Welcome to Litsy!

This is about factors that led to the US bungling the COVID-19 pandemic, historical instances of deadly virus outbreaks, the low-level state health officers who often are left to make difficult decisions about public health, & the epidemiologists & savants who tried to create & implement a plan for the nation working within & outside of the thick sludge of our national bureaucracy.

Highly recommended, a narrative nonfiction rollercoaster ride.

Next physical book. Got this from my mom after she finished it.

My purchases from Skylight Books…

I've had this book from Libby for 2 weeks and only read 25%, so it's time to move on. It's definitely a case of "it's not you its me" because I enjoyed both The Big Short and The Fifth Risk written by Michael Lewis. I'm just not in the mood for this book at this time. Maybe I'll come back to it later, try again on audio.

An interesting, and detailed account, of what went on behind the scenes of understanding Covid-19 by a group of doctors and scientists who often went against directives and with little support to respond to the pandemic. Behind the scenes, the specialty of author Michael Lewis who also wrote “The Big Short” and “Money Ball”. You‘ll learn something here. My only complaint is the length of the chapters. It is a Herculean effort to finish a chapter.

My friend was once the epidemiologist for my state & had no idea this book had been written. As she is a hero in my mind for the public health work she continues to do, I purchased the book for her. She‘ll love reading about these heroes. Their brilliance, quiet struggles & courage, their humble pursuit to protect us all, moved me deeply. I know personally the insidious nature of government bureaucracy and bosses who hide. It‘s all here to see.

I CANNOT put this book down. Lewis provides us a glimpse of true heroes who take the health of humans personally and plan for pandemics against prevailing naysayers. Despite it being scientific Lewis makes it very easy to understand.

Lewis has written the only book about the Covid-19 pandemic, so far, that I‘ve found to be readable. It helps that he chose a fixed window in the past and stuck with it. That being said, Lewis always forms such a strong narrative around the people that he features. I am always left wondering if the nuance was missed.

🍁I love having maps in my books! I've always had an interest in geography and maps, even though I get lost all the time 😬
🍁I don't think I do, but not a 100% on that one. All my books are packed up 😞
🍁I would love to have a map of pandemic timeliness, where in the world they've been and a map/time line of the different people in Michael Lewis's book.

@ozma.of.oz
#sundayfunday

This book is so amazing and is my second nonfiction read on pandemics this year. Dr Charity Dean in the quote above is a stand out in her field. So sure of herself and her abilities...love 🤙
#sundayreading
#thepremonition

Good read as usual from Michael Lewis. The book will make you mad about all the mistakes made with our handling of the pandemic.

I always find Michael Lewis an engaging story teller. In this book, he tells the saga of those who shaped our pandemic response. A great look underneath the surface of policy making and a devastating critique of the CDC. Strong recommend.

This book fascinated me, angered me and terrified me, all at the same time. When it comes to emergency preparedness and response in regards to the current and any future pandemics, we‘re basically all on our own. God help us.

I‘ve got to say, these are words I never would have expected to see together in a sentence. Huh.

How did the insights of a teenager's science fair project became the official policy of the US Gov when it came to controlling a pandemic? How did a group of rogue patriots working behind the scenes help to save the country? These are just some of the scenarios in Michael Lewis‘ fascinating book about what we‘ve learned from past pandemics & how that impacted how the US Gov, the CDC & the medical industrial complex are handling the current one.

😂❤️

There was something too easy about this discussion...although I agree withthe basic premise...it did seembiased and too much based on drama...Lewis definitely picked angels and devils...not sure I appreciate that style for this story...especially since I know this is nowhere over yet and it will end up being much more evil and awful if we survive it...

Summer is half over and there are still So. Many. Books. I want to read. Almost done with The Premonition, which, like all Michael Lewis books, is just so stinking good. In this particular case, it‘s wonderfulness is even more astounding, as it‘s pandemic-related, and books are where I usually turn to *escape* thinking about the pandemic. #somanybooks #summerreadingstacks

Just not that much information or insights

“The CDC did many things. It published learned papers on health crises, after the fact. It managed, very carefully, public perception of itself. But when the shooting started, it leapt into the nearest hole, while others took fire.”

A great book that looks at the few behind-the-scenes heroes who knew COVID was coming and had the knowledge to do something, only to be prevented from doing so by the government and the cowards who run its institutions. If you‘re not an idiot and are interested in the truth about viruses and pandemics and science, read this book.

Amazon 3 for 2 sale got me again! #bookmail

Excellent nonfiction account of the early days of the Covid 19 pandemic.

I love books like this. The type that show you the things that nobody knew what was going on in the background. It also shows how inept the US government was at containing the pandemic.

It seems clear that the response of the US to COVID as it was becoming a pandemic disease was, in a word, disastrous. Michael Lewis‘s compulsively readable book looks at the competent people who saw this about to happen, then happening, and the ways they worked to try to right the bus. There are some flaws and errors in here, but overall it‘s a fascinating, if disheartening, read.

This isn‘t really a book I‘d read, (don‘t really feel like reading any pandemic stuff) but this review on the back really cracked me up! 😂

Thanks to @eanderson for gifting me an Audible credit ❤️❤️❤️and thanks to my #AudioGuru @Megabooks for putting this one on my #ReadersRadar I‘ve added this audio to my ever growing collection 😀🤓

This was interesting to see all the players and planning prior to the pandemic and what came before that informed how our covid response went. May seem too soon but I thought Michael Lewis reported on this well.

Yep, after reading this in Time Magazine (and remembering how much I enjoyed the unfortunately named The Undoing Project), this book came home with me from the bookstore. 🤷🏻‍♀️😊🤓

That there are scientists & doctors in public health that saw this coming and never stopped fighting to understand the pandemic was heartening. To see that CDC is at best a slow moving reactionary body & at worst could stand in the way of actual progress was not good . Lewis is a great writer, now some unsung heroes get some recognition.

I tend to avoid most books on recent current events, but this was an impulse buy and just published. Lewis actually starts his story in the early 2000s. I can‘t believe I haven‘t read his other books! Quite Entertaining and devoured in a weekend. A less than flattering portrait of the CDC. The other surprise was a somewhat positive spin on George W. Bush.

My afternoon started out awesome. A friend accidentally ended up with two copies of this book and gave ME the extra. So excited! The end of my day wasn‘t so peachy though ... my car literally stopped working while I was driving. We think it‘s the alternator, which might not be terrible. But the experience was kinda scary ... ugh.

I could not put this down! This #audiobook is a post-mortem on the US Covid-19 response. Who knew what was going on and why they weren‘t listened to - and none of them are the people you‘d expect. I didn‘t believe it, but the CDC is a sluggish organization that was unprepared to implement anything. The real heroes of this story are mid-level people spread across the government and the private sector who weren‘t listened to. Read their story! 5++⭐️

“Men like that always underestimate me. They think my spirit animal is a bunny and it‘s a fucking dragon.” - Santa Barbara County, CA public health officer

Got it today ! No impulse control .It‘s super hot outside anyway .Enough excuses, I‘m gonna start reading it.🦠

This segment on NPR morning edition confirms many of the thoughts I had early pandemic. Book is out tomorrow.I‘m sure gonna read it. https://www.npr.org/2021/05/03/991570372/michael-lewis-the-premonition-is-a-swee...