To judge whether this book makes the case promised in its title, the reader needs a few definitions. Fortunately, author David Stone, a professor of pediatric epidemiology in Scotland, supplies these definitions and suggests sensible action points for the diagnosis, suggested treatment, and follow-up of the crisis in public health.
Stone defines public health using the definition offered by the UK's Acheson Committee: “The science and art of promoting and protecting health and well-being, preventing ill-health and prolonging life through the organized effort of society.” Stone then sharpens the term to refer to the “ . . . professional and organizational response . . . to deal with the challenges posed by population health.” But this book is also about global public health, which he regards as “the collective application of the public health approach to the health challenges that confront the world as a whole.”