Plagues, Pandemics and Viruses: From the Plague of Athens to Covid 19

Written by Heather E. Quinlan

Narrated by Samara Naeymi

COVID-19 and the History of Pandemics and Epidemics

It can come in waves—like tidal waves. It changes societies. It disrupts life. It ends lives. As far back as 3000 B.C.E. (the Bronze Age), plagues have stricken mankind. COVID-19 is just the latest
example, but history shows that life continues. It shows that knowledge and social cooperation can save lives.

Viruses are neither alive nor dead and are the closest thing we have to zombies. Their only known function is to replicate themselves, which can have devastating consequences on their
hosts. Most, but not all, bacteria are good for us. Some are truly horrific, including those that caused the bubonic, pneumonic, and septicemic plagues. And viruses and bacteria are always morphing,
evolving, and changing, making them hard to treat. Plagues, Pandemics and Viruses: From the Plague of Athens to COVID-19 is an enlightening, and sometimes frightening, recounting of the
destruction wrought by disease, but it also looks at what humanity has done and can do to overcome even the deadliest and bleakest of contagions.

This important book chronicles the history of plagues and pandemics, human resilience, and what we’ve learned from the past, including …

• The bubonic plague/black plague, which killed 30% to 60% of Europe’s population
• The devastation to the indigenous population in the Americas
• How the 1918 Spanish Flu did not come from Spain
• How disease “inspired” The Canterbury Tales, Wuthering Heights, pop artist Keith Haring, and others
• AIDS’ “patient zero”
• The differences between COVID-19 and other corona viruses
• How climate change will affect future pandemics
• The aftermath of various pandemics
• Several modern diseases making a comeback
• How to stop most epidemics before they can turn into pandemics
• The science of preventative measures and medical interventions
• An exclusive interview with Dr. Anthony S. Fauci, the director of the NIAID
• … and much, much more.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Recorded Books, Inc.
• Release date: Nov 1, 2020
• ISBN: 9781705005590

Heather E. Quinlan

Heather E. Quinlan studied English literature at Ithaca College; she broke into the professional world as a children’s book editor for Sterling Publishing, launching its successful biography series for middle schoolers. She is now a freelance writer and filmmaker. Her documentary on the New York accent, If These Knishes Could Talk, was screened at the Library of Congress and is now available on Amazon Prime, while her writing has been featured in PBS’s MetroFocus, The Wall Street Journal, Medium, and the New York Daily News. She’s been featured in The New York Times, The New Yorker, CBS This Morning, NPR’s All Things Considered, the BBC, and BBC Scotland, and she was nominated for a Daytime Emmy Award for her work on NatGeo Kids’ “Weird but True!” series. She lives in New Jersey with her husband, writer Adam McGovern.

Reviews for Plagues, Pandemics and Viruses

[knightlight777 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

A very informative and well written historical perspective on the vast world of biological enemies that "plague" us to this day. They always have and always will be a part of our lives. And as we know all to well we keep learning the lessons these critters bestow upon us.Quilan takes us through many of the topics in a detailed rather fascinating and well written presentation. She culminates in of course our present day malady, Coronovirus, particularly number 19. Aside from the medical side she delves much into the political swirl that played out primarily in the past administration. It is clear her political persuasion as the bad players are exposed, and her heroes Dr.Fauci and Andrew Cuomo are saluted.In general a good presentation that allows us to see how fragile things can be in our biological world and the destruction that can occur. Yet in conclusion we struggle at times to live with them but can't live without them; our cohabitants viruses and bacteria.