Patogénesis : Una historia del mundo en ocho plagas

It is often believed that major historical shifts were driven by the genius and tenacity of great men and women, but Jonathan Kennedy argues that germs—from the Paleolithic era to the present day—have been the true architects of humanity's defining moments. Bacteria and viruses played pivotal roles in the disappearance of the Neanderthals, the transition from feudalism to capitalism, the devastation wrought by European colonialism, and the United States' rise from an imperial backwater to a global superpower. Even Christianity rose to prominence in the wake of deadly pandemics that ravaged the Roman Empire during the second and third centuries; the act of caring for the sick transformed a small sect into one of the world's major religions. Drawing on the latest research across fields ranging from genomics and anthropology to archaeology and economics, *Pathogenesis* guides us through sixty thousand years of history, exploring eight major infectious disease outbreaks that have shaped the modern world. Jonathan Kennedy challenges deeply held assumptions about our collective past and urges us to view the present moment as yet another turning point destined to alter the course of history. Revealing and deeply insightful, *Pathogenesis* will transform our understanding of both our past and our future.