Scan barcode
A review by shanaqui
The Plague Cycle: The Unending War Between Humanity and Infectious Disease by Charles Kenny
informative
medium-paced
4.0
This is a not-very-technical look at how human history has been affected by infectious disease, written by an economist. It's mostly accurate as far as it goes, though it doesn't really discuss the technical stuff.
I feel like this would almost have been a better book if the author had waited a little longer. It was probably started well before the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic began, and Kenny does try to comment on the relevance of various topics to the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic... but if he'd waited a little longer, there'd have been so much more to say. There were dangers and issues that he didn't foresee that might've been interesting to see him elucidate. At least even though he's an economist, he didn't outright trash the importance of mitigations which affect the world economy. It'd be interesting to see his thoughts on what the UK has done to itself.
He also makes excellent points about the need for new therapies -- and the lack of movement in that direction -- along with the way we're overusing antibiotics, and the coming Post-Antibiotic Age if we don't deal with it.
It comes together as an interesting read: basic on the science, but enough to give background and point the way. Nothing much new for someone who studies this, but that's no surprise!
I feel like this would almost have been a better book if the author had waited a little longer. It was probably started well before the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic began, and Kenny does try to comment on the relevance of various topics to the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic... but if he'd waited a little longer, there'd have been so much more to say. There were dangers and issues that he didn't foresee that might've been interesting to see him elucidate. At least even though he's an economist, he didn't outright trash the importance of mitigations which affect the world economy. It'd be interesting to see his thoughts on what the UK has done to itself.
He also makes excellent points about the need for new therapies -- and the lack of movement in that direction -- along with the way we're overusing antibiotics, and the coming Post-Antibiotic Age if we don't deal with it.
It comes together as an interesting read: basic on the science, but enough to give background and point the way. Nothing much new for someone who studies this, but that's no surprise!