Preventable

**Sunday Times Bestseller | BBC Radio 4 Book of the Week**

Preventable tells the extraordinary story of COVID-19 and how global politics impact our health—from a world-leading expert and science communicator on the pandemic.

Professor Devi Sridhar has gained widespread recognition for her vital roles in communicating science to the public and speaking truth to power. In her book, "Preventable," she highlights the lessons learned from past and present disease outbreaks in a narrative that traces the COVID-19 pandemic—including her personal experience as a scientist—and lays out a vision for how we can better protect ourselves from inevitable health crises to come. In her engaging and honest prose, Sridhar reveals the diverse realities of those affected (from the jailed Wuhan doctor who sounded the alarm, to the bored, stranded passengers on the Diamond Princess cruise ship, to the daily nightmares of exhausted healthcare workers) and puts you in the room with key decision-makers at crucial moments (from overconfident heads of state and their reluctant scientific advisors, to the beleaguered leaders of global health organizations). Sridhar vividly conveys the twists and turns of a conspiracy that has seen: the emergence of more lethal variants (contrary to the predictions of social media experts who claimed it would mutate into a milder form); the Pyrrhic victory in many countries for the false health-versus-economy narrative (countries that controlled the virus, like Taiwan and Denmark, had steadier recoveries); countries with weak health systems like Senegal and Vietnam faring better than countries like the US and UK (which have consistently been rated as the best prepared); and the fastest development of game-changing vaccines in history (and their unequal distribution). This definitive book combines science, politics, ethics, and economics, dissects the global structures that determine our fate, and reveals the deep-rooted economic and social inequalities at their heart—and will challenge, outrage, and inspire. “A powerful and brutal reminder that if voices like Devi's had been listened to, many more could have lived.” Owen Jones “One of the world's most brilliant scientists who has been consistently proven right in this crisis.” Piers Morgan “Excellent. Fair, clear, and persuasive.” Nicola Sturgeon “Those who have found Professor Devi Sridhar's expertise and calm advice invaluable since the onset of Covid-19 will be pleased to know she has written a preventable book.” Rachel Cook, The Guardian, Non-fiction books to watch out for in 2022