They’re always changing. We need to do the same
The Deadliest Enemy: Our War Against Killer Germs by Michael T. Osterholm and Mark Olshaker (Little, Brown and Company, $28).
Recent news of the outbreak of acute flaccid myelitis (AFM), the polio-like disease that has afflicted 127 children in 22 states, should remind us that we’re never safe from infectious disease; in fact, the germs that cause these illnesses are usually evolving much faster than either we or our treatment methods.
And here’s a basic fact: Any one of us is much, much more likely to die of complications from the flu than as a result of a terrorist attack. While we cower in fear of the catastrophic–Ebola, say, or Zika–the real threat is much closer.
Michael T. Osterholm is a public health professor at the University of Minnesota; writing with science journalist Mark Olshaker, he’s got a clear description of the rising threat from epidemic disease in The Deadliest Enemy: Our War Against Killer Germs. For the non-specialist, The Deadliest Enemy offers an accessible explanation of why epidemic disease is–thanks to climate change–the greatest danger humanity faces, and Osterholm’s description of the progression and aftermath of a novel influenza outbreak makes clear how he earned the nickname “Bad News Mike.”

Great science writing and a fascinating story

There have been several books recently published about the microbiome and how we coexist with it. This book is definitely not about coexistence; it is about how the microbial world is trying to kill us and how we can fight back. It’s about epidemiology, government policy, and some of author Michael Osterholm’s personal adventures. I am not sure who contributed what in this collaboration with author Mark Olshaker, but it works beautifully. I couldn’t put the book down. And no prior knowledge of science is required; the authors explain everything on the go. This is great science writing for everyone. I strongly recommend it.
I received an advanced reading copy of this book via Netgalley for review purposes