In a gripping, accessible narrative, a veteran science journalist lays out the shocking story of how the COVID-19 coronavirus pandemic happened and how to make sure this never happens again.

Over the last 30 years we learned nearly every lesson needed to stop this coronavirus outbreak in its tracks-- and we heeded almost none of them. The result is a pandemic on a scale never before seen in our lifetimes. MacKenzie lays out the full story of the previous viruses that should have prepared us, the shocking public health failures that paved the way, the failure to contain the outbreak, and most importantly, what we must do to prevent future pandemics. -- adapted from jacket