It’s rather worrying to see the proliferation of books about avian influenza, as if people aren’t scared enough, but this one is more worrying still – its title alludes to the idea that homeopathy can somehow help us survive influenza epidemics and pandemics. Bizarrely, it says we can survive “past, present and future” episodes. Present and future are really pushing it, given the lack of valid trials of homeopathy in any area of medicine, but “past”?