The best 13 Pandemic books

Being afraid that vaccinating our children creates more harm than good isn’t a new phenomenon. It’s a fear informed by numerous cultural narratives. On Immunity looks at the different historical myths and metaphors in the vaccination debate, and presents statistics on vaccination’s effects.

• Parents who are unsure whether or not to vaccinate their child
• Anyone who is interested in the cultural history of vaccination
• Anyone who’s heard Jenny McCarthy say that vaccinations are dangerous

Missing Microbes (2014) explores the strange and microscopic world inside your guts. It sheds light on the crucial role played by microbes – tiny creatures that keep your body happy and healthy – and explains the dangers of overusing antibiotics.

• People curious about the dangers of antibiotics
• Parents concerned about their children’s health
• Readers interested in medicine and health

Immunity (2015) is a guide to that great defender of the human body, otherwise known as the immune system. It gives a detailed explanation of how immune responses defend us against all manner of diseases, even cancers, and how a dysfunctional immune system can spell big trouble.

• Physicians, chemists and biologists
• Anyone who has ever been sick
• Students of medicine

Pandemic (2016) explores the fascinating world of pathogens and diseases and how they can spread from a bat in China to five other continents in a single day. How do these diseases evolve, and how does modern society help contribute to their success? And most importantly: what can we do to stop the next pandemic?

• People concerned about the next pandemic
• Readers who want to know how pathogens develop
• Medical students interested in preventing diseases

The medical world is on the brink of a revolution thanks to new and future technology like Big Data health maps and bacteria scanners that can attach to smartphones. Power is shifting from the doctor to the patient, and self-treatment and self-diagnoses are becoming unprecedentedly powerful. The Patient Will See You Now (2015) outlines these changes and what they mean for both you and the healthcare world.

• Medical students
• People who suffer from a chronic disease
• Anyone curious about the future of medicine

Get Well Soon (2017) tells the story of the diseases and epidemics that have plagued humans from the distant past right up to the twentieth century, detailing the theories that people once had about certain diseases and how to treat them. There’s room in the story too for the heroes who made breakthroughs in the treatment and prevention of diseases, or who helped sufferers when others shunned them.  

• Students of history and the history of medicine
• Anyone interested in public health
• Medics in need of quirky anecdotes for dinner parties

The Beautiful Cure (2018) is an exuberant tale of how scientists have come to a deeper understanding of the human immune system – and the ways in which their discoveries will revolutionize our health. The immune system is extraordinarily complex. But if we can use our knowledge to harness its power, we may finally win the fight against diseases and illnesses like arthritis, HIV, and even cancer. 

• Health nuts who want to understand the body’s natural defense system
• People who have a chronic illness or know someone who has one
• Medical students and anyone interested in human biology

Wuhan Diary (2020) is a collection of online essays by celebrated Chinese writer Fang Fang. They were published daily throughout Wuhan’s 76-day coronavirus lockdown. A fascinating and intimate report from the frontline, this diary chronicles the very beginnings of the pandemic that soon swept the world.

• People interested in Chinese culture and politics
• Those who enjoy eyewitness accounts of major world events
• Anyone curious about the origins of COVID-19

What’s it about?

COVID-19: The Great Reset (2020) is a compendium of predictions and prognoses. It offers forecasts for how the global economy may change in the wake of the coronavirus crisis – as well as suggestions for how it should change.

Who’s it for?

• Economics enthusiasts wondering what’s going to happen next
• Students of international relations grappling with the big questions of today
• Anyone attempting to come to terms with the pandemic

How to Prevent the Next Pandemic (2022) is a blueprint for the international pandemic prevention plan the world sorely needs. Learning from the mistakes of the Covid 19 pandemic, Gates lays down a series of steps governments need to take if we’re to protect ourselves and ensure another global health catastrophe of this scale never happens again.

• Casual science readers with an interest in epidemiology
• Business leaders and philanthropists looking for good places to invest
• Anyone who doesn’t want to live through another Covid 19

Shutdown (2021) explores the unprecedented shock COVID-19 dealt the world economy. The story begins with the revelation of the disease in January 2020 by Chinese President Xi Jinping and ends precisely a year later with the inauguration of US President Joe Biden, and through this history, Shutdown shows how markets and governments reeled from the blow, how they regained their footing, and what we might learn for the next worldwide crisis. 

• News junkies and history buffs alike
• Those who know that economic policy matters
• Anyone seeking perspective on our tumultuous times

The Future of the Office (2021) takes an analytical look at the current state of the traditional working office and what recent changes and developments may mean for the future. Drawing on research, anecdotes, and case studies of businesses responding to the global pandemic, it highlights the unique and exciting opportunities that we now have to fundamentally change the nature of where and how we work.

• White-collar workers wondering if the shift to working from home is here to stay
• Managers considering the pros and cons of changing up the traditional office environment
• Big thinkers who want to see how one of the fundamental aspects of our work lives has been brought down by the global pandemic

The Big One (2025) challenges your assumptions about pandemics by revealing that the next global health crisis will be far worse than COVID-19. Through a gripping, scientifically-grounded scenario, it reveals the critical failures of our past response and the essential, practical steps needed to prepare for the inevitable.

• Policymakers and public health officials looking for future-proof strategies
• Anyone who wants to understand our past pandemic response failures
• Curious minds who enjoy science-driven narratives about major global challenges