Maryn McKenna's Blog

September 22, 2017

Hello from #bigchickenthebooktour

Hi fellow readers,

It's been a busy 10 days on the road for Big Chicken, too busy (I apologize) to update here. I'll shortly collect the links and reviews into one place!

Meanwhile: As some of you have let me know, we have had quite the comedy with the Big Chicken giveaway, and some of you received a few more books than you expected. We are sorry! I think we've been in touch with everyone who received extra books, and worked out a plan for them — but if you have not heard from us, then PM me here.

More details to come. Thank you all!
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Published on September 22, 2017 08:33

September 11, 2017

In NYC? Come to the release party!

Hello anyone in NYC and -adjacent: The Big Chicken release party is being held on the Lower East Side at the fantastic new science-and-smart-conversations event space Caveat, at 21A Clinton St.

There's a bar and food, and I would love for people to come out.

It's ticketed for crowd control, with a variety of pricing: $15 to get in, $30 for a book too, $40 for two people and one book.

And the code HALFCHICKEN will get you 50% off any of those!

http://caveat.nyc/event/big-chicken-launch-helen-rosner-interviews-maryn-mckenna/
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Published on September 11, 2017 06:48

Giveaway has concluded! And publication: tomorrow!

Hello everyone,

The pre-publication giveaway for Big Chicken has concluded, and winners will hear from the publisher soon. If you didn't win, please watch this page for another opportunity once the book is released.

Which will be... tomorrow! After four years of work, it's startling to realize how very close this suddenly is.

Over the weekend, there was an excerpt at NPR's The Salt, on a 1950s medical mystery solved by one of the CDC's first "disease detectives":
'Big Chicken': The Medical Mystery That Traced Back To Slaughterhouse Workers

I talked about the book on the program/podcast Science Friday:
How Antibiotics Beefed Up The Chicken Industry

And I appeared on the fantastic podcast Science for the People.

Meanwhile, Big Chicken is an Amazon Best Book of the Month!
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Published on September 11, 2017 06:02

September 6, 2017

Big Chicken is starting to appear in the wild

It's less than a week to the publication day of Big Chicken, and some coverage of the book — and explanations of why I undertook this bigger-than-I-planned-on project — is starting to bubble up.

Today, Wired magazine ran a long Q&A with me, and the Antibiotic Resistance Action Center at George Washington University, where I'll be speaking Sept. 25th, ran a shorter Five Questions one. (Fave question: "Why do they call you Scary Disease Girl?")

Big Chicken, and the tangled history of chicken, agriculture and antibiotic use in America, has been the subject of an episode of the fantastic podcast Gastropod, and is the monthly selection for Real Food Reads.

If you're in NYC, you can find Big Chicken and me at the new storytelling event space Caveat (21 Clinton St.) on Sept. 12, pub day. And if not, please join the giveaways here!
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Published on September 06, 2017 14:35

August 30, 2017

Our Goodreads Giveaway of Big Chicken is live!

You can find the entry form here.

Good luck, everyone!
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Published on August 30, 2017 14:33

August 23, 2017

Reviving my blog here!

Hello, fellow book lovers! My blog here disappeared when I switched from writing for Wired to writing for National Geographic; the NatGeo system did not integrate with Goodreads and I accidentally vanished. And I didn't notice — because I was head-down in my new book, which will be released Sept 12th:

Big Chicken The Incredible Story of How Antibiotics Created Modern Agriculture and Changed the Way the World Eats by Maryn McKenna
BIG CHICKEN: The Incredible Story of How Antibiotics Created Modern Agriculture and Changed the Way the World Eats.

There's a lot to say about this book, which tell the story of how we came to give antibiotics to most of the meat animals on the planet; how we discovered that was a terrible idea; and how a coalition of scientists, farmers, chefs, parents and even some big food companies sparked a reform movement that may change all of modern livestock production.

But the first thing to say is that there will be a pre-publication giveaway soon! So please watch this page, and I'll fill in more about BIG CHICKEN soon.
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Published on August 23, 2017 10:17 Tags: antibiotic-free, antibiotics, food, history, poultry, science

March 27, 2015

Get Your Shots, Wash Your Hands, Thanks, and Goodbye

Get Your Shots, Wash Your Hands, Thanks, and Goodbye

A final post from the Superbug blog, with sincere thanks to readers, colleagues and editors.


The post Get Your Shots, Wash Your Hands, Thanks, and Goodbye appeared first on WIRED.

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Published on March 27, 2015 13:19

March 23, 2015

“We Are Not Ready”: Ebola Analysis from Front-Line Workers (And Bill Gates)

“We Are Not Ready”: Ebola Analysis from Front-Line Workers (And Bill Gates)

A new report from Doctors Without Borders excoriates the international response to Ebola, and at the annual TED conference, Bill Gates outlines how to do better next time.


The post “We Are Not Ready”: Ebola Analysis from Front-Line Workers (And Bill Gates) appeared first on WIRED.

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Published on March 23, 2015 13:15

March 15, 2015

Ebola Could Cause Thousands More Deaths — By Ushering In Measles

Ebola Could Cause Thousands More Deaths — By Ushering In Measles

The social disruption and fear created by the Ebola epidemic in Africa may open the door to a second, larger epidemic, of measles.


The post Ebola Could Cause Thousands More Deaths — By Ushering In Measles appeared first on WIRED.

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Published on March 15, 2015 05:44

March 4, 2015

Your McNuggets: Soon Without a Side of Antibiotics

Your McNuggets: Soon Without a Side of Antibiotics

Fast food giant McDonald's volunteers to buy only chicken raised without routine antibiotic use, a move likely to shake up both the food industry and agriculture.


The post Your McNuggets: Soon Without a Side of Antibiotics appeared first on WIRED.

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Published on March 04, 2015 15:39