Polio

Learn about the intense efforts to find a cure for polio, from the March of Dimes to the discovery of the Salk and Sabin vaccines. David Oshinsky weaves a dramatic tale of the race for the cure, centered on the rivalries between Salk and Sabin. He also provides an insightful look at the National Foundation for Infantile Paralysis, which revolutionized fundraising and perception of disease in America. Finally, Oshinsky reveals that polio was never the raging epidemic portrayed by the media, but a relatively uncommon disease. Polio is a gripping scientific suspense story and a provocative social and cultural history that offers a fresh window into postwar America.