Deadliest Enemy
OCLC 974489476 | | |
614.4 |
Deadliest Enemy: Our War Against Killer Germs is a non-fiction book by
The book also focuses on the
The book was first published in March 2017 by Little, Brown and Company.
Synopsis
Michael Osterholm describes his book as "part history, part current affairs, and part blueprint for the future".[1] Top of his concerns are influenza pandemics, antibiotic resistance and bioterrorism, combined with "no clear international governance structure for how we are going to deal with these issues".[1] Focusing on major infectious diseases, he highlights the world's vulnerability to their emerging threats.[2][3] His concerns include the effects of major outbreaks on medicine and vaccine production, should countries where these are produced be affected.[4]
Content includes a chapter on coronaviruses titled, "
The authors divide infectious diseases into four classes:
The book contains personal experiences, including Osterholm's La Crosse encephalitis,[2] and it uses medical history to assess the threat of pandemics and anti-microbial resistance, while also discussing political responses.[7] The authors propose a nine-point "Battle Plan for Survival" to fight emerging threats, with the aim of informing and inspiring people into public health work.[1]
Reception
The book was described by Richard Preston as a "powerful and necessary book" that "offers us not just fear but plans".[2] John M. Barry described the book as Osterholm's way of getting results.[8]
Frank Weimann described the book's "dismal introduction on the threat of epidemics" and the main content as "a disturbing description of what humans are doing to keep" epidemiologists in business. Weimann is convinced by Osterholm's call for planning, research, and funding.[9]
Excerpts from the book appeared in Wired and on MPR News.[10][11] It was listed in the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health's best books of 2017.[12]
References
- ^ a b c d Howard, Sarah (13 March 2017). "Detecting Infectious Diseases". School of Public Health, University of Minnesota. Archived from the original on 28 November 2023. Retrieved 7 April 2019.
- ^ PMC 5749459.
- ^ Perry, Susan (10 April 2017). "Why we can't be complacent about the threat of infectious disease: a Q&A with Michael Osterholm". MinnPost. Retrieved 24 April 2019.
- ^ Osterholm, Michael T.; Olshaker, Mark (22 March 2017). "This Is How The World Gets Sick". Fast Company. Retrieved 5 March 2020.
- ^ Osterholm, Michael T.; Olshaker, Mark (5 February 2020). "Why We Are So Ill-Prepared for a Possible Pandemic Like Coronavirus". Time. Retrieved 5 March 2020.
- National Institute of Health. "Gain of Function Research". Office of Science Policy. Retrieved 25 April 2019.
- ISSN 1476-4687.
- CIDRAP. Retrieved 7 April 2019.
- ^ Weimann, Frank (13 January 2017). "Deadliest Enemy: Our War Against Killer Germs". Publishers Weekly. Retrieved 8 April 2019.
- ISSN 1059-1028. Retrieved 8 April 2019.
- ^ Weber, Tom (29 March 2017). "How the Mall of America could become 'as toxic and uninhabitable as Chernobyl'". MPR News. Retrieved 7 April 2019.
- ^ "Best Global Health Books of 2017". Global Health NOW. 12 December 2017. Retrieved 8 April 2019.