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Infectious: Pathogens and How We Fight Them
The subject of infection and how to fight it grows more urgent every day. How do pathogens cause disease? And what tools can we give our bodies to do battle? Dr. John S. Tregoning has dedicated his career to answering these questions. Infectious uncovers fascinating success stories in immunology and virology, making this book not only a vital overview of infection but also a hopeful history of human ingenuity.
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Published November 4, 2021
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About the author
John S. Tregoning
3 books10 followersProf John Tregoning is the author of Live Forever? The Curious Scientist’s Guide to Wellness, Disease and Ageing (Oneworld); in which he explores ageing and what we can do about it. He previously published Infectious: Pathogens and how we fight them (Oneworld) which describes the history and science of infectious disease. John is currently Professor of Vaccine Immunology at Imperial College London, where he has studied the immune responses to vaccination and respiratory infection for more than 25 years. John has written 85 scientific articles and numerous articles on scientific careers including a weekly COVID diary in Nature. He appeared on the Royal Institution Christmas lectures and BBC Radio 4.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 45 reviews
November 23, 2021
This is a well balanced exploration of the world of infectious diseases. It's informative without being patronising and injects sufficient humour to make it a compelling and fun read. It covers everything from the immune system to vaccine development and some excellent tales about the impact of disease on certain bodily functions.
December 26, 2023
Fascinating! This book is very thorough covering: epigenetics, virology, microbiology, immunology, vaccinations, cancer, microbiota, antibiotic resistance, the evolution of diseases, how climate change increases risk for infections, research and more. Even though it could be a very dry/boring topic, he presents the information with a side of humor to sustain interest. I found myself laughing out loud at some of his comments.
January 20, 2022
I started getting too frustrated with the oversimplifications and minor factual errors. Sci-lite has become as bad as the internet for feeding post-truth pseudo-intellectual anti-intellectualism.
January 3, 2023
Bust.
Frankly, I found this unbearable. Overly simplicistic style and language combined with an extremely cheesing and cringe inspiring humour. Not for those even remotely scientifically literate.
Frankly, I found this unbearable. Overly simplicistic style and language combined with an extremely cheesing and cringe inspiring humour. Not for those even remotely scientifically literate.
January 17, 2024
l bought this book because a) i wanted a sci comm book that wasn’t toooo mainstream and b) i needed a blue cover for my rainbow bookshelf. I know, not my best critical thinking. But usually my random buys become 50/50 the best book ever or the worst boring crap I have ever read. Thankfully, this time it was phenomenal. I might stretch it and go as far as saying this is the best sci comm book I have had my hands on.
In terms of content, it gives exactly what it advertises in the title: a broad description on all types of infection and what treatment exhists to cure them. COVID is a focal point of the book, but certainly not the only one. If you are an immunologist or someone with a deep understanding of infectious diseases, you might not learn anything new from a mechanistic viewpoint. However, me - despite my masters in Chemistry and PhD in Biophysics - found to have quite a few gaps in the topic and the book helped me filling them. But even if you are not learning anything from a science viewpoint, you might learn things about the intertwining politics, societal changes or pharma-related news that you did not know before. And when even that fails, you might have a laugh cause the book is tremendously funny. I have seen other reviews describing the humour as “cheap” - so I guess this means I have a cheap laugh. But hey, I grew up with Percy Jackson and this is EXACTLY the kind of humour I like. In fact, the writing style is very similar, making the book very accessible to people who don’t strictly have a science background.
In terms of content, it gives exactly what it advertises in the title: a broad description on all types of infection and what treatment exhists to cure them. COVID is a focal point of the book, but certainly not the only one. If you are an immunologist or someone with a deep understanding of infectious diseases, you might not learn anything new from a mechanistic viewpoint. However, me - despite my masters in Chemistry and PhD in Biophysics - found to have quite a few gaps in the topic and the book helped me filling them. But even if you are not learning anything from a science viewpoint, you might learn things about the intertwining politics, societal changes or pharma-related news that you did not know before. And when even that fails, you might have a laugh cause the book is tremendously funny. I have seen other reviews describing the humour as “cheap” - so I guess this means I have a cheap laugh. But hey, I grew up with Percy Jackson and this is EXACTLY the kind of humour I like. In fact, the writing style is very similar, making the book very accessible to people who don’t strictly have a science background.
November 15, 2021
This book starts off with the brief history and science of microbiology which includes why we don’t always get sick, the microbiome, immunology, epidemiology and diagnostics.
Part 2 covers prevention, vaccines, antibiotic, antiviral, antifungal and antiparasitics. Also bad medicine and the future.
That may not sound like a lot but each topic is covered well and the book is almost 400 pages. Most of it is written for the lay person to understand. It is no text book, that’s for sure.
I found the book very informative. It talks a lot about COVID-19 but not only about that. If the pandemic has made you want to know more about how viruses work, this is a great book. It’s nice to read about viruses and epidemiology from someone who knows what they are talking about and isn’t from a vaccine company or government.
The book was published in the UK and as such is written from a UK perspective. Just an FYI. The book was also written during 2020, the height of the COVID-19 pandemic. So at the beginning of each chapter, a timeline is given of when he was writing that chapter, along with where he was and Global COVID cases and deaths.
I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review
Part 2 covers prevention, vaccines, antibiotic, antiviral, antifungal and antiparasitics. Also bad medicine and the future.
That may not sound like a lot but each topic is covered well and the book is almost 400 pages. Most of it is written for the lay person to understand. It is no text book, that’s for sure.
I found the book very informative. It talks a lot about COVID-19 but not only about that. If the pandemic has made you want to know more about how viruses work, this is a great book. It’s nice to read about viruses and epidemiology from someone who knows what they are talking about and isn’t from a vaccine company or government.
The book was published in the UK and as such is written from a UK perspective. Just an FYI. The book was also written during 2020, the height of the COVID-19 pandemic. So at the beginning of each chapter, a timeline is given of when he was writing that chapter, along with where he was and Global COVID cases and deaths.
I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review
December 9, 2021
Mostly read as a curiosity since I hadn't yet found an immunology pop science book I liked. Well, this is the one! I think this was the perfect mix of facts and storytelling and even mentions some of my favorite immunologists like Matzinger and Janeway. Will be recommending to my family/friends as a primer to what I do.
January 11, 2022
I got this from the library after reading the WSJ review (12/10/2021). Re-reading the review today, I understand better why the book is described as “colorful.” For me, the “color” was snarkier than I prefer for this genre, and in some cases his attempts to make a complicated subject fun seemed to lead him into some sloppy (even wrong) claims. I’m not a scientist; I’m a reader. But I also homeschool my kids through high school, so one subject I read is biology. And, for fun, I have read some other popular science books on disease (for instance, I just read Richard Preston’s Demon in the Freezer, c. 2002, last month).
Embarking on a book meant to explain infectious disease to laypeople, while in the midst of a global pandemic in which things are changing fast, is not for the faint of heart. I think he spoke too soon in his disdain for anyone suggesting that Covid-19 might not have jumped from animal to man in a natural way—-without the “help” of lab workers. He dismisses the notion as on the level of believing Covid is caused by 5G, and yet now it is pretty respectable and even “following the science” to conclude that there is a reasonable possibility that Covid-19 resulted from viral “gain-of-function” research. This sort of research goes unmentioned in this book, which I think is a shame.
Infectious is an ambitious book, and it does a nice job of explaining infectious disease from various causes: bacteria, virus, parasite, and fungus. He explains these microbiological wonders, and gives the history of how we have come to understand them, diagnosis them, treat them, and prevent them (or not). Included in this are helpful explanations of diagnostic tests, including antigen and PCR tests. He also does a nice job of explaining vaccine history and the varied approaches of vaccines. We could all benefit from understanding some nuance on this subject. Not too much is said about mRNA vaccine technology specifically, but that’s probably because the book was going to press the same year the vaccines were just becoming available.
Having just read the Preston book on smallpox (which incidentally does mention the ominous idea of gain-of-function research and gives a sense of why it is irresistible to scientists), I was surprised to read in Infectious that smallpox is not transmitted through the air (p.198). On the contrary, smallpox particles float around in a frightening way, at least as described by Preston, and when breathed in they can infect someone. With Preston’s book fresh in my mind, Tregoning’s statement, “but smallpox cannot be transmitted in air” startled me.
I also thought it was a weird remark, in a discussion of stem cell transplants and finding donor matches, to toss in that eye color is determined by one gene, like tongue rolling. Everything I have read before says eye color inheritance is more complicated than one gene, in fact it is more like 15 genes. I get it—stem cells are more complicated—but why oversimplify eye color to make a point. It just confuses me.
For me, the subject of infectious disease is fascinating all by itself without having to sprinkle in so much snark, but on the other hand, parts of it read like a script for one of my teen son’s favorite science YouTubers, Mark Rober. And to be fair, my son learns almost as much from Mark Rober as he does from the biology text, so who am I to complain about style? In fact, I read the section on diagnostic test technology, including PCR tests, to my son which fit in well with our current biology topic—microbes.
Embarking on a book meant to explain infectious disease to laypeople, while in the midst of a global pandemic in which things are changing fast, is not for the faint of heart. I think he spoke too soon in his disdain for anyone suggesting that Covid-19 might not have jumped from animal to man in a natural way—-without the “help” of lab workers. He dismisses the notion as on the level of believing Covid is caused by 5G, and yet now it is pretty respectable and even “following the science” to conclude that there is a reasonable possibility that Covid-19 resulted from viral “gain-of-function” research. This sort of research goes unmentioned in this book, which I think is a shame.
Infectious is an ambitious book, and it does a nice job of explaining infectious disease from various causes: bacteria, virus, parasite, and fungus. He explains these microbiological wonders, and gives the history of how we have come to understand them, diagnosis them, treat them, and prevent them (or not). Included in this are helpful explanations of diagnostic tests, including antigen and PCR tests. He also does a nice job of explaining vaccine history and the varied approaches of vaccines. We could all benefit from understanding some nuance on this subject. Not too much is said about mRNA vaccine technology specifically, but that’s probably because the book was going to press the same year the vaccines were just becoming available.
Having just read the Preston book on smallpox (which incidentally does mention the ominous idea of gain-of-function research and gives a sense of why it is irresistible to scientists), I was surprised to read in Infectious that smallpox is not transmitted through the air (p.198). On the contrary, smallpox particles float around in a frightening way, at least as described by Preston, and when breathed in they can infect someone. With Preston’s book fresh in my mind, Tregoning’s statement, “but smallpox cannot be transmitted in air” startled me.
I also thought it was a weird remark, in a discussion of stem cell transplants and finding donor matches, to toss in that eye color is determined by one gene, like tongue rolling. Everything I have read before says eye color inheritance is more complicated than one gene, in fact it is more like 15 genes. I get it—stem cells are more complicated—but why oversimplify eye color to make a point. It just confuses me.
For me, the subject of infectious disease is fascinating all by itself without having to sprinkle in so much snark, but on the other hand, parts of it read like a script for one of my teen son’s favorite science YouTubers, Mark Rober. And to be fair, my son learns almost as much from Mark Rober as he does from the biology text, so who am I to complain about style? In fact, I read the section on diagnostic test technology, including PCR tests, to my son which fit in well with our current biology topic—microbes.
December 8, 2021
Of course, it is a very well-written science book, and also I like his taste of jokes since I was reading his essay on Nature last year (coronavirus diary). I truly wish most people correctly understand these facts in this book.
October 26, 2021
Packed full of accessible content, and a good smattering of Dad jokes. Infectious is the perfect book for anyone interested in how far we’ve come in our fight with pathogens, how this has been done and how far we still have to go.
Thoroughly educational and enjoyable throughout…
Thoroughly educational and enjoyable throughout…
February 20, 2023
Currently halfway through this and the style is terrible. Many of us have come across an awful teacher who tried to be "down with the kids" by constatntly being wacky and zany; most of said kids thought s/he was an irritating pillock. Well here said wacky teacher has written a book with zany asides, gross over-simplifications that border on the erroneous and endless "look at me" footnotes. Teach may have progressed to Uni lecturer and researcher but his mannerisms still grate like fingernails down a blackboard. I pity his students, I really do....
Having finished my rating still stands, which is a shame because there is potentially a really good book buried beneath the bad jokes, pointless footnotes and endless asides. A decent editor would have sacrificed the innane nonsense in favour of improving and extending some of the scientific detail and giving a little more depth to the historical context of the developments in the field (instead of flippant opinions and jibes at various actors in the field). I recently watched "The Young Ones" on iplayer and Ricks sanctimonious posteuring and awful poetry calls to mind the endless cringeworthy "look at me I'm down with the kids" tone presented here.
Having finished my rating still stands, which is a shame because there is potentially a really good book buried beneath the bad jokes, pointless footnotes and endless asides. A decent editor would have sacrificed the innane nonsense in favour of improving and extending some of the scientific detail and giving a little more depth to the historical context of the developments in the field (instead of flippant opinions and jibes at various actors in the field). I recently watched "The Young Ones" on iplayer and Ricks sanctimonious posteuring and awful poetry calls to mind the endless cringeworthy "look at me I'm down with the kids" tone presented here.
July 4, 2023
Being a microbiologist, it was a bit redundant and oversimplified for me but that is exactly why I have been recommending it to out incoming medical students as a great overview of infectious diseases as well as pharmacology related to infectious diseases. I think it’s a good book for kay people to understand how infectious diseases spread though sometimes the sarcasm can be a bit off putting for some people.
November 24, 2023
This lovely book was like sitting down with a friend who is really passionate about the subject they’re talking about while being a gifted explainer and also hilariously British. It delved deeply into infections and diseases of many persuasions while also acting as a lens through which the author examined the Covid pandemic. It was a little ick at times, but it was in the name of science, so that was okay too. Absolute joy of a tale.
March 7, 2023
It's an ok book but ...
The treatment of the historical record on all things anti-bacterial, anti-viral and anti-parasitic was interesting but I was left wondering whether it belong in this book, after all, I was promised a treatise on "pathogens and how we fight them".
The bit about the actual fighting of pathogens by the body left me wondering whether the biological mechanisms are well understood or rather, as the author confessed, discovered more by accident than design. Perhaps the title over-promises as the author tries to massage the complexity of the human immune system pitched against the complexity of the microbiotic world into a Module 101 course on pathogens.
On a personal note, I was frustrated by the author's references to the bubonic plague - I steer the good doctor to the work of Scott and Duncan ("Biology of Plagues: Evidence from Historical Populations") - a thoroughly delightful and informative read.
The author had few kind words for Mr Trump and those damnable conspiracy theorists who couldn't be bothered to read esoteric peer-reviewed journals before broadcasting their opinions on social media regarding public health and vaccines. Again, whatever one may think about flat-earthers and ingestion of bleach, it was not clear to me how this helped with the book's central theme.
Things did became clearer towards the end of the book with a plea for more funding so that more lives will be saved and that one day we will all enjoy a disease free world. Again, I would direct the author to Frank Ryan's "Virolution", another excellent read, which describes the symbiotic relationship between humans and viruses.
The treatment of the historical record on all things anti-bacterial, anti-viral and anti-parasitic was interesting but I was left wondering whether it belong in this book, after all, I was promised a treatise on "pathogens and how we fight them".
The bit about the actual fighting of pathogens by the body left me wondering whether the biological mechanisms are well understood or rather, as the author confessed, discovered more by accident than design. Perhaps the title over-promises as the author tries to massage the complexity of the human immune system pitched against the complexity of the microbiotic world into a Module 101 course on pathogens.
On a personal note, I was frustrated by the author's references to the bubonic plague - I steer the good doctor to the work of Scott and Duncan ("Biology of Plagues: Evidence from Historical Populations") - a thoroughly delightful and informative read.
The author had few kind words for Mr Trump and those damnable conspiracy theorists who couldn't be bothered to read esoteric peer-reviewed journals before broadcasting their opinions on social media regarding public health and vaccines. Again, whatever one may think about flat-earthers and ingestion of bleach, it was not clear to me how this helped with the book's central theme.
Things did became clearer towards the end of the book with a plea for more funding so that more lives will be saved and that one day we will all enjoy a disease free world. Again, I would direct the author to Frank Ryan's "Virolution", another excellent read, which describes the symbiotic relationship between humans and viruses.
July 12, 2025
Packed with information and anecdotes (most relevant and some just amusing) this book is one of my all-time favourites. It's written in an incredibly well-flowing and captivating manner, with dad jokes and funny tangents littered throughout that make it a joy to read. At its core it sitll delivers a ton of information to the reader in a very digestible manner.
Perhaps one of my favourite features is the clear premise in the book about how much information it gives, and how much it leaves out. In every topic, you learn a lot and develop your understanding greatly, but it's also made clear as day that what is written is not all that there is to know. This isn’t to say that every chapter you’re left feeling like you weren’t told enough - on the contrary, you feel you’ve been told perhaps even more than what you expected, but you understand that there is still so much more to know.
It's inspiring in a way, and also avoids the pitfall many books of this genre fall into where they try their best not to leave any open gaps, even though open gaps are crucial for the reader to obtain an accurate perspective on the topic. Instead of leaving out features to create the illusion of a whole picture, the book dabbles around all topics on a digestible level to the average reader and showcases that that digestible level is nowhere near the end.
All this to say, that this is an amazing book on the basics of infecious dieseases. Written superbly and conveying a ton of information, I struggle to find reasons not to recommend it.
Perhaps one of my favourite features is the clear premise in the book about how much information it gives, and how much it leaves out. In every topic, you learn a lot and develop your understanding greatly, but it's also made clear as day that what is written is not all that there is to know. This isn’t to say that every chapter you’re left feeling like you weren’t told enough - on the contrary, you feel you’ve been told perhaps even more than what you expected, but you understand that there is still so much more to know.
It's inspiring in a way, and also avoids the pitfall many books of this genre fall into where they try their best not to leave any open gaps, even though open gaps are crucial for the reader to obtain an accurate perspective on the topic. Instead of leaving out features to create the illusion of a whole picture, the book dabbles around all topics on a digestible level to the average reader and showcases that that digestible level is nowhere near the end.
All this to say, that this is an amazing book on the basics of infecious dieseases. Written superbly and conveying a ton of information, I struggle to find reasons not to recommend it.
November 6, 2021
It’s science written for everyone. I learned a lot from this book things that I can easily remember and apply in my daily choices. Understanding how pathogens and medicine affects us is empowering especially during a pandemic. By reading this book, I am able to reflect on my lifestyle, my health management, and my role in the scientific community. Yes, we all have a part in it! And it’s amazing to know that.
I commend Dr. Tregoning’s way of presenting scientific information. It’s not scary now to read acronyms and Latin labels. And you realize that scientists are human too, not crazy zoombies.
What made me hesitate to give 5 is the feeling that you will know this book was written by a guy. I can’t reference exactly in what part I wasn’t comfortable with, but I got some hints of stereotyping in some parts.
Overall, I would still suggest this book to anyone who’s ready to be more aware about how many times are we actually in danger.
I commend Dr. Tregoning’s way of presenting scientific information. It’s not scary now to read acronyms and Latin labels. And you realize that scientists are human too, not crazy zoombies.
What made me hesitate to give 5 is the feeling that you will know this book was written by a guy. I can’t reference exactly in what part I wasn’t comfortable with, but I got some hints of stereotyping in some parts.
Overall, I would still suggest this book to anyone who’s ready to be more aware about how many times are we actually in danger.
May 29, 2022
I thoroughly enjoyed this fascinating and accessible insight into the battle against some of world’s most significant threats to human health. Dr Tregoning is an outstanding scientific communicator, adeptly combining his technical expertise with wittiness and warmth to produce a genuinely engaging read.
After the difficult past two years I found the hopeful tone of this book refreshing. Infectious is a celebration of scientific achievement and human ingenuity, and I really enjoyed learning more about the use of innovation and technology to solve public health problems. My best read of the year, highly recommended.
After the difficult past two years I found the hopeful tone of this book refreshing. Infectious is a celebration of scientific achievement and human ingenuity, and I really enjoyed learning more about the use of innovation and technology to solve public health problems. My best read of the year, highly recommended.
February 14, 2024
A great read! Even if you are not the scientific type, this book is understood easily. He explains so much in simple terms which is helpful. It is organized well so each chapter is logical in its progression into the next topic. I loved this book AND it was funny! So many times I chuckled out loud! The author has a great sense of humour! He explains a bit about conspiracy theory and why people want so much to believe the nonsense. Believe science! It is all explained here! I highly recommend this book. A really great read. I borrowed it from the library but I feel like it is one of those books that I would want on my shelf!
August 10, 2024
I found this book to be a good introductory read into the world of infectious pathogens. I think the author did a wonderful job of simplifying very complex topics without distorting the true facts. I loved the humorous tone it was written in and enjoyed the author’s choice to consistently link back to the COVID-19 pandemic (which was going on during the time the author was working on this book) and incorporate it into the book itself. Overall, would definitely recommend it to someone trying to gain a wider scope of understanding on infectious pathogens and the medical fields surrounding them, from vaccines to antibiotics and so much more!
May 17, 2022
It's baffling that this book didn't generate more interest - it's a brilliant overview of the mechanisms by which pathogens affect humans and a well-balanced explanation of the science behind infection. Bonus points for the author's aggressively British sense of humor; I truly enjoyed the tone throughout. The world would be substantially better off if more people understood the contents of this book.
November 19, 2024
Tregoning is a vaccine immunology prof at Imperial. This is great fun – a product of the pandemic with much of it written while locked down, it’s a history of our developing understating of infectious disease right to the state of the art. It’s an easy read, accessible and full of self-deprecating humour and Dad jokes.
December 3, 2021
I really like the concept of this book, but i think it needs some more editing. It seems to target laymen readers, but very often I got lost in technical terms. I'll have to read it again to grasp it all. The jokes are cheesy, and broke up the seriousness of the topic a bit.
January 23, 2024
The science of microbiology
1) Virus - obligate parasite (alwyas need a host to survive), nucleic acid in a protein coat (e.g. HIV, SARS, influenza)
2) Bacteria - Prokaryote, can live independently, need antibiotics to treat (e.g. TB, salmonella)
3) Fungi - Eukaryote, mostly harmless, unless a person is immunocompromised (e.g. athlete's foot)
4) Parasite - Worms or protozoa, multi-stage life cycles (e.g. malaria)
Some virus has a much higher mutation rate because when trasnmitting their genes to the next generation, they omit the proof-reading capacity. Each infected cell can produce up to 10,000 viruses
The virus's genetic material is protected via a protein coat, which with a number of other factors, drive viral spread. Some virus has another layer of protection when exiting the host cell -> coat of lipids.
Virus uses proteins outside of their coat to invade other cells, targeting their specific molecules on the cell surfaces. E.g. the ACE2 protein is widely distributed in cells througout the body, thus COVID-19 virus can cause severe damage to the whole system.
1) Virus - obligate parasite (alwyas need a host to survive), nucleic acid in a protein coat (e.g. HIV, SARS, influenza)
2) Bacteria - Prokaryote, can live independently, need antibiotics to treat (e.g. TB, salmonella)
3) Fungi - Eukaryote, mostly harmless, unless a person is immunocompromised (e.g. athlete's foot)
4) Parasite - Worms or protozoa, multi-stage life cycles (e.g. malaria)
Some virus has a much higher mutation rate because when trasnmitting their genes to the next generation, they omit the proof-reading capacity. Each infected cell can produce up to 10,000 viruses
The virus's genetic material is protected via a protein coat, which with a number of other factors, drive viral spread. Some virus has another layer of protection when exiting the host cell -> coat of lipids.
Virus uses proteins outside of their coat to invade other cells, targeting their specific molecules on the cell surfaces. E.g. the ACE2 protein is widely distributed in cells througout the body, thus COVID-19 virus can cause severe damage to the whole system.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
November 30, 2021
Good, concise, and accessible.
December 5, 2021
Nicely written with British humor
January 16, 2022
Great book. Covers all things relevant to understanding disease. Only real gripe was the author referring to chimpanzees as monkeys. They’re apes!
February 2, 2022
Part science information, part advice of virus pandemics and part humor. What else could I ask for? MORE, please.
April 12, 2022
Fun listen with a mix of biology and policy
June 11, 2022
This was an utter delight all the way through!
August 20, 2022
Clear, concise and funny. Even the bits I already knew were entertaining.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 45 reviews