Why people recommend it
Calling the shots by Jennifer A. Reich is an insightful sociological study that examines the complex cultural and personal dynamics surrounding childhood vaccination hesitancy and public health policies in the United States. On the podcast The Ezra Klein Show, Rachel Bard recommended the book as her second reading suggestion during the episode titled MAHA Is a Bad Answer to a Good Question, which was published on August 22, 2025. Bard noted that the work, published by the sociologist in 2016, functions as both an ethnography and a historical examination of the anti-vaccine movement. She explained to the audience that she found the text to be incredibly useful, illuminating, and instrumental in helping her think critically about public health discourse and vaccine skepticism. By highlighting Reich's research, the podcast underscored the importance of understanding the underlying social motivations, fears, and community networks that drive individuals to question established medical consensus and reject conventional immunization recommendations.
Who recommended it
- Rachel Bard Recommended
Rachel Bard — 1 mention
“Um calling the shots, which is a book by the sociologist Jennifer Reich that was published in 2016, and it's um an ethnography and a history of the antivax movement that I found incredibly useful in illuminating and helping me think about this.”