Preventable
The Inside Story of How Leadership Failures, Politics, and Selfishness Doomed the U.S. Coronavirus Response
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3.9 • 37 Ratings
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- $14.99
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- $14.99
Publisher Description
* NATIONAL BESTSELLER *
“Painfully good. The book could have been called, ‘Outrageous.’ The story Andy Slavitt tells is not just about Trump’s monumental failures but also about the deeper ones that started long before, with our health system, our politics, and more.” --Atul Gawande, author of Being Mortal
The definitive, behind-the-scenes look at the U.S. Coronavirus crisis from one of the
most recognizable and influential voices in healthcare
From former Biden Senior Advisor Andy Slavitt, Preventable is the definitive inside account of the United States' failed response to the Coronavirus pandemic. Slavitt chronicles what he saw and how much could have been prevented -- an unflinching investigation of the cultural, political, and economic drivers that led to unnecessary loss of life.
With unparalleled access to the key players throughout the government on both sides of the aisle, the principal public figures, as well as the people working on the frontline involved in fighting the virus, Slavitt brings you into the room as fateful decisions are made and focuses on the people at the center of the political system, health care system, patients, and caregivers. The story that emerges is one of a country in which -- despite the heroics of many -- bad leadership, political and cultural fractures, and an unwillingness to sustain sacrifice light a fuse that is difficult to extinguish.
Written in the tradition of The Big Short, Preventable continues Andy Slavitt’s important work of addressing the uncomfortable realities that brought America to this place. And, he puts forth the solutions that will prevent us from being here again, ensuring a better, stronger country for everyone.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
In this informative and often enraging account of "missed opportunit" in the U.S. government's handling of the Covid-19 pandemic, Slavitt, who oversaw Medicare and Medicaid for the Obama administration, interweaves testimony from public health officials and scientific researchers with his own efforts to educate the public and mobilize supplies. Slavitt delves into the suspension of the NBA season in March 2020 and the slow-moving response that put New York state at 100,000 cases by early April, and tracks missteps by White House coronavirus task force members including Health and Human Services secretary Alex Azar and Dr. Deborah Birx, who "inhaled the groupthink of the White House" in the early months of the pandemic. Some heroes emerge, including epidemiologist Blythe Adamson, who created an accurate model of the virus's spread, while other infectious disease experts prove remarkably prescient—on March 15, Dr. Michael Osterholm of the University of Minnesota forecast an "18-month war" against the virus complicated by public resistance to government mandates ("People will listen to you for about two weeks, but if they don't see what you're telling them, they will begin to rebel"). Slavitt's frequent attacks on Trump give the book a partisan flavor, but he offers critical insights for mitigating the next public health crisis. Readers will learn much from this pointed assessment of where things went wrong.
Customer Reviews
Horrible Book full of lies!
This book tells you what the CNN cult wants you to believe. If you are a person who wants to improve america you will steer clear of this one.