Epidemic Modelling: An Introduction, by Daryl J. Daley, and Joe Gani. Cambridge University Press, New York. 213 p. Hardcover, $49.95 ISBN 0-521-64079-2.
The main goal of this book is to provide an overview of the ideas behind mathematical models of disease, and the techniques required to understand and interpret them. It was not, however, designed as a general introduction for those unfamiliar with complex mathematical models. The book specifically targets probabilists and statisticians, and will be of little benefit to anyone lacking a fairly firm grounding in mathematical biology. As an example, the coverage of stochastic models assumes readers are familiar with the elements of Markov processes on countable state space. The book is essentially designed as a primer, and provides a segway into the current theoretical literature, rather than acting as a comprehensive overview of epidemic models. For this reason, coverage is almost entirely restricted to models of disease...