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Pathogenesis

How germs made history: A Sunday Times Science Book of the Year

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Pathogenesis

By: Jonathan Kennedy
Narrated by: Jonathan Kennedy
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Brought to you by Penguin.

Humans did not make history - we played host.

This humbling and revelatory book shows how infectious disease has shaped humanity at every stage, from the first success of Homo sapiens over the equally intelligent Neanderthals to the fall of Rome and the rise of Islam. How did an Indonesian volcano help cause the Black Death, setting Europe on the road to capitalism? How could 168 men extract the largest ransom in history from an opposing army of eighty thousand? And why did the Industrial Revolution lead to the birth of the modern welfare state?

The latest science reveals that infectious diseases are not just something that happens to us, but a fundamental part of who we are. Indeed, the only reason humans don't lay eggs is that a virus long ago inserted itself into our DNA, and there are as many bacteria in your body as there are human cells. We have been thinking about the survival of the fittest all wrong: evolution is not simply about human strength and intelligence, but about how we live and thrive in a world dominated by germs.

By exploring the startling intimacy of our relationship with infectious diseases, Dr Jonathan Kennedy shows how they have been responsible for some of the seismic revolutions of the past 50,000 years. A major reassessment of world history, Pathogenesis also reveals how the crisis of a pandemic can offer vital opportunities for change.

©2023 Jonathan Kennedy (P)2023 Penguin Audio

 Biological Sciences History History & Philosophy Science World Middle Ages Africa Imperialism Social justice Socialism Ancient History Latin America Capitalism
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Critic Reviews

This sweeping history is Kennedy's debut, and a powerfully argued one... Pathogenesis sets out, like Yuval Noah Harari's Sapiens or Peter Frankopan's recent The Earth Transformed, to reinterpret the entire history of mankind... A fascinating and pacey run through the history of humanity from an unfamiliar perspective. (Book of the Week)
This book challenges some of the greatest cliches about colonialism and leaves you wondering why you ever gave them the time of day. A revelation, and also that rarest thing, a science title that is entirely comprehensible and often a pleasure to read. (Sathnam Sanghera, bestselling author of Empireland)
Pathogenesis is superbly written. Kennedy seamlessly weaves together scientific and historical research, and his confident authorial voice is sure to please readers of Yuval Noah Harari or Rutger Bregman. (David Robson)
Thrilling and eye-opening. From neolithic diseases to Covid-19, Jonathan Kennedy explores the enormous role played by some of the tiniest life on Earth: the power of plagues in shaping world history. (Professor Lewis Dartnell, bestselling author of Origins and Being Human)
From the fall of Rome to the Spanish conquest of the Americas to the industrial revolution, germs have played as much a role in history as guns, generals and "great men"... Jonathan Kennedy restores the microbes of infectious disease to their rightful place in the story of human evolution and the rise and fall of civilisations. Science and history at its best. (Dr Mark Honigsbaum, author of The Pandemic Century)
Kennedy's book, which aims to show how infectious disease has shaped us from the time of the Neanderthals to the era of Covid-19, is full of amazing facts... Pathogenesis doesn't only cover thousands of years of history - it seeks radically to alter the way the reader views many of the (often very well-known) events it describes. (Rachel Cooke)
Professor Kennedy-drawing on the latest research in fields ranging from genetics and anthropology to archaeology and economics-explores eight major outbreaks of infectious disease across the entire history of civilization... It's not often you pick up a book that promises to alter your entire understanding of the story of humanity.
An absorbing book... Kennedy's intertwined story of humanity and humongous disease is told lucidly and knowledgeably, with ample historical context.
How a virus might have written human history. This is a fascinating, readable, and superbly researched account of how infectious diseases have shaped our history, from the Palaeolithic Era to Covid. (Professor David Christian, bestselling author of Origin Story and Future Stories)
All stars
Most relevant
Scary book, but a great overview of human history and the part microbes have played.

Great narrator and author

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This book emphasises the control tiny organisms have over larger and more complex, even intelligent lifeforms on this planet. A highly informative book illustrating just how much influence germs have had over the course of human history. Highly recommended

single celled lifeforms still rule the world 3.5Billion years on

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Such a refreshing compassionate and well presented chronological account of the development our world without glorifying humans.

Outstanding History of the World

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Really interesting history of the Old World and New. The prehistoric stories were all new to me; some familar ground in the history of the early thru late Middle Ages, but I enjoyed the links with developments in social and political thought.

Broad-roaming history of events and ideas

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Narrator terrific. Clarity of analysis. Very thoughtful regarding relevance to today, especially regarding Covid 19

Clarity of thought and analysis

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In the spirit of reconciliation, Audible acknowledges the Traditional Custodians of country throughout Australia and their connections to land, sea and community. We pay our respect to their elders past and present and extend that respect to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples today.