The new science of contagion, and the surprising ways it shapes our lives and behaviour
Adam Kucharski is an associate professor at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, working on global outbreaks such as the Ebola epidemic and the Zika virus. He is a TED fellow and winner of the 2016 Rosalind Franklin Award Lecture and the 2012 Wellcome Trust Science Writing Prize. He has written for the Observer, Financial Times, Scientific American, and New Statesman. He is the author of The Perfect Bet: How Science and Maths Are Taking the Luck Out of Gambling.
This is a hell of a moment for a book like this to come out ... the
principles of contagion, which, Kucharski argues, can be applied to
everything from folk stories and financial crises to itching and
loneliness, are suddenly of pressing interest to all of us.
*Sunday Times*
Perfect timing ... prepares the ground comprehensively for readers
to make sense of what is happening today, by distilling the wisdom
gathered by studying previous epidemics over more than a
century.
*Financial Times*
It is hard to imagine a more timely book ... much of the modern
world will make more sense having read it.
*The Times*
The Rules of Contagion is popular science at its best. The prose is
sparkling and clear. The subject is deeply fascinating and highly
relevant. Touching on psychology, medicine, network theory and
mathematics, epidemiologist Adam Kucharski has written a brilliant
and authoritative guide to the hidden laws of how things spread -
from ideas and memes, to violence and deadly viruses. An example of
its subject matter, this book is also highly contagious: once you
have read it, you will want to make sure others read it too.
*Alex Bellos, author of Alex's Adventures in Numberland*
Rich in stories, The Rules of Contagion is a down-to-earth account
of how mathematical approaches can help us better understand and,
in turn, better respond to contagion in all its dynamic forms.
Tackling issues from pandemics and gun violence, to financial
crises and misinformation, Adam Kucharski inspires us all to think
like mathematicians. A must read for anybody interested in
epidemics and other crises.
*Peter Piot, Director of the London School of Hygiene & Tropical
Medicine*
|
Ask a Question About this Product More... |
|
