Why people recommend it
The Great Influenza by John M. Barry is a comprehensive historical account of the devastating 1918 Spanish flu pandemic and its scientific and political fallout. The host of The Daily Stoic shared that it was their favorite book read during the COVID-19 pandemic, praising its exploration of historical truths, while Ryan Holiday recommended it as a crucial read for understanding pandemic parallels. Holiday also later cited the book to demonstrate how passionate writing can lead to real-world outcomes, noting its influence on figures like George W. Bush. Elizabeth Harris mentioned the title's enduring presence on the paperback bestseller list on The Book Review. Brad Stulberg discussed the book with Holiday on The Daily Stoic, drawing striking historical parallels between public safety measures like masking during the Spanish flu and modern events, and Michael Lewis referenced the book on People I (Mostly) Admire while discussing pandemic preparedness in the White House.
Who recommended it
- Ryan Holiday Recommended
- Brad Stulberg Discussed
- Elizabeth Harris Discussed
- Michael Lewis Discussed
Ryan Holiday — 2 mentions
“Another great example of this is is the book The Great Influenza by John M. Barry. He becomes fascinated with the the the Spanish flu and he writes this book about it that George W. Bush reads...”
“Yeah, I was I've talked about John M. Barry's book The Great Influenza, which is an incredible book that I think everyone should have read at the beginning of this pandemic.”
Brad Stulberg — 2 mentions
“crap you'll probably know the book about the Spanish Flu yeah uh the great influenza by John and Barry”
“I remember at the start of the pandemic, you’ll probably know the book about the Spanish Flu. Yeah, The Great Influenza by John Berry. Yeah, so I was reading that book, and it's the same—like down to the freaking masking, all of it is the same.”
Elizabeth Harris — 1 mention
“yeah i mean the the great influenza is still on the list it's number two on the paperback non-fiction list”
Michael Lewis — 1 mention
“in 2005 or six George Bush is in the white house and he reads the great influenza John Barry's book about the 1918 pandemic”
Mentioned on the show without a named speaker — 1
“So that’s why I loved your book; so like I have found like, okay, the best book I read during COVID was John M. Barry’s book, The Great Influenza. Oh wow, right? So you’re reading about the Spanish flu and you’re like, okay, here’s everything that’s true.”