Books

From Horror to Hope: Recognizing and Preventing the Health Impacts of War

"[Levy] describes how war affects population health in different forms and dimensions, ranging from injuries, mental and reproductive health, to (non)communicable diseases, and he identifies subpopulations at particular risk, from children to military personnel. He covers the effects of different types of weapons, as well as legal and ethical aspects of war. Importantly, Levy proposes what role public health professionals can play in preventing war and promoting peace. His book will be of interest to public health students and practitioners wishing to obtain an overview of these long-neglected topics. The breadth of the topics Levy covers is impressive."
- American Journal of Public Health

War causes death, disability, and disease. It damages the health-supporting infrastructure, displaces populations, violates human rights, and diverts resources. And it subsequently leads to more violence.

From Horror to Hope documents the health consequences of war, primarily for noncombatant civilians but also for military personnel and veterans, and outlines what can be done to minimize these consequences. Written by Dr. Levy, who has been engaged with this subject for decades, the book also describes positive developments in addressing the health impacts of war, including new initiatives to protect civilians during war, reduce gender-based violence and mental trauma, and control the international arms trade and nuclear weapons. In addition, From Horror to Hope profiles inspiring health professionals who are providing healthcare for war-affected populations and participating in education, research, and advocacy to reduce the health impacts of war. Finally, the book demonstrates how traditional public health frameworks and new paradigms can be applied to the prevention of war and the promotion of peace.

Given the current peak in armed conflicts and the increasing threat of future wars, From Horror to Hope provides an extremely timely overview for anyone seeking to better understand and address the health consequences of war.

Additional Reviews

"[This book] brings together a wealth of research and knowledge with a clear and essential objective, written in an accessible way with a reader-friendly structure. It is a book that is urgently needed in our times."
- Medicine, Conflict and Survival

"[This book] is a superbly organized, encyclopedic, and system synthesis of the health impacts [of war]... drawn from more than 800 unique sources... [It] presents an incredible amount of content -- decades of research and policy -- in an approachable and fairly compact package suitable for academics and practitioners alike. It is an ideal starting point for those interested in health, conflict, and peace, and an appropriate review for those more experienced in preventive practice wishing to reacquaint themselves with a rigorous, scientific demonstration of the health impacts, consequences, and harms of war."
- New Solutions: A Journal of Environmental and Occupational Health Policy

"...an excellent and scholarly contribution to the understanding of the extensive and pervasive negative impacts of war... Documents the interconnectedness and relationship of the various negative impacts of war and conflict and draws a line from war to impaired health, chronic illness, early death, as well as future societal problems... .The highlight... [is] the inclusion of profiles of numerous heroes of global public health who, through their commitment in giving of themselves while helping others, exemplifies the best of our humanity."
- Annals of Global Health

"The book demonstrates the public health approach to war with Levy applying his erudite epidemiological thinking and analysis to showcase how war is so terrible for people, communities, and the planet and what can be done in response."
- Health and Human Rights Journal

Climate Change and Public Health, Second Edition

"If you want to know why you should care about climate change, read this book."
- Gina McCarthy, Former Administrator, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency

"This incisive volume is a must-read for public health and medical students, health leaders, and policymakers worldwide."
- Victor J. Dzau, President, National Academy of Medicine

This second edition of Climate Change and Public Health comprehensively covers the health impacts of climate change, including heat-related and respiratory disorders, vectorborne and waterborne diseases, malnutrition, mental disorders, and violence. It provides a thorough understanding of the policymaking process and energy, transportation, and agriculture policies for mitigation.

The book also covers health adaptation, sustainable built environments, and nature-based solutions to address climate change. Finally, it describes ways of strengthening public and political support, including communicating the health relevance of climate change, building movements, and promoting climate justice.

Additional Reviews

"A state-of-the-art compilation written by top scholars and meticulously edited."
- Georges C. Benjamin, Executive Director, American Public Health Association

"Climate change directly threatens human health, a strong avenue for building public action. This is a powerful book."
- Bill McKibben, Author of The End of Nature

"This book comprehensively reviews the evidence of impacts in diverse settings and describes the adaptation and mitigation actions that must be taken."
- Andy Haines, Former Director, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine

Occupational and Environmental Health, Seventh Edition

"The book provides a logical, structured exposition of a diverse multidisciplinary specialty, employing a language and format designed to educate the novice student and seasoned practitioner alike - a vital contribution to the field."
-- New England Journal of Medicine

Occupational and environmental diseases and injuries represent a core component of public health and health care. Factors in the workplace and the ambient environment have significant impacts on individual and community health.

Occupational and Environmental Health is a comprehensive, practical textbook for understanding how work and environment influence individual and population health. Comprising 40 chapters written by national and international experts, this book combines theory and practical insights to help recognize and prevent occupational and environmental diseases and injuries.

Social Injustice and Public Health, Third Edition

"An invaluable primer on how inequity breeds ill health"
-- New England Journal of Medicine

Social injustice underlies many public health problems throughout the world. It is manifested in many ways, including from various forms of overt discrimination. It creates wide gaps between the "haves" and "have-nots" within countries and between high-income and low- and middle-income countries. It causes disease, injury, disability, and premature death. Health professionals, students in the health professions, and others need to understand social injustice in order to reduce social injustice and minimize its health consequences.

This is a comprehensive, up-to-date resource for understanding and addressing the profound impacts of social injustice on public health. Chapters demonstrate how social injustice affects the health of specific population groups, show how social injustice affects areas of public health, and present an agenda for action.

Enriched with photographs and case examples and featuring contributions from the experts whose work helped define the field, Social Injustice and Public Health is a foundational text for understanding and addressing major challenges to health.

Selected Book Chapters

Levy BS. "The Impacts of War on Children's Health" in Landrigan PJ, Etzel RA (Editors). Children's Environmental Health (Second Edition). New York: Oxford University Press, in press.

Levy BS."Collective Violence: War" in Detels R, Karim QA, Baum F, et al (Editors). Oxford Textbook of Global Public Health (Seventh Edition). Oxford, UK: Oxford University Press, 2022, pp. 393-400.

Levy BS. "Armed Conflict and Public Health" in Boulton ML, Wallace RB (Editors). Maxcy-Rosenau-Last Public Health & Preventive Medicine (Sixteenth Edition). New York: McGraw-Hill Education, 2021, pp. 147-157.

Levy BS. "Water and Armed Conflict" in Selendy JMH (Editor). Water and Sanitation-Related Diseases and the Changing Environment: Challenges, Interventions, and Preventive Measures, (Second Edition). Hoboken, NJ: John Wiley & Sons, Inc., 2019, pp. 53-57.