New in paperback. Hardcover was published in 2021. Weaving together a grand narrative of global history with insights from cutting-edge genetics, Kyle Harper explains why humanity's uniquely dangerous disease pool is rooted deep in our evolutionary past, and why its growth is accelerated by technological progress. Putting the COVID-19 pandemic in perspective, this book tells the story of how we got here as a species, and it may help us decide where we want to go. Winner of the PROSE Award in the History of Science, Medicine, and Technology, Association of American Publishers.