Pathogenesis: A History of the World in Eight Plagues by Jonathan Kennedy

From Crown Publishing Group: ABOUT PATHOGENESIS A sweeping look at how the major transformations in history—from the rise of Homo sapiens to the birth of capitalism—have been shaped not by humans but by germs“I love this surprising, learned, fascinating book; it brings human arrogance into sharp relief, reminding us that the real masters of the universe are microbes.”—Cal Flyn, author of Islands of AbandonmentONE OF THE MOST ANTICIPATED BOOKS OF 2023: The Washington Post, Lit HubAccording to the accepted narrative of progress, humans have thrived thanks to their brains and brawn, collectively bending the arc of history. But in this revelatory book, Professor Jonathan Kennedy argues that the myth of human exceptionalism overstates the role that we play in social and political change. Instead, it is the humble microbe that wins wars and topples empires.Drawing on the latest research in fields ranging from genetics and anthropology to archaeology and economics, Pathogenesis takes us t