Planning Miracles
How to Prevent Future Pandemics
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- USD 11.99
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- USD 11.99
Publisher Description
A groundbreaking book about the past, present, and future of pandemics, and a behind-the-scenes portrait of the intrepid and innovative community of scientists working tirelessly to stop the next one before it starts
In 1955, the vaccine that eliminated polio was celebrated as a “planned miracle." Today, despite the astonishing global effort that came together to develop a vaccine for COVID-19 at unprecedented speed, we struggle against the rise of science denial and misinformation. Since 2020, we have had to face a terrifying truth: It’s not if we’ll experience another pandemic, it’s when. How do we prepare?
Planning Miracles tells the stories of the committed scientists at the front lines, fighting back against societal distrust and panic, monitoring the threats that exist, detecting outbreaks early, and developing new interventions as quickly as possible. Renowned science reporter Jon Cohen travels from the mountains of Vietnam to the rainforests in the Amazon, from the “wet” markets in Cambodia to fairgrounds in the United States, exploring how we can better defend ourselves against the growing threat of pandemics, and he finds surprising—and encouraging—answers. Cohen meets scientists sampling bats, pigs, wild birds, poultry, and insects to hunt for the next dangerous virus. He visits labs developing next-generation vaccines with cutting-edge technology that aim to protect us from entire viral families. Cohen discovers the unexpected links between climate change and the spread of disease and describes efforts to improve the equitable distribution of vaccines, diagnostics, and data sharing around the world.
Weaving together history, reportage, and science writing, Planning Miracles is revelatory and necessary—providing hope that if we work together to plan for the next pandemic, we can avoid disaster.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
This in-depth chronicle of how the world has handled and mishandled infectious diseases—from Ebola and Zika to Covid-19 and mpox—from science journalist Cohen (Almost Chimpanzee) explores what needs to be done to prevent future pandemics. Cohen follows scientists studying viruses around the world—in state fairs, Cambodian wet markets, and the depths of the Amazon rainforest—to identify possible threats and how to prepare for them. The scientists explain how climate change raises the risk of future pandemics, as warming temperatures alter animal habitats and migration patterns, increasing opportunities for pathogens to jump to humans. They urge increasing surveillance for viruses, stockpiling vaccines, and transparent sharing of data, among other efforts. Typically, the world goes through "cycles of panic and neglect," Cohen explains; when epidemics burst onto the scene, there's a surge of interest in solving the crisis, but as the danger wanes, so too does funding to address it. As Cohen writes of the 2024 bird flu outbreak in the U.S., "pandemic prevention requires planning for the worst. The United States appeared to be planning for the best." Cohen provides a great deal of intriguing information throughout the narrative, as when he describes efforts to use drones and air samplers to surveil viruses in the wild. On the heels of the Covid-19 pandemic, this urgent alarm bell rings loud and clear.
