Books for our time: seven classics that speak to us now

Books for our time: seven classics that speak to us now

THE OUTBREAK INSIGHTS TO READ NOW

Memoir and science fiction have a role to play in illuminating our current situation. Here are some of Nature’s recommendations for the best books about outbreaks and the researchers who study them.

• Peter Piot’s No Time To Lose is a passionate account of his leading roles in the discovery of Ebola and in the global response to HIV and AIDS. It was selected by Chikwe Ihekweazu, director of the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control, as his choice for a classic to catch up on. (Nature | 16 min read)
• The medical autobiography of epidemiologist Mary Guinan, a pioneer in the field of HIV/AIDS research and global smallpox eradication, is a rip-roaring read, says reviewer Tilli Tansey. (Nature | 5 min read)
• In 2013, Margaret Atwood concluded her sweeping trilogy about a dystopian world devastated by a global pandemic with MaddAddam. “Atwood's book is a warning but also, in its final accounting, a hopeful meditation on the cycle of life, death and the possibility of life anew,” says reviewer Paul McEuen. (Nature | 4 min read)
• Science fiction authors including Lauren Beukes and Kim Stanley Robinson share the books they recommend for making sense of the world (circa 2017). “Science fiction is the realism of our time,” argues Robinson. (Nature | 14 min read)

Last week we shared Nature’s selection of the best histories and analyses of past pandemics. Find that list here.