Pandemics are infectious diseases that cross international boundaries and spread out of control. How societies respond to them determines the magnitude of morbidity, mortality, and economic shock that could plague them. Pandemics cannot be eliminated, but they can be stopped; the trick is discovering what will curtail any one particular outbreak.

In this book renowned environmentalist and science writer Albert Bates presents an easy-to-understand scientific overview of the global consequences of pandemics and offers a fresh perspective on how we can coexist with them, individually and collectively. Bates recounts the history of deadly pandemics and provides a basic explanation for why diseases can infect and spread quickly, as well as how viruses invade the body and travel from host to host, further illustrating why we are all at risk. He also reminds us that disrupting natural ecosystems increases the chances of letting loose even more viruses into global populations.

Discover which methods have been used to battle infectious outbreaks in the past, which social solutions are the most effective, and how to bolster our resources before the next pandemic strikes.

“A timely and essential book that helps us understand SARS-CoV-2 and how to avoid future pandemics.”

—Vincent Racaniello, PhD, author of Principles of Virology and Host of Microbe TV