In his important book The Black Death: A New History of the Great Mortality in Europe, 1347-1500, John Aberth successfully argues that although the black death was one of the greatest tragedies in human history, it nevertheless brought about several significant positive changes in European society such as advancing technology, improved labor relations, and better sanitation conditions.In this 432-page account, his second book on the topic, John Aberth offers a chronological, modern examination of the plague that would change the world. John Aberth supports the idea of the black death being a pivotal point for the European as well as the world economic stage. He explains that this was not only a European event but a world event that transitioned…show more content… However, his analysis is marred by a Eurocentric perspective, potentially constraining the breadth of his conclusions. European society was the primary culture and region reviewed after the plague. This may be proper for this research, but it leaves the reader questioning what became of the other areas and cultures and whether they contributed nothing in the aftermath.
While the diversity of the accounts isn’t superb, they still showcase important points of view from individuals. The accounts of the Black Death reveal not only the psychological and social impacts of the plague, but also the dynamic medical responses to it. Cleaner packaging processes such as corked bottles, glass jars with lids, etc. provide new means for more widespread and effective sanitization. These narratives challenge common misconceptions about the absence of medical progress in the later Middle Ages. They demonstrate how physicians adapted their approaches, experimented with new theories, and asserted that their firsthand experiences provided greater insights into the plague compared to ancient knowledge. In Aberth's work, he explores how people from different religions dealt with the Black Death. Unlike Muslim thinkers who
