Book · 2021 · Public health
Plagues upon the Earth
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And then I also wanted to recommend um Kyle Harper's Plagues Upon the Earth, which is a history of disease and the way that it has shaped history and politics um social life, civilization for, you know, the whole of um human history.
David Wallace-Wells · The Ezra Klein Show · Aug 2025 Listen at 1:25:41 Why people recommend it
Kyle Harper's Plagues upon the Earth is a sweeping historical examination of disease and how pathogens have continuously shaped human history, politics, and civilization. On The Ezra Klein Show, David Wallace-Wells recommended the book as his third suggestion, praising its comprehensive look at the influence of disease throughout human history. Dwarkesh Patel explored the book's themes in depth on the Dwarkesh Podcast, discussing the common argument regarding human life before agriculture and examining Harper's profile of eighteenth-century London living conditions. Patel noted that while reading passages detailing the disgusting environments and health challenges of the past, he reflected on the severe lack of resources available for historical public health investments. Listeners and hosts alike value the text for offering a sobering perspective on the fragile nature of human civilization when confronted with ecological pressures and biological crises, effectively demonstrating that public health has always been a central determinant of political and social development across the centuries.
Every mention
David Wallace-Wells And then I also wanted to recommend um Kyle Harper's Plagues Upon the Earth, which is a history of disease… 1
“And then I also wanted to recommend um Kyle Harper's Plagues Upon the Earth, which is a history of disease and the way that it has shaped history and politics um social life, civilization for, you know, the whole of um human history.”
Dwarkesh Patel We can get back to your most recent book about human history and plagues. What do you make of the general a… 3
“We can get back to your most recent book about human history and plagues. What do you make of the general argument that people have often made that we were living in a sort of Eden before agriculture?”
“You have a great profile in the book about living in London in the 18th century and just how disgusting it was. It was pretty disgusting.”
“At the same time, you’re reading that part of the book, I'm like, "Okay, I get in some cases, they just genuinely did not have the resources to invest in public health and so forth".”
Other mentions (2: passing, ad reads, own books)
“Today, I have the pleasure of chatting with Kyle Harper, who is a professor and provost emeritus at the University of Oklahoma, and the author of some really interesting books: The Fate of Rome, Plagues Upon the Earth, Slavery in the Late Roman World”
“Just to plug one more time, we've been discussing Plagues Upon the Earth, which is the history of disease going back through the Neolithic to modern times, Fate of Rome which discusses the plagues and history of the Roman Empire considering climate and biology.”