“Inmates and staff at Pleasant Valley State Prison need this book. I am a former prison chaplain who worked at Pleasant Valley State Prison (PVSP) outside of Coalinga, California (which is about 60 miles SE of Fresno) in the heart of the San Joaquin Valley. I worked at PVSP from 2002-2005, and got out just before an epidemic of VF cases hit the prison. The epidemic has been attributed to the construction of Coalinga State Hospital, which was built nearby. I recently sent a copy of THE VALLEY FEVER EPIDEMIC to an inmate with whom I have been corresponding. He has a very serious case of VF and many other inmates do too. They are finding the book to be extremely helpful, because prison doctors are telling inmates with VF that the symptoms they are complaining about, such as rashes, are due to an allergic reaction to peanut butter, milk, or to a certain type of soap. Or they are being told they have the flu. Due to medical staff ignorance or incompetency (some would suggest corruption in an attempt to delay the expense of VF medication for as long as possible), it is not uncommon for inmates to suffer for more than a year before an accurate diagnosis is made. Both staff and inmates are coming down with this dreaded disease, and some are dying. All are in need of accurate information, which this book provides. It is my hope that more friends and family members of inmates, as well as correctional staff, in endemic regions of Southwestern states will discover this book and purchase it for their loved ones. The inmate I sent a copy to has other inmates and even correctional staff asking him about the book. In fact, he now seems to know more about VF than many of the medical staff.”