So Very Small

Praise

“In So Very Small, Levenson provides not only the backstory to resistance to variolation but an elegant, wide-ranging history of the discovery of microorganisms and their relation to disease.”—New York Review of Books

“With extraordinary detail and authoritative prose (and not a few very graphic descriptions), the author describes the suffering brought about by ignorance and prejudice. . . . What Mr. Levenson’s book makes clear is that the battle against germs never ends. . . . If we want to preserve the victories accumulated over two centuries against the worst killers of the microbe world, we must rebuild public-health systems, monitor disease, protect and fund science, and recognize that we are not the only ‘actors.’”—The Wall Street Journal

“Levenson takes readers through an entertaining, if frustrating, journey of missed opportunities in microbiology and the eventual advances that arose in this field. . . . Levenson concludes that ‘we aren’t smarter than the microcosmos,’ and despite centuries of advances, it is clear that he is correct.”—Science

“[So Very Small] offers a compelling story of how microbes have influenced society, seamlessly intertwined with fascinating historical events, while vividly bringing the characters and scientific discoveries to life.”—Alanna Collen, author of 10% Human

“In So Very Small, Thomas Levenson brings to brilliant life the social history of medical detective work, notably the long quest to understand and to combat infectious disease. In a world where the next pandemic waits ahead, this is essential reading.”—Deborah Blum, New York Times bestselling author of The Poison Squad

“A penetrating chronicle of humanity’s fight against microorganisms . . . Buoyed by the author’s lucid prose, this is a first-rate work of popular science.”—Publishers Weekly, starred review

“Never has science been so compelling, exciting and accessible as it is in the hands of Thomas Levenson. . . . Brilliant!”—Simon Sebag Montefiore, New York Times bestselling author of The World

“This is exactly the sort of book that a literate citizen, keenly interested in science, reads for enlightenment, perspective, and fun.”—David Quammen, New York Times bestselling author of Breathless

“Both an opus and a page-turner, So Very Small is a work of grand-scale ambition, elegantly achieved.”—Jason Roberts, author of Every Living Thing and A Sense of the World

“By peering through the lens of the modern germ theory, and our protracted battle with disease, Levenson has crafted a vivid, engaging, and timely reminder that we are not as omnipotent nor as clever as we often believe ourselves to be.”—Timothy C. Winegard, New York Times bestselling author of The Mosquito and The Horse

“A thought-provoking, engrossing account of one of the most momentous transformations in our understanding of the world and our place in it.”—Jonathan Kennedy, author of Pathogenesis

“An engaging survey of the discovery of microbes, their role in disease, and the efforts to combat them.”—Kirkus Reviews, starred review

“[A] timely and robust medical history.”—Booklist