Nine Pints by Rose George

Nine Pints by Rose George might sound like a book about pubs, until you read the subtitle: A Journey Through the Mysterious, Miraculous World of Blood. The book is called Nine Pints because this is, roughly, as much as we have. It is such a great book, worth reading. I discovered it on an article by Bill Gates with book recommendations and I’m glad I did.

She talks about all many topics regarding blood, from bloodletting to transfusion-free operations requested for religious reasons and recent research into the production of synthetic blood. Leeches were fascinating, including some rather horrific farming practices in the 19th century, but enlightening. There are two chapters on period poverty, which include atrocious stories from India. It was so hard to read those pages, it was so infuriating and sad, so many women suffer and they are made suffering by other women and their ignorance. I was shocked and furious and sad. The second chapter about menstruation talks about Arunachalam Muruganantham, known as “Menstrual Man”, another story which had an impact.

In another chapter she talks about Janet Vaughan, an amazing woman who set up the first system of mass blood donation in the world, during WWII. Another chapter deals with blood transmitted infections. The book ends with a look at the future and synthetic blood.

Nine Pints by Rose George

Details about the picture: The background seemed appropriate for the book
My rating: 5/5 Stars
Would I recommend it: Yes
Published by: Portobello Books
Year it was published: 2018
Format: Paperback
Genre(s): Non-fiction. Science
Pages: 372

About the author: George has a BA in modern languages from the University of Oxford and an MA in international politics from the University of Pennsylvania. She speaks French and Italian. Now she lives mostly in Yorkshire. She is also a speaker, giving talks on topics such as sanitation, women’s health, and refugees. George has given two TED talks, on sanitation and shipping.
Books by Rose George: The Big Necessity: The Unmentionable World of Human Waste and Why It Matters; Ninety Percent of Everything: Inside Shipping, the Invisible Industry That Puts Clothes on Your Back, Gas in Your Car, and Food on Your Plate; A Life Removed: Hunting for Refuge in the Modern World.
Website & Social Media Links: rosegeorge