Basic Books
The Rules of Contagion: Why Things Spread--And Why They Stop
Key Metrics
- Adam Kucharski
- Basic Books
- Hardcover
- 9781541674318
- 8.3 X 5.8 X 0.9 inches
- 1.26 pounds
- Medical > Infectious Diseases
- English
Secure TransactionBook Description
One of the Most 2020 Books of 2020 -- Washington Post
One of the Best Science Books of 2020 -- The Times of London
One of the Best Science Books of 2020 -- The Guardian
From ideas and infections to financial crises and fake news, an utterly timely look at why the science of outbreaks is the science of modern life
These days, whenever anything spreads, whether it's a YouTube fad or a political rumor, we say it went viral. But how does virality actually work? In The Rules of Contagion, epidemiologist Adam Kucharski explores topics including gun violence, online manipulation, and, of course, outbreaks of disease to show how much we get wrong about contagion, and how astonishing the real science is. Why did the president retweet a Mussolini quote as his own? Why do financial bubbles take off so quickly? Why are disinformation campaigns so effective? And what makes the emergence of new illnesses -- such as MERS, SARS, or the coronavirus disease COVID-19 -- so challenging? By uncovering the crucial factors driving outbreaks, we can see how things really spread -- and what we can do about it. Whether you are an author seeking an audience, a defender of truth, or simply someone interested in human social behavior, The Rules of Contagion is an essential guide to modern life.
Author Bio
I'm Adam Kucharski. I am an Associate Professor and Sir Henry Dale Fellow at the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, where I work on mathematical analysis of infectious disease oubreaks.
I also write about science, and my articles have appeared in places like Wired, Financial Times, Scientific American, The Times and The Observer. My new book is The Rules of Contagion.
My research focuses on the dynamics of infectious diseases. In particular, I am interested in how social behaviour and immunity shape disease transmission, and how knowledge of such processes can enhance control measures. This work is funded by a Wellcome Trust/Royal Society Sir Henry Dale Fellowship.
From 2013–17, I held a Medical Research Council Career Development Award in Biostatistics. Prior to joining the School in October 2013, I was a postdoc at Imperial College London. I have a degree in mathematics from the University of Warwick (2009) and a PhD in applied mathematics from the University of Cambridge (2012).
Source: London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine
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