This is one of those books that draws the reader in from the beginning, starting with the unusual title, and building an information-rich, honest, provocative and narrative-style story of global health, colonialism, conflict, fever and philosophy. Through the eyes of a seasoned medical doctor, Downing tells the stories of medical history focusing on global health, while not valorising or criticising its major figures. It is a memoir of two physicians and their 30 years of work in Africa, unpacking aspects of African history, showing how these aspects influenced their experiences long before they appeared on the scene.