The Great Influenza by John Berry
There is no book more appropriate for our time. This is the best history of the last major pandemic – and the deadliest in history. If you want to learn what will help us overcome COVID, first figure out what helped us overcome H1N1 Influenza.
One of the modern era’s greatest takes on a pandemic, Camus’ work reminds us what life is really about. Its topics range from religion to medicine, from science to popular movements. As usual, Camus’ philosophy is spot on.
Murder in the Cathedral by T.S. Eliot
This short but classic play on one of the most important events in British history reminds us what integrity is all about. Thomas a Becket defined the concept of “standing up to power.” It reminds us in a time of “alternative facts” that truth always trumps power.
Continuing on the theme of classics in medicine, Lewis’ Pulitzer-winning novel describes the life in medical research. It fixed the self-sacrificing view of a scientist into the public’s consciousness while delineating an epic tale of love, science, ego, healing, death, and ambition.
UNIX: A History and a Memoir by Brain Kernighan
Off the beaten path lies this recent story of the development of the computer towards modern needs. Kernighan worked at the famous Bell Labs during the growth of the UNIX operating system which helps run the Internet. His story is filled with education, fun, and life.