Public Health Explored

“A fascinating and intriguing book, which has the potential to inspire and instigate debate and argument about the most pressing challenges we face as earthlings.  Written with humour, seriousness and experience, it is an essential addition to public health learning and practice.”

-- Richard Lee * Senior Lecturer in Public Health, Northumbria University *

“John Ashton has always been a captivating storyteller, both through the power of the spoken and the written word. In this beautifully easy-to-read book, he has brought together some of the many stories that he and his dear friend and late colleague Lowell Levin, Emeritus Professor at Yale have shared with students and health professionals over the years.

Both Lowell and John have been instrumental in broadening the public health agenda, promoting the importance of the role of social determinants on health and in particular, thinking creatively about the role of health promotion and the importance of community action in creating a healthy society...”

-- Dr Debbi Stanistreet * Interim Head of Dept of Public Health and Epidemiology, RCSI *

“In this book, John Ashton and Lowell Levin take us on an enjoyable journey through different continents, countries and eras to demonstrate (with illustrative examples) how public health measures can make a tremendous difference to people’s lives and for the societies in which they live. A highly recommended reading of universal interest for a broad audience.”

-- Dr Piroska Östlin * Director of the Division of Policy and Governance for Health and Well-being, WHO Regional Office for Europe *

"John McKnight has often remarked that “Institutions learn from studies, but communities learn from stories”. So too can health professionals, as Lowell Levin and John Ashton demonstrated in their own careers and now in this book. Based on 50 favourite aphorisms published in the Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health, the book illustrates each of them with case studies (stories) and points for discussion. As John says in the introduction, this book communicates abstract ideas in tangible ways, helping public health professionals to also learn from stories.“ 

-- Dr Trevor Hancock, Hon FFPH * Retired Professor and Senior Scholar, School of Public Health and Social Policy, University of Victor