Pathogenesis

In this book, Jonathan Kennedy explores the profound impact of infectious diseases on human history.

He argues that pandemics have played a crucial but often overlooked role in many of the great social, political, and economic transformations of the past.

This includes the extinction of Neanderthals, the emergence of Christianity and Islam, the transition from feudalism to capitalism, European colonialism, and the evolution of the United States.

Kennedy draws on evidence from genetics, anthropology, archaeology, and economics to challenge fundamental assumptions about human history and highlights the critical importance of microbes in shaping human society and culture.