Why people recommend it
Controlling Contagion by Sheilagh Ogilvie is an academic exploration of epidemics and institutional responses from the era of the Black Death through the COVID-19 pandemic. On an episode of Conversations with Tyler titled Sheilagh Ogilvie on Epidemics, Guilds, and the Persistence of Bad Institutions, published on April 2, 2025, host Tyler Cowen used the final moments of the discussion to endorse his guest's work. Cowen explicitly plugged the newly released publication, telling the audience that it stood out as the absolute best available book covering those specific historical and public health topics. By highlighting Ogilvie's extensive research into how societies historically managed widespread disease and institutional frameworks, Cowen drew direct attention to the volume's deep analytical value. He urged listeners to engage with the text to better understand the intersection of public health crises and institutional behavior across centuries, cementing the work as a crucial resource for anyone seeking a rigorous examination of past and present contagion management strategies.
Who recommended it
- Tyler Cowen Recommended
Tyler Cowen — 1 mention
“Before my last question let me just plug your new book again. It's called Controlling Contagion Epidemics and Institutions from the Black Death to COVID and I believe it is the very best book on those topics.”
Other mentions (3: passing, ad reads, own books)
“She has a new book out, which is excellent, and the title is Controlling Contagion: Epidemics and Institutions from the Black Death to COVID.”
“So, I have a table in the book where I try to put together probably 15 or 16 quantitative examples that we have from, you know, shortly after the Black Death straight through to the present day.”
“I think maybe the first thing I would say is don't believe what your priest says because um because one of the things I mean, one of the things I do in the book is I try to affect I try to assess the effect of different social institutions.”