Beach Reads for Infection Preventionists

Sure, you could grab the newest spy novel, romantasy, or self-help book as you head outside for some (sunblock-protected) time in the sun. Or, because you're just as obsessed with microbes and epidemiology as we are, you could grab one of these new books about infection, pathogens, and healthcare! Release your inner science nerd and dive into one of these books, all released within the last few years.

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Everything is Tuberculosis (2025)

Popular science educator John Green blends compassionate storytelling with historical and scientific analysis, following a young tuberculosis patient in Sierra Leone to illuminate the persistence of a disease that remains one of the world's deadliest.

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Air-Borne: The Hidden History of the Life We Breathe (2025)

Renowned science writer Carl Zimmer explores the history of the air we breathe. It dives into the fascinating world of aerobiologists and uncovers the history of airborne infections and the pathogens that float around us daily. 

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Crisis Averted: The Hidden Science of Fighting Outbreaks (2024)

Caitlin Rivers, PhD takes a compelling look behind the scenes of epidemiology and blends stories of victory and loss with a frontline view of how we might prevent the next public health disaster.

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The Big One: How We Must Prepare for Future Deadly Pandemics (2025)

The authors of Deadliest Enemy return with an urgent, clear-eyed examination of pandemic fault lines. It serves as a stark warning and a persuasive rallying cry on why COVID-19 wasn't "the Big One" and how we must get ready for future outbreaks. 

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Booster Shots: The Urgent Lessons of Measles and the Uncertain Future of Children's Health (2025)

Adam Ratner, MD, MPH, pediatrician and infectious disease specialist, warns of the resurgence of measles, the antivaccine movement, and how we can prepare for the next pandemic.

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On Call: A Doctor's Journey in Public Service (2024)

A memoir from the physician whose steady guidance carried millions through the COVID pandemic, drawing on a six-decade career in public service that brought him face to face with seven presidents.

Will you be taking some downtime this summer to do some reading? Let us know if you choose of these recommendations and share some of your thoughts in the comments below!