A History of the World in Six Plagues

Pandemics thrive on inequities and widen them, providing more kindling for future plagues. This simple lesson has proven devastatingly difficult to learn. But I think that if everyone read Edna Bonhomme’s incredible, humane, insightful book–and I hope they do–we might stand a chance of actually breaking the cycle of neglect and panic. – Ed Yong, Pulitzer Prize-winning author of I CONTAIN MULTITUDES and AN IMMENSE WORLDEngaging and poignant. * Salon *Deeply compassionate … A History of the World in Six Plagues could not be more urgent. * The Baffler *An expansive portraiture of how colonialism and confinement have influenced our understanding of illness and humanity … This book is tender as it tackles some of the most stigmatized subjects of our time. – Morgan Jerkins, author of WANDERING IN STRANGE LANDSA fascinating and thought-provoking read, combining keenly observed anthropological insights, captivating historical narratives and biting social critique. – Jonathan Kennedy, author of PATHOGENESIS: HOW GERMS MADE HISTORYA breathtaking journey through the intertwined histories of contagions and systemic inequities that have shaped our history … Bonhomme’s thought-provoking exploration not only sheds light on past injustices but challenges us to confront our history and envision a more compassionate future. – Uché Blackstock, author of LEGACYA powerful book that shines a light on the parts of life we’d rather ignore, and the beauty that can arise from horror. – Sarah Jaffe, author of FROM THE ASHESAmbitious in her scope yet intimate in her humane storytelling, Bonhomme has written the book we need to navigate life on our interconnected planet. Brilliant, tender and illuminating. – Steven W. Thrasher, author of THE VIRAL UNDERCLASS: THE HUMAN TOLL WHEN INEQUALITY AND DISEASE COLLIDEThis book is a tour de force! … A History of the World in Six Plagues will change how people think about public health and histories of medicine. – Dr. Tiffany N. Florvil, Associate Professor of History at The University of New Mexico and author of MOBILIZING BLACK GERMANYEqual parts intimate portrait of illness and piercing analysis of our socio-political predicament … Let this book be a guide for our pandemic past, present and probable–but by no means inescapable–future. – George Aumoithe, Assistant Professor of History at Harvard UniversityMasterfully exposes the deep inequities that underpin epidemics, across the globe and throughout history … As we grapple with what the next major global outbreak might be, this book couldn’t be more timely. – Layal Liverpool, author of SYSTEMIC: HOW RACISM IS MAKING US SICKIntellectually charged, deeply personal and exhaustively researched. * The Lancet *

Edna Bonhomme is a critic, historian, and journalist. She is a co-editor of the book After Sex, and her essays have appeared in The Atlantic, Frieze, the Guardian, the London Review of Books, and The Nation.

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