The Premonition
By Michael Lewis
- Release Date: 2021-05-04
- Genre: Political Science
Description
New York Times Bestseller
For those who could read between the lines, the censored news out of China was terrifying. But the president insisted there was nothing to worry about.
Fortunately, we are still a nation of skeptics. Fortunately, there are those among us who study pandemics and are willing to look unflinchingly at worst-case scenarios. Michael Lewis’s taut and brilliant nonfiction thriller pits a band of medical visionaries against the wall of ignorance that was the official response of the Trump administration to the outbreak of COVID-19.
The characters you will meet in these pages are as fascinating as they are unexpected. A thirteen-year-old girl’s science project on transmission of an airborne pathogen develops into a very grown-up model of disease control. A local public-health officer uses her worm’s-eye view to see what the CDC misses, and reveals great truths about American society. A secret team of dissenting doctors, nicknamed the Wolverines, has everything necessary to fight the pandemic: brilliant backgrounds, world-class labs, prior experience with the pandemic scares of bird flu and swine flu…everything, that is, except official permission to implement their work.
Michael Lewis is not shy about calling these people heroes for their refusal to follow directives that they know to be based on misinformation and bad science. Even the internet, as crucial as it is to their exchange of ideas, poses a risk to them. They never know for sure who else might be listening in.
Reviews
Interesting but not compelling
3By Gary MankoI found this to be an interesting but not compelling book in which the author highlights the models of social distancing, closing of schools, masking and banning of gatherings based on the Spanish Flu and Swine Flu pandemics when it is clear in retrospect that COVID-19 was a very different pathogen which no one understood as the virus emerged from China. His portrayal of the CDC as impotent and more concerned with data gathering than protecting American citizens rings true as well as the local and state health departments underfunding and lack of federal support and guidance which remains true today. What he best does is raise awareness of how little we learn from history when policies are dictated by politics. Too much angst and not enough focus on the politics driving our political leaders at the time which would have given this book some balance.Unbelievably compelling; One of my favorite books
5By jbk2361571Couldn’t put it down and the “characters” who are real people are so inspiring and interesting. It makes me sad how much the CDC has lost its way. Thankfully, there were other doctors and scientists willing to go around them.Behind the scenes
5By sailing proEnjoyed the inside look at behind the scenes processes in a crisis.Page turner.
5By MAB USANever thought a non fiction book could be a page turner.Book not up to high Lewis standards
2By Brad JoselitIn the past, I have been completely absorbed by any Lewis book. This one dragged along. I almost didn’t make it to the finish which was shocking given how much I have enjoyed other Lewis books. It picked up in interest about 45% of the way thru the book but then it dragged again at the end, and I could not wait for the experience to be over.A great read. As always.
4By Sari_makEnjoyed his book as I always do. Particularly liked the focus on Charity Dean in this story.Well written and interesting
5By Tim JenningsAn interesting, and very detailed account, of what went on behind the scenes of learning and understanding Covid-19 by a group of doctors and scientists who often went against directives and with very little support to respond to the pandemic. Behind the scenes is 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.Michael Lewis is the best at what he does
5By Papa MitcheeNo one better than Michael Lewis in breaking down complicated issues so that the average person can understand them.Gripping, yet depressing
5By Auggie's ManThe lives that could have been saved but for the politicization of the CDC and the lack of preparedness is another sad testament to the dysfunction that plagues our country. No wonder the communications were so botched. If we don’t learn from this, and I fear we won’t, it’s yet another black mark on us as a country.Should be required reading!!
5By Peanut in AustinIncredibly informative and so insightful. Has me googling for more information about the characters in this story. Reads better than the latest thriller - but true!!The Premonition is a must read!
5By Lov2lrnSpectacularly enlightening! Charity Dean and Joe DeRisi are my heroes!Terrifyingly brilliant accounting of the US government’s failure at exceptionalism
5By Amp1974This read was informative - shared all the behind the scenes heroes in this pandemic. Must read.Cassandra of Troy in 2020
5By ornwenThe most Cassandra of Troy story since Cassandra herself. People who devoted professional YEARS OF THEIR LIVES to defending the US from a pandemic were just… brushed aside. For politics. In the White House, and Sacramento. I’m sure if Lewis had scratched the surface anywhere, he would have found even more people who could have mitigated the disaster COVID-19 became. An amazing read with a disquieting end.Timely & Important
5By Dad Review absIn an age when civil servants are publicly derided with tweets and screams for trying to save people’s lives, we need a complete story to understand their care and bravery. This book gets to the history of the characters fighting the COVID pandemic while the disease is still killing people. Give this book to every government employee you know and let them know that many of us appreciate and respect them when they try to do their job with dignity. We rely on public employees who gain no glory and only criticism for doing jobs that make us safer and healthier. If we are going to rise to the challenges ahead we need to change this dynamic.The Premonition - Skip It
2By PubHealthMDDeeply disappointing relative to other books by Lewis. The author does touch on some of the failures of the CDC, but misses many other critical examples of their ineptitude. (Example: The CDC had stocked only 1% of the necessary N95 face masks in the $8 billion US strategic national stockpile. Instead, in the years leading up to 2020, CDC chose to stockpile a bunch of high priced items that were unlikely to ever be needed in a health crisis. ASPR took a lot of blame for the stockpile, but insiders know CDC was equally, if not more, at fault.) Lewis also fails to give credit to Trump for any good decisions. For example, Trump closed borders (CDC was vehemently opposed to this decision despite the fact that it was important.) More importantly, Lewis never mentions Operation Warp Speed, which was an unprecedented public health achievement…again spearheaded by Trump. It doesn’t matter if you do or do not like Trump - be honest about who did what, and who was really at fault, if you are going to write a book about COVID. It seemed bizarre to fully omit the OWS story and impact. The book just seemed way too influenced by the author’s political bias. He left out huge pieces of the story if it didn’t fit his narrative.Literally everyone should read this book
5By nkatz1. Fascinating, terrifying, honest and illuminating, it will help you understand what we all lived through (and why so many didn’t make it) during the Pandemic.Dk
2By hi bdtddd dat s yin rtRExplains a lot
5By OverGFor those who want to know, this book gives insight to the workings of our government, and the progressive manipulation of science by politics. The direction we are going is scary, but not new in history. It is a little biased, but humans are, and it is the author’s privilege.Fascinating
5By RCACHICAGOWow what a ride! When I finished the book I had a great sense of gratitude for all the brilliant people who worked so hard to try and prevent the loss of so many lives. At the same time I again felt the anger towards the many government institutions who failed us because of the bureaucracies we citizens have allowed to be created for our selfish ends. Friends and family are dead and we Americans are responsible. But again there’s a sense of hope that with all these fantastic selfless individuals and knowledge and determination they share, that we can an will do better in the next crisis.
