A very timely book that makes for not just a relevant comparison to our current moment, but also simply fascinating reading by a renowned epidemiologist.
TEN PLAGUES:
An Untold Story of Human Pandemics and Why They Still Plague Us
by Dr. John Froude & Bob Berman
Benbella, January 2021
In 1918, in just under a year, 50 million people worldwide died from influenza. In the twentieth century alone, 400 million people died from smallpox, tuberculosis and AIDS. That’s sixteen times more than all the soldiers killed in every human war, combined. Pandemics historically occur at the rate of two new ones per century. And often times, the plagues we may have not yet seen will arise as AIDS did, with little or no warning. These catastrophes deserve serious attention. This book re-examines these global cataclysms in a new way, with DNA research and with technologies which allow us to consider the importance of plagues in human history, their effects, why we have them, how they arise, and how they have been misunderstood. It also explores our intimate relationship with the primary cause of plagues, the tiny creatures that kill us by the millions. TEN PLAGUES covers the origins, histories, and cultural impacts of yellow fever, smallpox, syphilis, bubonic plague, influenza, typhus, cholera, malaria, tuberculosis, AIDS, and more. The story of each is interspersed with chapters that explore the science and the quirky, often astonishing facts behind these universal threats. The authors started writing before the onset of COVID-19, but the incredible timing makes this book a significant resource for readers trying to learn not just how things got this way, but also what history might be able to tell us about what the future holds.
John Froude, MD FRCP is board certified not just as a Doctor of Internal medicine but also as an expert in Infectious Diseases. He has taught lectures on epidemiology and medicine as an Assistant Professor at NYU and continues practicing in upstate New York.
Bob Berman is the bestselling author of several significant works like Earth-Shattering: Violent Supernovas, Galactic Explosions, Biological Mayhem, Nuclear Meltdowns, and Other Hazards to Live in Our Universe. He is also known for having co-written (with Robert Lanza) Biocentrism, Beyond Biocentrism, and The Grand Biocentric Design, among other published works.
In WHATEVER WORKS, Thalma Lobel, one of the world’s leading experts on human behavior, explores groundbreaking psychological research on job performance, satisfaction, and creativity. Lobel goes beyond obvious considerations like salary, title, and company culture to shed light on the hidden factors-often unrecognized, counterintuitive, or invisible-that have profound effects on how well we can do our jobs and how happy we are at work. Did you know that just doodling in a certain way can increase your creativity? That looking at something green for forty seconds will improve your attention? That crossing your legs similarly to an interviewer could get you the job? That the mere presence of a smartphone on your desk can lessen your performance, even if it’s turned off? That being in a warmer room makes you more likely to want to conform with the group, affecting your decision-making? These are the invisible factors that nudge our behavior on a daily basis, and combined, have a real and significant bearing on our success—or failure—at work. Helpful for anyone from individual employees to managers to leaders of large organizations, WHATEVER WORKS shares valuable insights and practical takeaways to transform your professional life.