Scan barcode
cinpaw's review
5.0
Michael Lewis gets behind the curtain on every book he writes. Kirkus Reviews: An urgent, highly readable contribution to the literature of what might be called the politics of disease.
lizkatz's review
4.0
Pretty much a must read. It is window into the US preparations for a pandemic (and lack thereof). Told in typically wonderful Michael Lewis style.
culuriel's review
5.0
Michael Lewis tells the story of a group of varied professionals, brought together during the Bush Jr administration, to brainstorm, model and plan strategies from stopping a pandemic from crushing America. Carter Mecher, especially, is depicted as the guy who figured things out and could quickly calculate the impact.
Lewis also reveals the sorry state of our nation’s public health as a system, showing how NO ONE is in charge should a pandemic occur. The nation’s public health offices will not act independently, scared of the political ramifications of asking the public to sacrifice should a pandemic fizzle out. The CDC never seemed to have received any of the original group’s pandemic planning, and might not have used it any way because they don’t have any real public health authority. So those with the authority were waiting for an organization that had no authority and was beholden to a political party not interested in fighting a pandemic anyway.
On the public health office side, Lewis describes the career and COVID efforts of Dr. Charity Dean, and how they led next to nowhere and really just to her resignation from public service.
Joe DeRisi, also someone Lewis spends multiple chapters on, trailblazed a way of spotting not just the virus but its genetic markers thru multiple generations, meaning super spreaders could be found with exact precision. But DeRisi’s innovation was undone by a tragic absence of nasal swabs.
As Lewis concludes, one realizes the tragedy of COVID- we could have been ready, as a society, but we chose not to be and usually so politicians wouldn’t have to tell their supporters something they didn’t want to hear.
Lewis also reveals the sorry state of our nation’s public health as a system, showing how NO ONE is in charge should a pandemic occur. The nation’s public health offices will not act independently, scared of the political ramifications of asking the public to sacrifice should a pandemic fizzle out. The CDC never seemed to have received any of the original group’s pandemic planning, and might not have used it any way because they don’t have any real public health authority. So those with the authority were waiting for an organization that had no authority and was beholden to a political party not interested in fighting a pandemic anyway.
On the public health office side, Lewis describes the career and COVID efforts of Dr. Charity Dean, and how they led next to nowhere and really just to her resignation from public service.
Joe DeRisi, also someone Lewis spends multiple chapters on, trailblazed a way of spotting not just the virus but its genetic markers thru multiple generations, meaning super spreaders could be found with exact precision. But DeRisi’s innovation was undone by a tragic absence of nasal swabs.
As Lewis concludes, one realizes the tragedy of COVID- we could have been ready, as a society, but we chose not to be and usually so politicians wouldn’t have to tell their supporters something they didn’t want to hear.
themtj's review
4.0
It's Michael Lewisy enough to get four stars, but nowhere near his best work. Incredible stories of brilliant people who push against a crippled system and incompetent leaders. Some of it was great, other bits were bland. This does make for a nice follow up to the fifth risk although I think it is best to read them in release order for max enjoyment.
nancyflanagan's review
5.0
Here's the explanation why I gave a book that might otherwise be four stars an extra star:
We can't write the definitive book about this pandemic yet. As Lewis describes, multiple times, in this pastiche of stories, we're looking at puzzle pieces, and many of those pieces don't fit together. There are stories about the social networks that spread viruses, and novel, effective approaches to epidemiology that were never considered. There are tales about the deadly mix of politics and public health. They're all fascinating--and none of them tells the complete story. We'll still in this thing; it's still scary and devastating.
But this book--exactly like The Fifth Risk--wades into the middle of the crisis, and begins sharing stories about the huge mistakes made early on, things that could easily have been prevented. He goes back as far as the 1976 Swine flu scare, and how it led Ronald Reagan to decide the head of the CDC had to be politically appointed, rather than chosen by peers, for just one example. And Lewis makes the salient point, at the end, that the next pandemic may actually be worse--so what we have learned from mishandling this one ought to result in some significant changes. It most certainly didn't have to be this way.
I'd like to think that Americans--most Americans--understand that. But maybe not. We've been told so often how exceptional we are that some people believe it. The book is full of tidbits like that.
But as a coherent case study? Not so much. We're not ready for that. But the look behind the curtain at all the things experts knew going in, and learned on the fly, was fascinating.
We can't write the definitive book about this pandemic yet. As Lewis describes, multiple times, in this pastiche of stories, we're looking at puzzle pieces, and many of those pieces don't fit together. There are stories about the social networks that spread viruses, and novel, effective approaches to epidemiology that were never considered. There are tales about the deadly mix of politics and public health. They're all fascinating--and none of them tells the complete story. We'll still in this thing; it's still scary and devastating.
But this book--exactly like The Fifth Risk--wades into the middle of the crisis, and begins sharing stories about the huge mistakes made early on, things that could easily have been prevented. He goes back as far as the 1976 Swine flu scare, and how it led Ronald Reagan to decide the head of the CDC had to be politically appointed, rather than chosen by peers, for just one example. And Lewis makes the salient point, at the end, that the next pandemic may actually be worse--so what we have learned from mishandling this one ought to result in some significant changes. It most certainly didn't have to be this way.
I'd like to think that Americans--most Americans--understand that. But maybe not. We've been told so often how exceptional we are that some people believe it. The book is full of tidbits like that.
But as a coherent case study? Not so much. We're not ready for that. But the look behind the curtain at all the things experts knew going in, and learned on the fly, was fascinating.
agedpompano's review
5.0
This should be required reading for all Americans. It was so frustrating at times I wanted to scream. Our polarized political climate from Reagan on, has caught up career civil servants in its wake and ensured that our government is populated by lackeys and yes men. At least at its most senior, decision making levels. One would hope that Covid would be a reckoning for this kind of bullshit but unfortunately this book doesn't really end on an optimistic note. With that said it's not an entirely depressing read and there are some inspiring people showcased in this book. Also Michael Lewis is outstanding as always in telling their stories.
trainisloud's review
5.0
Michael Lewis writes about a 'Dream Team' of sorts that includes geniuses, MDs, epidemiologists, and a doctor who has been preparing for something like this her whole life. It is a brief and intense look into our public health systems (which aren't great), the necessity of taking a pandemic seriously (immediately), and the interplay of a neglected public institution and a terrible president that led to the greatest public health failure in a generation. Excellent book, highly recommend for fans of 2020, pandemics, and modern political books.
joncoutts's review
5.0
Lewis has a knack for finding good stories and making them page turners. This one - about the real brains of america's pandemic response, who the feds and careerists suppressed and ignored - re-inspires me to stubbornly just do the work.
bren_09's review
5.0
Michael Lewis, author of The Fifth Risk, has written yet another extraordinary story about events surrounding the Covid pandemic. He talks about those in public health who had an incredible understanding of how to manage and reduce the impact of the pandemic. Sadly, those in government were too incompetent to heed the information the more knowledgeable scientists put forward. As a result hundreds of thousands lost their lives, and many more suffer from the disease's sequalae. A powerful book that all should read.