essays to list…Should be required reading in women’s studies courses and book groups.” —Bitch magazine

“A groundbreaking new book on Asian/Asian American feminism.” —Sojourner: the women’s forum

“The growing politicization of Asian American women and their involvement in feminism is charted in a title which gathers the experiences and influences of writers, artists, and activists alike. Insights on Asian households, generational and gender differences in opinions and approaches to politics and platforms for action and change make for fine accounts.” —The Bookwatch

“These essays provide a call to action and a unifying force.” —On Campus with Women: Association of American Colleges and Universities

“Make[s] it clear that Asian immigrants in the US are giving feminism a new political, economic and social dimension.” —WATERWheel

“An inspiring and long-overdue antidote that allows Asian-American women to represent themselves—as fierce, competent, intelligent and strong.” —Hues magazine

“A significant contribution…both timely and relevant.” —University of Iowa Women’s Studies Newsletter

“Dragon Ladies…features prominent Asian American writers, scholars and activists…These women warriors don’t mince words in the collection’s sixteen critical essays.” —Sister to Sister