Pandemic: How Climate, the Environment, and Superbugs Increase the Risk

Gr 7 Up—Goldsmith explores pandemics and their origins, beginning with recent scares and outbreaks that have dominated the news cycle such as the Zika virus and Ebola. The author then moves to the Black Death in the Middle Ages and the early 20th-century flu epidemic and outlines a history of pandemics over time while explaining the science. As a result, this is a scary book. Readers are given detailed information on how climate change and other environmental factors are creating opportunities for superbugs and bacteria to cause an increase in the chances for a potentially contagious illness. The final chapter, "Preventing a Pandemic," gives readers an overview of which activities they can change in their lives to prevent a worldwide outbreak. Goldsmith's writing is accessible and explains scientific terminology throughout. Nearly every spread contains a full-color photograph or diagram.