A History of the World in Six Plagues

Rezensionen / Stimmen

An expansive portraiture of how colonialism and confinement have influenced our understanding of illness and humanity . . . This book is tender as it tackles some of the most stigmatized subjects of our time. -- Morgan Jerkins, author of WANDERING IN STRANGE LANDS A fascinating and thought-provoking read. It combines keenly observed anthropological insights, captivating historical narratives, and biting social critique to weave a story that challenges the reader to rethink the way they view the world. -- Jonathan Kennedy, author of PATHOGENESIS: HOW GERMS MADE HISTORY A breathtaking journey through the intertwined histories of contagions and systemic inequities that have shaped our history . . . Bonhomme's thought-provoking exploration not only sheds light on past injustices but challenges us to confront our history and envision a more compassionate future. -- Uche Blackstock, author of LEGACY The history of the world is a history of human's usually futile attempts at control: at containing other humans and overpowering the more-than-human world. In this meticulously researched book, Edna Bonhomme shows us the ways that contagious illness frustrates those attempts at control, and how people too have resisted captivity and found ways to care for one another in the worst of circumstances. A powerful book that shines a light on the parts of life we'd rather ignore, and the beauty that can arise from horror. -- Sarah Jaffe, author of FROM THE ASHES Bonhomme narrates centuries of the human-microbial dance, laying out how our destinies, liberties and values are determined by how humans negotiate life on earth with our smallest living neighbours. Ambitious in her scope yet intimate in her humane storytelling, Bonhomme has written the interspecies book we need to navigate life on our interconnected planet. Brilliant, tender and illuminating. -- Steven W. Thrasher, author of THE VIRAL UNDERCLASS: THE HUMAN TOLL WHEN INEQUALTIY AND DISEASE COLLIDE Pandemics thrive on inequities and widen them, providing more kindling for future plagues. This simple lesson has proven devastatingly difficult to learn. But I think that if everyone read Edna Bonhomme's incredible, humane, insightful book--and I hope they do--we might stand a chance of actually breaking the cycle of neglect and panic. -- Ed Yong, Pulitzer Prize-winning author of I CONTAIN MULTITUDES and AN IMMENSE WORLD This book is a tour de force! . . . A History of the World in Six Plagues will change how people think about public health and histories of medicine. -- Dr. Tiffany N. Florvil, Associate Professor of History at The University of New Mexico and author of MOBILIZING BLACK GERMANY Equal parts intimate portrait of illness and piercing analysis of our socio-political predicament . . . Let this book be a guide for our pandemic past, present and probable--but by no means inescapable--future. -- George Aumoithe, Assistant Professor of History at Harvard University Masterfully exposes the deep inequities that underpin epidemics, across the globe and throughout history . . . As we grapple with what the next major global outbreak might be, this book couldn't be more timely. -- Layal Liverpool, author of SYSTEMIC: HOW RACISM IS MAKING US SICK