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  • Experts

In the News » Coronavirus/Covid-19 Books

Most Recommended Books

American Pandemic: The Lost Worlds of the 1918 Influenza Epidemic by Nancy Bristow

“Bristow considers the pandemic from a variety of angles, thinking about how life changed in ways that varied based on class, gender, profession, race, and locality, thinking about what kinds of events were cancelled, what sorts of disagreements doctors had, and how doctors and nurses diverged in their reactions, how cities grappled with various practical problems….What also makes Bristow’s work resonate now is the way she focuses on how ad hoc the response was. Officials and doctors had to adjust as time went on. That gets at something frustrating I’ve found with coronavirus, which is that it’s hard to settle into a routine when the rules keep changing. Even when you think they’re at their most severe, there still are tweaks; you feel constantly unsettled. I think that certainly comes across in Bristow’s work.”

Alex Chase-Levenson, Historian

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Microbe Hunters by Paul de Kruif

“Microbe Hunters has never been out of print and is perhaps the most successful medical science book ever written.”

John Rhodes, Scientist

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The Plague by Albert Camus

“It has been said that he did extensive research for The Plague. The ‘plague’ is generally taken to be a metaphor or meta-commentary on Nazism during World War II. I’m not necessarily sold on that as the exclusive interpretation of the novel. Other people have argued that he was reading about plagues during the time that he was writing this. But one thing that’s really interesting in the background is that, for at least a period of time while writing the novel, Camus was trying to recover from a bout of tuberculosis and he was staying in a village in southern France in the Free Zone (Vichy). The remarkable events that took place there were the basis for the book called Lest Innocent Blood be Shed by Philip Paul Hallie. In this small, poor, rural village they banded together and pooled their resources to save somewhere between three and five thousand Jews from the Nazis. Camus was in this village as this was happening, as people were hiding, as they were separated from their loved ones, while he himself was separated from his loved ones. So, I’m not sure to what degree the astute nature of his writing can be attributed to his reading about previous plagues, or to his first-hand experience of being bedridden with an illness, embedded in a town where people were hiding from a much more militaristic and malignant sort of ‘plague’.”

Jamie Lombardi, Philosopher

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The Coming Plague by Laurie Garrett

“Garrett draws the human population explosion and increasing urbanisation together with the fact that microbes can spread much more easily when people are crowded together. At the time The Coming Plague was published, it was a big eye opener and it became a bestseller.”

Dorothy H. Crawford, Medical Scientist

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Plagues and Peoples by William McNeill

“It’s an absolutely wonderful book. It’s thought provoking, beautifully written, and has stood the test of time. McNeill is an academic historian, and he updated the book when HIV came along, so it’s reasonably up to date.”

Dorothy H. Crawford, Medical Scientist

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Browse book recommendations:

In the News

  • Books on the Economic Impact of Coronavirus
  • Coronavirus/Covid-19 Books

Below you’ll find all the book interviews our editors have carried out (so far) with experts in the midst of the coronavirus/Covid-19 crisis. On the medical front, Dorothy Crawford, Emeritus Professor of Medical Microbiology at the University of Edinburgh and author of a number of books recommends the best books on viruses, while John Rhodes, immunologist and author of How to Make a Vaccine, takes us into the world of the immune system.

The lessons of history, and historical pandemics—like the so-called Spanish flu of 1918—are key. Also vital psychologically is the literature about similar periods of quarantine, like the Decameron, set at the height of a plague pandemic—the Black Death—in 14th century Italy.

For a broader perspective, we’ve also listed our older interview about terrifying diseases, some of which have been brought under control. The extraordinary Arthur Ammann, the pediatric immunologist who first observed that HIV could be transmitted from mother to baby, talked us through the best books on the HIV/AIDS plague, and the insights he found in Albert Camus's The Plague. We also have an interview about vaccines, including gripping books about the fight against polio, rabies, cholera and more.

In terms of the economic impact of coronavirus/Covid-19, our contributing editor Benedict King, formerly an economist at the Bank of England, has put together a list of books to better understand the interaction between financial and economic crises and government economic management.

    The best books on Viruses, recommended by Dorothy H. Crawford

  • Read
    The best books on Viruses - The Coming Plague by Laurie Garrett

    1

    The Coming Plague
    by Laurie Garrett

  • Read
    The best books on Viruses - Plagues and Peoples by William McNeill

    2

    Plagues and Peoples
    by William McNeill

  • Read
    The best books on Viruses - The African Aids Epidemic: A History by John Iliffe

    3

    The African Aids Epidemic: A History
    by John Iliffe

  • Read
    The best books on Viruses - No Time to Lose: A Life In Pursuit Of Deadly Viruses by Peter Piot

    4

    No Time to Lose: A Life In Pursuit Of Deadly Viruses
    by Peter Piot

  • Read
    The best books on Viruses - The Ancestor's Tale: A Pilgrimage to the Dawn of Evolution by Richard Dawkins & Yan Wong

    5

    The Ancestor's Tale: A Pilgrimage to the Dawn of Evolution
    by Richard Dawkins & Yan Wong

  • The best books on Viruses - The Coming Plague by Laurie Garrett
  • The best books on Viruses - Plagues and Peoples by William McNeill
  • The best books on Viruses - The African Aids Epidemic: A History by John Iliffe
  • The best books on Viruses - No Time to Lose: A Life In Pursuit Of Deadly Viruses by Peter Piot
  • The best books on Viruses - The Ancestor's Tale: A Pilgrimage to the Dawn of Evolution by Richard Dawkins & Yan Wong

The best books on Viruses, recommended by Dorothy H. Crawford

Many of us have developed a new fascination for viruses and virology during the global COVID-19 crisis. Here, Dorothy Crawford, professor of medical microbiology and the author of Viruses: A Very Short Introduction, selects five of the best books on viruses for the general reader.

The best books on Viruses, recommended by Dorothy H. Crawford

    Books on Living Through an Epidemic, recommended by Alex Chase-Levenson

  • Read
    Books on Living Through an Epidemic - The Diary of Samuel Pepys by Samuel Pepys

    1

    The Diary of Samuel Pepys
    by Samuel Pepys

  • Read
    Books on Living Through an Epidemic - American Pandemic: The Lost Worlds of the 1918 Influenza Epidemic by Nancy Bristow

    2

    American Pandemic: The Lost Worlds of the 1918 Influenza Epidemic
    by Nancy Bristow

  • Read
    Books on Living Through an Epidemic - The Last Man by Mary Shelley

    3

    The Last Man
    by Mary Shelley

  • Read
    Books on Living Through an Epidemic - The Cholera Years: The United States in 1832, 1849, and 1866 by Charles E Rosenberg

    4

    The Cholera Years: The United States in 1832, 1849, and 1866
    by Charles E Rosenberg

  • Read
    Books on Living Through an Epidemic - Eothen by Alexander Kinglake

    5

    Eothen
    by Alexander Kinglake

  • Books on Living Through an Epidemic - The Diary of Samuel Pepys by Samuel Pepys
  • Books on Living Through an Epidemic - American Pandemic: The Lost Worlds of the 1918 Influenza Epidemic by Nancy Bristow
  • Books on Living Through an Epidemic - The Last Man by Mary Shelley
  • Books on Living Through an Epidemic - The Cholera Years: The United States in 1832, 1849, and 1866 by Charles E Rosenberg
  • Books on Living Through an Epidemic - Eothen by Alexander Kinglake

Books on Living Through an Epidemic, recommended by Alex Chase-Levenson

The Covid-19 crisis is often described as an ‘unprecedented’ event, but in the past outbreaks of virulent disease were much more a part of our lives. Historian Alex Chase-Levenson, author of The Yellow Flag, recommends five books that focus on the experiences of those living through an epidemic.

Books on Living Through an Epidemic, recommended by Alex Chase-Levenson

    The best books on Immunology, recommended by John Rhodes

  • Read
    The best books on Immunology - An Inquiry Into the Causes and Effects of the Variolae Vaccinae by Edward Jenner

    1

    An Inquiry Into the Causes and Effects of the Variolae Vaccinae
    by Edward Jenner

  • Read
    The best books on Immunology - Microbe Hunters by Paul de Kruif

    2

    Microbe Hunters
    by Paul de Kruif

  • Read
    The best books on Immunology - The Beautiful Cure: The New Science of Human Health by Daniel M Davis

    3

    The Beautiful Cure: The New Science of Human Health
    by Daniel M Davis

  • Read
    The best books on Immunology - Nemesis by Philip Roth

    4

    Nemesis
    by Philip Roth

  • Read
    The best books on Immunology - Deadly Choices: How the Anti-Vaccine Movement Threatens Us by Paul Offit

    5

    Deadly Choices: How the Anti-Vaccine Movement Threatens Us
    by Paul Offit

  • The best books on Immunology - An Inquiry Into the Causes and Effects of the Variolae Vaccinae by Edward Jenner
  • The best books on Immunology - Microbe Hunters by Paul de Kruif
  • The best books on Immunology - The Beautiful Cure: The New Science of Human Health by Daniel M Davis
  • The best books on Immunology - Nemesis by Philip Roth
  • The best books on Immunology - Deadly Choices: How the Anti-Vaccine Movement Threatens Us by Paul Offit

The best books on Immunology, recommended by John Rhodes

John Rhodes, immunologist and author of The End of Plagues and How to Make a Vaccine, selects five of the best books to help the layperson understand the human immune system in all its fiendish complexity—and explains why the discovery of a successful vaccine is only the initial breakthrough in the long and logistically challenging battle for disease eradication.

The best books on Immunology, recommended by John Rhodes

    The best books on Pandemics, recommended by Christian W. McMillen

  • Read
    The best books on Pandemics - Faith, Reason, and the Plague in Seventeenth Century Tuscany by Carlo Cippolla

    1

    Faith, Reason, and the Plague in Seventeenth Century Tuscany
    by Carlo Cippolla

  • Read
    The best books on Pandemics - Clearing the Plains: Disease, Politics of Starvation, and the Loss of Aboriginal Life by James Daschuk

    2

    Clearing the Plains: Disease, Politics of Starvation, and the Loss of Aboriginal Life
    by James Daschuk

  • Read
    The best books on Pandemics - The Making of a Tropical Disease: A Short History of Malaria by Randall Packard

    3

    The Making of a Tropical Disease: A Short History of Malaria
    by Randall Packard

  • Read
    The best books on Pandemics - American Pandemic: The Lost Worlds of the 1918 Influenza Epidemic by Nancy Bristow

    4

    American Pandemic: The Lost Worlds of the 1918 Influenza Epidemic
    by Nancy Bristow

  • Read
    The best books on Pandemics - Epidemic Invasions: Yellow Fever and the Limits of Cuban Independence, 1878–1930 by Mariola Espinosa

    5

    Epidemic Invasions: Yellow Fever and the Limits of Cuban Independence, 1878–1930
    by Mariola Espinosa

  • The best books on Pandemics - Faith, Reason, and the Plague in Seventeenth Century Tuscany by Carlo Cippolla
  • The best books on Pandemics - Clearing the Plains: Disease, Politics of Starvation, and the Loss of Aboriginal Life by James Daschuk
  • The best books on Pandemics - The Making of a Tropical Disease: A Short History of Malaria by Randall Packard
  • The best books on Pandemics - American Pandemic: The Lost Worlds of the 1918 Influenza Epidemic by Nancy Bristow
  • The best books on Pandemics - Epidemic Invasions: Yellow Fever and the Limits of Cuban Independence, 1878–1930 by Mariola Espinosa

The best books on Pandemics, recommended by Christian W. McMillen

With coronavirus causing widespread panic, we would do well to educate ourselves about the history of pandemics and disease. University of Virginia historian and associate dean Christian W. McMillen, author of Pandemics: A Very Short Introduction, recommends the best introductions to the subject.

The best books on Pandemics, recommended by Christian W. McMillen

    The Best Books to Read in Quarantine, recommended by Jenny Davidson

  • Read
    The Best Books to Read in Quarantine - The Decameron by Boccaccio

    1

    The Decameron
    by Boccaccio

  • Read
    The Best Books to Read in Quarantine - A Journal of the Plague Year by Daniel Defoe

    2

    A Journal of the Plague Year
    by Daniel Defoe

  • Read
    The Best Books to Read in Quarantine - The Plague by Albert Camus

    3

    The Plague
    by Albert Camus

  • Read
    The Best Books to Read in Quarantine - Feed: The Newsflesh Trilogy, Book 1 by Mira Grant

    4

    Feed: The Newsflesh Trilogy, Book 1
    by Mira Grant

  • Read
    The Best Books to Read in Quarantine - Severance by Ling Ma

    5

    Severance
    by Ling Ma

  • The Best Books to Read in Quarantine - The Decameron by Boccaccio
  • The Best Books to Read in Quarantine - A Journal of the Plague Year by Daniel Defoe
  • The Best Books to Read in Quarantine - The Plague by Albert Camus
  • The Best Books to Read in Quarantine - Feed: The Newsflesh Trilogy, Book 1 by Mira Grant
  • The Best Books to Read in Quarantine - Severance by Ling Ma

The Best Books to Read in Quarantine, recommended by Jenny Davidson

Times of disease and pestilence have much to tell us about the human condition. Jenny Davidson, Professor of English and Comparative Literature at Columbia University, suggests some of the best books to read if you’re self-isolating or in quarantine.

The Best Books to Read in Quarantine, recommended by Jenny Davidson

    Arthur Ammann recommends the best books on the HIV/Aids Plague

  • Read
    Arthur Ammann recommends the best books on the HIV/Aids Plague - The Plague by Albert Camus

    1

    The Plague
    by Albert Camus

  • Read
    Arthur Ammann recommends the best books on the HIV/Aids Plague - The Coming Plague by Laurie Garrett

    2

    The Coming Plague
    by Laurie Garrett

  • Read
    Arthur Ammann recommends the best books on the HIV/Aids Plague - And the Band Played on by Randy Shilts

    3

    And the Band Played on
    by Randy Shilts

  • Read
    Arthur Ammann recommends the best books on the HIV/Aids Plague - Plagues and Peoples by William McNeill

    4

    Plagues and Peoples
    by William McNeill

  • Read
    Arthur Ammann recommends the best books on the HIV/Aids Plague - The Invisible Cure: Africa, the West and the Fight Against AIDS by Helen Epstein

    5

    The Invisible Cure: Africa, the West and the Fight Against AIDS
    by Helen Epstein

  • Arthur Ammann recommends the best books on the HIV/Aids Plague - The Plague by Albert Camus
  • Arthur Ammann recommends the best books on the HIV/Aids Plague - The Coming Plague by Laurie Garrett
  • Arthur Ammann recommends the best books on the HIV/Aids Plague - And the Band Played on by Randy Shilts
  • Arthur Ammann recommends the best books on the HIV/Aids Plague - Plagues and Peoples by William McNeill
  • Arthur Ammann recommends the best books on the HIV/Aids Plague - The Invisible Cure: Africa, the West and the Fight Against AIDS by Helen Epstein

Arthur Ammann recommends the best books on the HIV/Aids Plague

When dealing with epidemics, science does not have all the answers and relying on a new miracle drug is not always the solution. We must also learn the lessons of history, argues the veteran doctor of the HIV/Aids epidemic, Arthur Ammann. He picks the best books on ‘plagues.’

Arthur Ammann recommends the best books on the HIV/Aids Plague

    The Best Vaccine Books, recommended by Seth Mnookin

  • Read
    The Best Vaccine Books - Polio: An American Story by David Oshinsky

    1

    Polio: An American Story
    by David Oshinsky

  • Read
    The Best Vaccine Books - Vaccine: The Controversial Story of Medicine's Greatest Lifesaver by Arthur Allen

    2

    Vaccine: The Controversial Story of Medicine's Greatest Lifesaver
    by Arthur Allen

  • Read
    The Best Vaccine Books - The Cutter Incident: How America's First Polio Vaccine Led to the Growing Vaccine Crisis by Paul Offit

    3

    The Cutter Incident: How America's First Polio Vaccine Led to the Growing Vaccine Crisis
    by Paul Offit

  • Read
    The Best Vaccine Books - Microbe Hunters by Paul de Kruif

    4

    Microbe Hunters
    by Paul de Kruif

  • Read
    The Best Vaccine Books - The Ghost Map: The Story of London's Most Terrifying Epidemic by Steven Johnson

    5

    The Ghost Map: The Story of London's Most Terrifying Epidemic
    by Steven Johnson

  • The Best Vaccine Books - Polio: An American Story by David Oshinsky
  • The Best Vaccine Books - Vaccine: The Controversial Story of Medicine's Greatest Lifesaver by Arthur Allen
  • The Best Vaccine Books - The Cutter Incident: How America's First Polio Vaccine Led to the Growing Vaccine Crisis by Paul Offit
  • The Best Vaccine Books - Microbe Hunters by Paul de Kruif
  • The Best Vaccine Books - The Ghost Map: The Story of London's Most Terrifying Epidemic by Steven Johnson

The Best Vaccine Books, recommended by Seth Mnookin

The history of vaccines is fascinating, and we highly recommend all the books discussed in this interview with Seth Mnookin, author of The Panic Virus and Professor of Science Writing at MIT. These are gripping reads that tell the story of vaccines, medicine’s greatest life-saver, and the risks people took to find them.

The Best Vaccine Books, recommended by Seth Mnookin

About

We ask experts to recommend the five best books in their subject and explain their selection in an interview.

This site has an archive of more than one thousand seven hundred interviews, or eight thousand book recommendations. We publish at least two new interviews per week.

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