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I wrote a book! It is called Crisis Averted, and it will be published by Viking on October 8. It’s been three years in the making, and I am so excited to share it with the world.
“Crisis Averted” is Ms. Rivers’s ambitious and, given its charge, surprisingly successful attempt to reset our relationship with the field of public health. With a judicious blend of candor, hopefulness and pragmatism, she calls out its mistakes, reminds us of its historic accomplishments and emphasizes the need for the discipline to adjust its strategies if its full promise is to be realized.”
–Wall Street Journal
“Johns Hopkins University epidemiologist Rivers debuts with a penetrating exploration of strategies public health experts have used, or failed to use, to prevent catastrophe…a rousing testament to health workers’ grit and competence.”
–Publishers Weekly
“[Dr. Caitlin Rivers] clearly knows everything there is to know about her subject, and she writes with clarity, insight, and authority…[Crisis Averted is] an informative, accessible package, useful as an examination of the road behind and the path ahead.” —Kirkus
I wanted to write a book to show you all the inside story of public health, to see the field as I see it—as a mostly invisible source of tremendous progress and change. I want readers to know that the influence of public health extends far beyond managing outbreaks. It is intricately woven into every day, influencing the quality of the air we breathe, the safety of the food we consume, and even the toilets we use.
At its best, public health remains invisible because crises are averted. I have great appreciation for this fact, which I want to share with readers so they can see it, understand it, and factor it into how they go about their lives—especially after such an upending few years.
At the same time, I have so many hopes for the field that haven’t been met (yet), and I hope my book can contribute to future successes. For example, one of my favorite chapters takes on the misguided attempts to withhold information from the public in a bid to “prevent panic.” This should not be a goal, nor a priority for ambassadors of public health!
One aspect of this project I am proud of is that I make these points by telling stories about the people who make it possible to going about our lives without perceiving public health much of the time. Each chapter features under-sung heroes who dedicated their careers to this very cause, and in doing so, changed the world. I promise, their remarkable lives are thrilling and telling of what we should aim for.
You can pre-order Crisis Averted from your favorite bookseller here.
Author email: crivers6@protonmail.com
