Mark Pendergrast

The stories you've heard are true. Somewhere out there lurks a shadowy group fighting to save humanity from unforeseen dangers. Ready to mobilize at a moment's notice, its members travel the globe, beating back catastrophes of unimaginable proportions. You may be conjuring up images of the X-Men, Fantastic ... (more)Four, or the Justice League. Good guesses, but not quite. The group in question is made up of medical detectives, and it goes by the name of the Epidemic Intelligence Service. Based in Atlanta and associated with the Centers for Disease Control & Prevention, the E.I.S. was founded in 1951 during the Korean War, when fears of bioterrorism ratcheted up Cold War anxiety. Since then, E.I.S. officers – there are now more than 3,000 veterans of the two-year training and service program – have helped eradicate smallpox, identify AIDS and E. coli, and investigate post-9/11 anthrax-spiked letters. They stay on call around the clock, ready to spring into action and head directly into microbial war zones in far corners of the world. But while the work of the E.I.S. looms large, the program itself is hardly known. Thanks to Mark Pendergrast's new book, Inside the Outbreaks: The Elite Medical Detectives of the Epidemic Intelligence Service, however, the critical work of the E.I.S. is coming to light. The E.I.S. "is indeed the most important (and effective) government agency of which you have never heard," writes Pendergrast. Its officers, who are typically in their mid-30s, go on to positions at the C.D.C., the World Health Organization, the Gates Foundation and various other public health agencies and schools. At this point, the group has served as a template for 36 epidemiology programs in 82 countries. And as the book notes, it is not confined to combating infectious diseases – at times the E.I.S. has investigated homicidal nurses, forced sterilizations and an itching frenzy at a grade school that turned out to be mass hysteria. It even extends its reach to address large-scale public health threats like smoking, obesity and gun violence. Pendergrast's Inside the Outbreaks is a detailed account of the many largely unseen contributions the E.I.S. has made to humankind over its nearly 60-year history. They may not wear tights and capes, but those who have filled its ranks are heroes nonetheless. The event is free and open to the public. If you cannot attend the reading, but would like a signed copy of Inside the Outbreaks, you may reserve it at http://www.acappellabooks.com/ev_pend....

Since its founding in 1951, the Epidemic Intelligence Service has waged war on every imaginable ailment. Over the years they have successfully battled polio, cholera, and smallpox, and in recent years have turned to smoking, obesity, and gun violence among others. On Wednesday, May 26th at 7:00 pm, Mark ... (more)Pendergrast will bring attendees on a riveting journey through the history of this remarkable organization. Afterwards, he'll be available to sign copies of his new book, Inside the Outbreaks.

Dear readers, It will be our great good fortune to host Mark Pendergast who will speak about and sign his new book Inside The Outbreaks: The Elite Medical Detectives of the Epidemic. This is a fast paced account of the scientists of the Epidemic Intelligence Service who track and identify all ... (more)the health threats that plague the U.S. and the world. Their investigations range from polio, AIDS, contaminated food, violence and bioterrorism to name a few. The story is huge, the scientists dedicated and intellectually gifted and Mark Pendergast tells a fabulous story. The EIS has waited for just the right person to tell its story. We look forward to seeing you at the signing on April 23rd. Thanks. Keep reading, Marlene and the Tall Tales staff