Beginning with the absolutely critical first moments of the outbreak in China, and ending with an epilogue on the vaccine rollout and the unprecedented events between the election of Joseph Biden and his inauguration, Lawrence Wright's The Plague Year surges forward with essential information--and fascinating historical parallels--examining the medical, economic, political, and social ramifications of the COVID-19 pandemic.

"This startling, vital book deserves our attention." --San Francisco Chronicle For fans of War Dogs and Bad Blood, an explosive look inside the rush to profit from the COVID-19 pandemic, from the award-winning ProPublica reporter who saw it firsthand. The United States federal government spent over 10 billion dollars on medical protective wear and emergency supplies, yet as COVID-19 swept the nation, life-saving equipment such as masks, gloves,...

"For the first time in history, the world shut itself down--by choice--all for fear of a virus, COVID-19, that wasn't well understood. The government, with the support of most Americans, ordered the closure of tens of thousands of small businesses--many never to return. Almost every school and college in the country sent its students home to finish the school year in front of a computer. Churches cancelled worship services. "Social distancing" went...

In a brand new introduction, Eberstadt explains how the government's response to Covid-19 inadvertently exacerbated the flight from work in America. From indiscriminate pandemic shutdowns to almost unconditional "unemployment" benefits, Americans were essentially paid not to work. Thus today, despite the vaccine rollouts, inexplicable numbers of working age men and women are sitting on the sidelines while over 11 million jobs go unfilled. Current...

The novel Coronavirus has claimed the lives of more than 200,000 Americans and caused staggering economic damage. Where did we go wrong? As the presidential election nears, Americans are increasingly enraged by a lack of clear leadership left to wonder how did the wealthiest and most powerful country in the world manage to fail so thoroughly in its response to a global pandemic?

From the beginning of the Coronavirus crisis in March of 2020, the media and politicians engaged in myths, half-truths, and even flat-out lies to bring about obedience from the populace. Charade tackles these myths one by one, laying bare the brazen power grab by governors, experts, and corporations all seeking to bend the American people to their will. David Marcus combines his reporting on the Coronavirus crisis with a cultural deep dive into how...