Episode · Freakonomics Radio · 2026-07-17

Books mentioned on Are You Really Allergic to Penicillin? (Update)

1 book · With Kimberly Blumenthal, Theresa MacPhail, Thomas Platts-Mills, Elena Resnick · Listen · Watch on YouTube

Like tens of millions of people, Stephen Dubner thought he had a penicillin allergy. Like the vast majority, he didn’t.

Books mentioned, in the order they came up

  1. Allergic

    Theresa MacPhail · at 24:30

    Allergic by Theresa MacPhail is an informative exploration of our irritated bodies in a changing world that investigates the science and history behind the dramatic rise of allergies.

    Discussed
    “McFale recently published a book called Allergic: Our Irritated Bodies in a Changing World.”
    Where to get it