Polio

Oshinsky's 2006 Pulitzer Prize winner tells of the race to find the cure for this crippling and sometimes fatal disease. This history covers polio from its earliest occurrences in North America in the late 1800s to its crippling effects on FDR in 1921 and continues on with research and the discovery of vaccines--the first by Jonas Salk, who developed a "killed-virus" vaccine in 1955, and the second by Albert Sabin, who isolated a "live-virus" vaccine in 1961. Jonathan Hogan's narration is as simple and straightforward as that of an old-time news commentator. Maintaining an appropriate emotional distance, Hogan always has the facts at his command. Hogan's pacing complements Oshinsky's unfolding history, which encourages the listener to learn about the contributions of the March of Dimes. M.B.K. (c) AudioFile 2008, Portland, Maine