Podcast appearances and mentions of Laura Spinney

Writer's Voice: compelling conversations with authors who challenge, inspire, and inform. Episode Summary In this episode of Writer's Voice, we explore how language shapes history—and how stories shape culture. We first speak with Laura Spinney, author of Proto: How One Ancient Language Went Global. She takes us into the world of Proto-Indo-European, a language spoken … Continue reading Laura Spinney & Tonya Todd on Language, Myth & Resistance →

English. French. Italian. Hindi. Greek. Russian. All these different languages can trace their roots to the same origin: Proto-Indo-European, spoken in 4000 BC in the steppe that crosses from Eastern Europe to Central Asia. Whether by migration, diffusion or conquest, the Indo-European languages spread west across Europe, east across Central Asia, and southeast towards India. Laura Spinney writes about Proto-Indo-European—which never existed in a written form—and its many descendants in her latest book Proto: How One Ancient Language Went Global (William Collins / Bloomsbury: 2025). Laura Spinney is the author of Pale Rider: The Spanish Flu of 1918 and How It Changed the World (PublicAffairs: 2017), which has been translated into more than a dozen languages, and two novels. Her science writing has appeared in The Atlantic, National Geographic, Nature, The Economist, The Guardian, and elsewhere. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

For centuries, polyglots and the linguistically curious have pointed out the similarities between certain languages of the Eurasian continent. Dante stirred controversy when he first posited that all the Romance languages—Spanish, Portuguese, French, Italian, and Romanian—derived from Latin. But by 1786, the British judge and philologist Sir William “Oriental” Jones was applauded when he famously asserted that Sanskrit, Latin, and Greek had “sprung from some common source.” Some 450 years later, linguists and archaeologists have filled in many of the gaps in our knowledge of this common source, called Proto-Indo-European, and sketched out its family tree, the branches of which extend from Scotland to China. But over the past two decades, the study of paleogenetics has radically advanced our understanding of this language—and the people who spoke it some 5,000 years ago. In her new book, Proto: How One Ancient Language Went Global, science journalist Laura Spinney tells their story, and that of their linguistic—and in some cases, genetic—offspring, which constitute the world's largest language family.Go beyond the episode:Laura Spinney's Proto: How One Ancient Language Went GlobalOne enduring Indo-European mystery? How Celtic got to IrelandRead the two landmark 2015 studies in Nature identifying the Yamnaya's genetic contributions to EuropePreviously on Smarty Pants: how a language dies, how to live like a NeolithicTune in every (other) week to catch interviews with the liveliest voices from literature, the arts, sciences, history, and public affairs; reports on cutting-edge works in progress; long-form narratives; and compelling excerpts from new books. Hosted by Stephanie Bastek and sponsored by the Phi Beta Kappa Society.Subscribe: iTunes/Apple • Amazon • Google • Acast • Pandora • RSS FeedHave suggestions for projects you'd like us to catch up on, or writers you want to hear from? Send us a note: podcast [at] theamericanscholar [dot] org. And rate us on iTunes! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Michael Rosen hears the fascinating story of the origin of all Indo-European languages from Laura Spinney, the author of Proto: How One Ancient Language Went Global. Today, nearly half of humanity speaks an Indo-European language and Laura has been investigating how that came to be. Produced for BBC Audio Bristol by Beth O'Dea, in partnership with the Open University. Subscribe to the Word of Mouth podcast and never miss an episode: https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/brand/b006qtnz

  Today Razib talks to Laura Spinney, Paris-based British author of the forthcoming Proto: How One Ancient Language Went Global. A science journalist, translator and author of both fiction and non-fiction, she has written for Nature, National Geographic, The Economist, New Scientist, and The Guardian. Spinney is the author of two novels, Doctor and The Quick, and a collection of oral history in French from Lausanne entitled Rue Centrale. In 2017, she published Pale Rider, an account of the 1918 flu pandemic. She also translated Swiss writer Charles-Ferdinand Ramuz's novel Derborence into English. Spinney graduated with a Bachelor of Science degree in Natural Sciences from Durham University and did a journalism residency at Berlin's Planck Institute. First, Razib asks Spinney how difficult it was to integrate archaeology, linguistics and paleogenetics into her narrative in Proto, which traces the rise and proliferation of Indo-European languages from its ancestral proto-Indo-European. She talks about why this was the time to write a book like this for a general audience, as paleogenetics has revolutionized our understanding of recent prehistory, and in particular the questions around the origin of the Indo-Europeans. Razib and Spinney talk about various scenarios that have been bandied about for decades, for example, the arguments between linguistics and archaeologists whether proto-Indo-European was from the steppe or had an Anatolian homeland, and the exact relationship of the Hittites and their language to other Indo-European branches. They also delve into how genetics has helped shed light on deeper connections between some branches, like Balto-Slavic and Indo-Iranian, or Greek and Armenian. Spinney also addresses how writing a book like Proto involves placing fields like historical linguistics and archaeology with charged political associations in their proper historical context

Billig, Susanne www.deutschlandfunkkultur.de, Studio 9

Billig, Susanne www.deutschlandfunkkultur.de, Studio 9

Billig, Susanne www.deutschlandfunkkultur.de, Studio 9

Vor 5.000 Jahren wurde die Mutter der meisten europäischen Sprachen geboren: das Proto-Indoeuropäische. In “Der Urknall unserer Sprache” erklärt Laura Spinney, wie Linguistik, Archäologie und Genetik die Geschichte des Indoeuropäischen neu erzählen. Kupferberg, Shelly www.deutschlandfunkkultur.de, Lesart

Vor 5.000 Jahren wurde die Mutter der meisten europäischen Sprachen geboren: das Proto-Indoeuropäische. In “Der Urknall unserer Sprache” erklärt Laura Spinney, wie Linguistik, Archäologie und Genetik die Geschichte des Indoeuropäischen neu erzählen. Kupferberg, Shelly www.deutschlandfunkkultur.de, Lesart

Vor 5.000 Jahren wurde die Mutter der meisten europäischen Sprachen geboren: das Proto-Indoeuropäische. In “Der Urknall unserer Sprache” erklärt Laura Spinney, wie Linguistik, Archäologie und Genetik die Geschichte des Indoeuropäischen neu erzählen. Kupferberg, Shelly www.deutschlandfunkkultur.de, Lesart

English. French. Italian. Hindi. Greek. Russian. All these different languages can trace their roots to the same origin: Proto-Indo-European, spoken in 4000 BC in the steppe that crosses from Eastern Europe to Central Asia. Whether by migration, diffusion or conquest, the Indo-European languages spread west across Europe, east across Central Asia, and southeast towards India. Laura Spinney writes about Proto-Indo-European—which never existed in a written form—and its many descendants in her latest book Proto: How One Ancient Language Went Global (William Collins / Bloomsbury: 2025). Laura Spinney is the author of Pale Rider: The Spanish Flu of 1918 and How It Changed the World (PublicAffairs: 2017), which has been translated into more than a dozen languages, and two novels. Her science writing has appeared in The Atlantic, National Geographic, Nature, The Economist, The Guardian, and elsewhere. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/new-books-network

English. French. Italian. Hindi. Greek. Russian. All these different languages can trace their roots to the same origin: Proto-Indo-European, spoken in 4000 BC in the steppe that crosses from Eastern Europe to Central Asia. Whether by migration, diffusion or conquest, the Indo-European languages spread west across Europe, east across Central Asia, and southeast towards India. Laura Spinney writes about Proto-Indo-European—which never existed in a written form—and its many descendants in her latest book Proto: How One Ancient Language Went Global (William Collins / Bloomsbury: 2025). Laura Spinney is the author of Pale Rider: The Spanish Flu of 1918 and How It Changed the World (PublicAffairs: 2017), which has been translated into more than a dozen languages, and two novels. Her science writing has appeared in The Atlantic, National Geographic, Nature, The Economist, The Guardian, and elsewhere. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/asian-review

Host Piya Chattopadhyay speaks with The Economist's Rob Russo, Le Devoir's Emilie Nicolas and The Hub's Sean Speer about our post-election political reality, science journalist Laura Spinney explains how one ancient dialect inspired scores of languages we speak today, veteran political columnist Andrew Coyne talks about the "crisis" he sees in Canadian democracy, and we play an all-new round of our monthly challenge, That's Puzzling!Find more at at https://www.cbc.ca/sunday

Star. Stjarna. Setareh. Thousands of miles apart, humans look up at the night sky and use the same word to describe what they see. Listen to these English, Icelandic, and Iranian words, and you can hear echoes of one of history's most unlikely, miraculous journeys. For all of these languages – and hundreds more – share a single ancient source. In a mysterious Big Bang of its own, this proto tongue exploded outwards, forming new worlds as it spread east and west. Today, nearly half of humanity speaks an Indo-European language. How did this happen? In Proto: How One Ancient Language Went Global (HarperCollins, 2025), acclaimed journalist Laura Spinney sets off to find out. Travelling over the steppe and the silk roads, she follows in the footsteps of nomads and monks, Amazon warriors and lion kings – the ancient peoples who spread their words far and wide. In the present, Spinney meets the scientists, archaeologists and linguists racing to reanimate this lost world. What they have learned has vital lessons for our modern age, as people and their languages are on the move again. Proto is a revelatory portrait of world history in its own words. This interview was conducted by Dr. Miranda Melcher whose book focuses on post-conflict military integration, understanding treaty negotiation and implementation in civil war contexts, with qualitative analysis of the Angolan and Mozambican civil wars. You can find Miranda's interviews on New Books with Miranda Melcher, wherever you get your podcasts. Let's face it, most of the popular podcasts out there are dumb. NBN features scholars (like you!), providing an enriching alternative to students. We partner with presses like Oxford, Princeton, and Cambridge to make academic research accessible to all. Please consider sharing the New Books Network with your students. Download this poster here to spread the word. Please share this interview on Instagram, LinkedIn, or Bluesky. Don't forget to subscribe to our Substack here to receive our weekly newsletter. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/history

Star. Stjarna. Setareh. Thousands of miles apart, humans look up at the night sky and use the same word to describe what they see. Listen to these English, Icelandic, and Iranian words, and you can hear echoes of one of history's most unlikely, miraculous journeys. For all of these languages – and hundreds more – share a single ancient source. In a mysterious Big Bang of its own, this proto tongue exploded outwards, forming new worlds as it spread east and west. Today, nearly half of humanity speaks an Indo-European language. How did this happen? In Proto: How One Ancient Language Went Global (HarperCollins, 2025), acclaimed journalist Laura Spinney sets off to find out. Travelling over the steppe and the silk roads, she follows in the footsteps of nomads and monks, Amazon warriors and lion kings – the ancient peoples who spread their words far and wide. In the present, Spinney meets the scientists, archaeologists and linguists racing to reanimate this lost world. What they have learned has vital lessons for our modern age, as people and their languages are on the move again. Proto is a revelatory portrait of world history in its own words. This interview was conducted by Dr. Miranda Melcher whose book focuses on post-conflict military integration, understanding treaty negotiation and implementation in civil war contexts, with qualitative analysis of the Angolan and Mozambican civil wars. You can find Miranda's interviews on New Books with Miranda Melcher, wherever you get your podcasts. Let's face it, most of the popular podcasts out there are dumb. NBN features scholars (like you!), providing an enriching alternative to students. We partner with presses like Oxford, Princeton, and Cambridge to make academic research accessible to all. Please consider sharing the New Books Network with your students. Download this poster here to spread the word. Please share this interview on Instagram, LinkedIn, or Bluesky. Don't forget to subscribe to our Substack here to receive our weekly newsletter. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/intellectual-history

Star. Stjarna. Setareh. Thousands of miles apart, humans look up at the night sky and use the same word to describe what they see. Listen to these English, Icelandic, and Iranian words, and you can hear echoes of one of history's most unlikely, miraculous journeys. For all of these languages – and hundreds more – share a single ancient source. In a mysterious Big Bang of its own, this proto tongue exploded outwards, forming new worlds as it spread east and west. Today, nearly half of humanity speaks an Indo-European language. How did this happen? In Proto: How One Ancient Language Went Global (HarperCollins, 2025), acclaimed journalist Laura Spinney sets off to find out. Travelling over the steppe and the silk roads, she follows in the footsteps of nomads and monks, Amazon warriors and lion kings – the ancient peoples who spread their words far and wide. In the present, Spinney meets the scientists, archaeologists and linguists racing to reanimate this lost world. What they have learned has vital lessons for our modern age, as people and their languages are on the move again. Proto is a revelatory portrait of world history in its own words. This interview was conducted by Dr. Miranda Melcher whose book focuses on post-conflict military integration, understanding treaty negotiation and implementation in civil war contexts, with qualitative analysis of the Angolan and Mozambican civil wars. You can find Miranda's interviews on New Books with Miranda Melcher, wherever you get your podcasts. Let's face it, most of the popular podcasts out there are dumb. NBN features scholars (like you!), providing an enriching alternative to students. We partner with presses like Oxford, Princeton, and Cambridge to make academic research accessible to all. Please consider sharing the New Books Network with your students. Download this poster here to spread the word. Please share this interview on Instagram, LinkedIn, or Bluesky. Don't forget to subscribe to our Substack here to receive our weekly newsletter. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/communications

Star. Stjarna. Setareh. Thousands of miles apart, humans look up at the night sky and use the same word to describe what they see. Listen to these English, Icelandic, and Iranian words, and you can hear echoes of one of history's most unlikely, miraculous journeys. For all of these languages – and hundreds more – share a single ancient source. In a mysterious Big Bang of its own, this proto tongue exploded outwards, forming new worlds as it spread east and west. Today, nearly half of humanity speaks an Indo-European language. How did this happen? In Proto: How One Ancient Language Went Global (HarperCollins, 2025), acclaimed journalist Laura Spinney sets off to find out. Travelling over the steppe and the silk roads, she follows in the footsteps of nomads and monks, Amazon warriors and lion kings – the ancient peoples who spread their words far and wide. In the present, Spinney meets the scientists, archaeologists and linguists racing to reanimate this lost world. What they have learned has vital lessons for our modern age, as people and their languages are on the move again. Proto is a revelatory portrait of world history in its own words. This interview was conducted by Dr. Miranda Melcher whose book focuses on post-conflict military integration, understanding treaty negotiation and implementation in civil war contexts, with qualitative analysis of the Angolan and Mozambican civil wars. You can find Miranda's interviews on New Books with Miranda Melcher, wherever you get your podcasts. Let's face it, most of the popular podcasts out there are dumb. NBN features scholars (like you!), providing an enriching alternative to students. We partner with presses like Oxford, Princeton, and Cambridge to make academic research accessible to all. Please consider sharing the New Books Network with your students. Download this poster here to spread the word. Please share this interview on Instagram, LinkedIn, or Bluesky. Don't forget to subscribe to our Substack here to receive our weekly newsletter. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Star. Stjarna. Setareh. Thousands of miles apart, humans look up at the night sky and use the same word to describe what they see. Listen to these English, Icelandic, and Iranian words, and you can hear echoes of one of history's most unlikely, miraculous journeys. For all of these languages – and hundreds more – share a single ancient source. In a mysterious Big Bang of its own, this proto tongue exploded outwards, forming new worlds as it spread east and west. Today, nearly half of humanity speaks an Indo-European language. How did this happen? In Proto: How One Ancient Language Went Global (HarperCollins, 2025), acclaimed journalist Laura Spinney sets off to find out. Travelling over the steppe and the silk roads, she follows in the footsteps of nomads and monks, Amazon warriors and lion kings – the ancient peoples who spread their words far and wide. In the present, Spinney meets the scientists, archaeologists and linguists racing to reanimate this lost world. What they have learned has vital lessons for our modern age, as people and their languages are on the move again. Proto is a revelatory portrait of world history in its own words. This interview was conducted by Dr. Miranda Melcher whose book focuses on post-conflict military integration, understanding treaty negotiation and implementation in civil war contexts, with qualitative analysis of the Angolan and Mozambican civil wars. You can find Miranda's interviews on New Books with Miranda Melcher, wherever you get your podcasts. Let's face it, most of the popular podcasts out there are dumb. NBN features scholars (like you!), providing an enriching alternative to students. We partner with presses like Oxford, Princeton, and Cambridge to make academic research accessible to all. Please consider sharing the New Books Network with your students. Download this poster here to spread the word. Please share this interview on Instagram, LinkedIn, or Bluesky. Don't forget to subscribe to our Substack here to receive our weekly newsletter. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/new-books-network

Star. Stjarna. Setareh. Thousands of miles apart, humans look up at the night sky and use the same word to describe what they see. Listen to these English, Icelandic, and Iranian words, and you can hear echoes of one of history's most unlikely, miraculous journeys. For all of these languages – and hundreds more – share a single ancient source. In a mysterious Big Bang of its own, this proto tongue exploded outwards, forming new worlds as it spread east and west. Today, nearly half of humanity speaks an Indo-European language. How did this happen? In Proto: How One Ancient Language Went Global (HarperCollins, 2025), acclaimed journalist Laura Spinney sets off to find out. Travelling over the steppe and the silk roads, she follows in the footsteps of nomads and monks, Amazon warriors and lion kings – the ancient peoples who spread their words far and wide. In the present, Spinney meets the scientists, archaeologists and linguists racing to reanimate this lost world. What they have learned has vital lessons for our modern age, as people and their languages are on the move again. Proto is a revelatory portrait of world history in its own words. This interview was conducted by Dr. Miranda Melcher whose book focuses on post-conflict military integration, understanding treaty negotiation and implementation in civil war contexts, with qualitative analysis of the Angolan and Mozambican civil wars. You can find Miranda's interviews on New Books with Miranda Melcher, wherever you get your podcasts. Let's face it, most of the popular podcasts out there are dumb. NBN features scholars (like you!), providing an enriching alternative to students. We partner with presses like Oxford, Princeton, and Cambridge to make academic research accessible to all. Please consider sharing the New Books Network with your students. Download this poster here to spread the word. Please share this interview on Instagram, LinkedIn, or Bluesky. Don't forget to subscribe to our Substack here to receive our weekly newsletter. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/language

Laura Spinney discusses with Ivan six things which should be better known. Laura Spinney is a writer and science journalist. Her writing on science has appeared in The Guardian, The Economist, Nature and National Geographic, among others. She is the author of two novels, The Doctor (2001) and The Quick (2007), and a collection of oral history, Rue Centrale (2013). Her bestselling non-fiction account of the 1918 flu pandemic, Pale Rider: The Spanish Flu of 1918 and How it Changed the World (2017), was translated into more than 20 languages. Her latest book, Proto: How Once Ancient Language Went Global, the story of the Indo-European languages, appeared in 2025. She lives in Paris. Osmothèque – international perfume archive in Versailles. Conserves 4,000 perfumes, of which 800 have “disappeared” Studs Terkel. Legendary American broadcaster, writer, actor and historian Circus elephants, or rather their owner-handlers. A dying breed, as they should be, but they deserve our compassion and respect Papuan languages. Nearly 900 of them, vast majority of which are undocumented Gloria! 2024 Italian-Swiss film, directorial debut of Margherita Vicario Marija Gimbutas. Lithuanian-born archaeologist who got it right on the word's largest language family, Indo-European This podcast is powered by ZenCast.fm

Star. Stjarna. Setareh. Thousands of miles apart, humans look up at the night sky and use the same word to describe what they see. Listen to these English, Icelandic, and Iranian words, and you can hear echoes of one of history's most unlikely, miraculous journeys. For all of these languages – and hundreds more – share a single ancient source. In a mysterious Big Bang of its own, this proto tongue exploded outwards, forming new worlds as it spread east and west. Today, nearly half of humanity speaks an Indo-European language. How did this happen? In Proto: How One Ancient Language Went Global (HarperCollins, 2025), acclaimed journalist Laura Spinney sets off to find out. Travelling over the steppe and the silk roads, she follows in the footsteps of nomads and monks, Amazon warriors and lion kings – the ancient peoples who spread their words far and wide. In the present, Spinney meets the scientists, archaeologists and linguists racing to reanimate this lost world. What they have learned has vital lessons for our modern age, as people and their languages are on the move again. Proto is a revelatory portrait of world history in its own words. This interview was conducted by Dr. Miranda Melcher whose book focuses on post-conflict military integration, understanding treaty negotiation and implementation in civil war contexts, with qualitative analysis of the Angolan and Mozambican civil wars. You can find Miranda's interviews on New Books with Miranda Melcher, wherever you get your podcasts. Let's face it, most of the popular podcasts out there are dumb. NBN features scholars (like you!), providing an enriching alternative to students. We partner with presses like Oxford, Princeton, and Cambridge to make academic research accessible to all. Please consider sharing the New Books Network with your students. Download this poster here to spread the word. Please share this interview on Instagram, LinkedIn, or Bluesky. Don't forget to subscribe to our Substack here to receive our weekly newsletter. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/book-of-the-day

From the steppes of prehistoric Eurasia to the languages we speak today, the story of Indo-European is one of ancient roots and global impact. But what exactly is Indo-European? Who spoke it? And how did a single language family come to dominate nearly half the world?In this episode, Tristan Hughes is joined by Laura Spinney to uncover the origins of Proto-Indo-European. From Sanskrit to Latin, mythological echoes to linguistic detective work, discover how archaeology, genetics and early literature help trace this lost language and the diverse prehistoric peoples who once spoke it.Presented by Tristan Hughes. The producer is Joseph Knight, audio editor is Aidan Lonergan. The senior producer is Anne-Marie Luff.The Ancients is a History Hit podcast.All music from Epidemic SoundsSign up to History Hit for hundreds of hours of original documentaries, with a new release every week and ad-free podcasts. Sign up at https://www.historyhit.com/subscribe. You can take part in our listener survey here.

Laura Spinney is the author of two novels and three non-fiction books, including Pale Rider, a historical exploration of the 1918 flu epidemic, which came out in 2017. In this interview, we discuss her latest book, Proto: How One Ancient Language Went Global, which traces the evolution of Proto-Indo-European — the hypothetical, reconstructed common ancestor of all languages in the Indo-European language family — from its purported origins with the Yamnaya people of the Pontic steppe through migrations and metamorphoses into nearly 450 languages spoken by 3.4 billion people worldwide today.

What if a single ancient language lay at the root of nearly half of the world's spoken tongues? In today's episode, acclaimed science writer and journalist Laura Spinney joins us to discuss her new book Proto: How One Ancient Language Went Global. In Proto, Spinney takes us deep into the mystery of Proto-Indo-European (PIE) - a prehistoric language that no one alive has heard, yet whose echoes can still be found in words spoken from Ireland to India. From the English word star, to Icelandic stjarna, to the Iranic stare - Spinney reveals how echoes of a prehistoric language still ripple across continents and centuries. Along the way, she meets the archaeologists, linguists, and geneticists working to uncover the origins of this linguistic Big Bang - and what it tells us about human history, identity, and movement. Joining Spinney in discussion is global historian Caroline Dodds Pennock, to retrace the paths of nomads, monks, warriors, and kings across the Eurasian steppe, the Caucasus, the Silk Roads, and beyond.  If you'd like to become a Member and get access to all our full conversations, plus all of our Members-only content, just visit intelligencesquared.com/membership to find out more. For £4.99 per month you'll also receive: - Full-length and ad-free Intelligence Squared episodes, wherever you get your podcasts - Bonus Intelligence Squared podcasts, curated feeds and members exclusive series - 15% discount on livestreams and in-person tickets for all Intelligence Squared events  ...  Or Subscribe on Apple for £4.99: - Full-length and ad-free Intelligence Squared podcasts - Bonus Intelligence Squared podcasts, curated feeds and members exclusive series … Already a subscriber? Thank you for supporting our mission to foster honest debate and compelling conversations! Visit intelligencesquared.com to explore all your benefits including ad-free podcasts, exclusive bonus content and early access. … Subscribe to our newsletter here to hear about our latest events, discounts and much more. https://www.intelligencesquared.com/newsletter-signup/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

„Dieses Buch ist eine Zeitmaschine“, sagt Wissenschaftsreporter Frank Wittig über das neue Buch von Laura Spinney. In „Der Urknall unserer Sprache“ geht es um die Entstehung der größten Sprachfamilie der Welt.

In this episode, host Andrea Talabér (CEU Press) sat down with Muriel Blaive to talk about her new book with CEU Press, Pandemic Power: The Covid Response and the Erosion of Democracy - A Liberal Critique. In the podcast we talked about the (failure of the) pandemic response, the necessity of critique, being shadowbanned on Facebook, censorship, and about liberal intellectuals abandoning their core values. Pandemic Power is available in Open Access, thanks to the support of the Austrian Science Fund. You can download a PDF copy here. You can purchase a physical copy here. During the podcast, we discussed the following article: Laura Spinney, “Five years on, the right's Covid narrative has been turbo-charged into the mainstream”, The Observer, 9 March 2025. Muriel frequently posts on X. The CEU Press Podcast delves into various aspects of the publishing process: from crafting a book proposal, finding a publisher, responding to peer review feedback on the manuscript, to the subsequent distribution, promotion and marketing of academic books. We also talk to series editors and authors, who will share their experiences of getting published and discuss their series or books. Interested in CEU Press's publications? Click here to find out more: https://ceupress.com/ Stay tuned for future episodes and subscribe to our podcast to be the first to be notified. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/new-books-network

In this episode, host Andrea Talabér (CEU Press) sat down with Muriel Blaive to talk about her new book with CEU Press, Pandemic Power: The Covid Response and the Erosion of Democracy - A Liberal Critique. In the podcast we talked about the (failure of the) pandemic response, the necessity of critique, being shadowbanned on Facebook, censorship, and about liberal intellectuals abandoning their core values. Pandemic Power is available in Open Access, thanks to the support of the Austrian Science Fund. You can download a PDF copy here. You can purchase a physical copy here. During the podcast, we discussed the following article: Laura Spinney, “Five years on, the right's Covid narrative has been turbo-charged into the mainstream”, The Observer, 9 March 2025. Muriel frequently posts on X. The CEU Press Podcast delves into various aspects of the publishing process: from crafting a book proposal, finding a publisher, responding to peer review feedback on the manuscript, to the subsequent distribution, promotion and marketing of academic books. We also talk to series editors and authors, who will share their experiences of getting published and discuss their series or books. Interested in CEU Press's publications? Click here to find out more: https://ceupress.com/ Stay tuned for future episodes and subscribe to our podcast to be the first to be notified. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/political-science

In this episode, host Andrea Talabér (CEU Press) sat down with Muriel Blaive to talk about her new book with CEU Press, Pandemic Power: The Covid Response and the Erosion of Democracy - A Liberal Critique. In the podcast we talked about the (failure of the) pandemic response, the necessity of critique, being shadowbanned on Facebook, censorship, and about liberal intellectuals abandoning their core values. Pandemic Power is available in Open Access, thanks to the support of the Austrian Science Fund. You can download a PDF copy here. You can purchase a physical copy here. During the podcast, we discussed the following article: Laura Spinney, “Five years on, the right's Covid narrative has been turbo-charged into the mainstream”, The Observer, 9 March 2025. Muriel frequently posts on X. The CEU Press Podcast delves into various aspects of the publishing process: from crafting a book proposal, finding a publisher, responding to peer review feedback on the manuscript, to the subsequent distribution, promotion and marketing of academic books. We also talk to series editors and authors, who will share their experiences of getting published and discuss their series or books. Interested in CEU Press's publications? Click here to find out more: https://ceupress.com/ Stay tuned for future episodes and subscribe to our podcast to be the first to be notified. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/public-policy

In this episode, host Andrea Talabér (CEU Press) sat down with Muriel Blaive to talk about her new book with CEU Press, Pandemic Power: The Covid Response and the Erosion of Democracy - A Liberal Critique. In the podcast we talked about the (failure of the) pandemic response, the necessity of critique, being shadowbanned on Facebook, censorship, and about liberal intellectuals abandoning their core values. Pandemic Power is available in Open Access, thanks to the support of the Austrian Science Fund. You can download a PDF copy here. You can purchase a physical copy here. During the podcast, we discussed the following article: Laura Spinney, “Five years on, the right's Covid narrative has been turbo-charged into the mainstream”, The Observer, 9 March 2025. Muriel frequently posts on X. The CEU Press Podcast delves into various aspects of the publishing process: from crafting a book proposal, finding a publisher, responding to peer review feedback on the manuscript, to the subsequent distribution, promotion and marketing of academic books. We also talk to series editors and authors, who will share their experiences of getting published and discuss their series or books. Interested in CEU Press's publications? Click here to find out more: https://ceupress.com/ Stay tuned for future episodes and subscribe to our podcast to be the first to be notified. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/politics-and-polemics

In this episode, host Andrea Talabér (CEU Press) sat down with Muriel Blaive to talk about her new book with CEU Press, Pandemic Power: The Covid Response and the Erosion of Democracy - A Liberal Critique. In the podcast we talked about the (failure of the) pandemic response, the necessity of critique, being shadowbanned on Facebook, censorship, and about liberal intellectuals abandoning their core values. Pandemic Power is available in Open Access, thanks to the support of the Austrian Science Fund. You can download a PDF copy here. You can purchase a physical copy here. During the podcast, we discussed the following article: Laura Spinney, “Five years on, the right's Covid narrative has been turbo-charged into the mainstream”, The Observer, 9 March 2025. Muriel frequently posts on X. The CEU Press Podcast delves into various aspects of the publishing process: from crafting a book proposal, finding a publisher, responding to peer review feedback on the manuscript, to the subsequent distribution, promotion and marketing of academic books. We also talk to series editors and authors, who will share their experiences of getting published and discuss their series or books. Interested in CEU Press's publications? Click here to find out more: https://ceupress.com/ Stay tuned for future episodes and subscribe to our podcast to be the first to be notified. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Pale Rider: Un viaje a las profundidades de la gripe española de 1918En su obra "Pale Rider", Laura Spinney nos lleva de viaje a través de uno de los eventos más oscuros de la historia de la humanidad: la pandemia de gripe española de 1918. Con una narrativa cautivadora e investigación meticulosa, Spinney nos revela los detalles de esta devastadora pandemia, desde su origen hasta sus consecuencias.La gripe española se caracterizó por su virulencia y su capacidad de atacar a adultos jóvenes y sanos. La Primera Guerra Mundial creó las condiciones perfectas para su propagación, y la pandemia se extendió por todo el mundo, dejando un rastro de muerte y destrucción.La enfermedad tuvo un profundo impacto en la sociedad, la cultura y la economía. También impulsó importantes avances en la ciencia y la medicina. Sin embargo, la pandemia también dejó un legado de resiliencia y adaptación.

According to the national database Shelter Animal Counts, the number of dogs and cats awaiting adoption at animal shelters grew by nearly 250,000 last year. Meanwhile, the rate of adoption for dogs has decreased, with nearly 60% of shelter operators reporting requests from owners to surrender their dogs. As reported in Columbia Gorge News, Hood River Adopt a Dog and Home At Last Humane Society in The Dalles  are emblematic of the challenges animal shelters are currently facing, including a surge in the number of dogs being surrendered or simply abandoned at their doorstep.  Joining us to talk about these difficulties are: Laura Spinney, operations director and foster coordinator for Hood River Adopt a Dog; Sierra Molesworth, a certified dog trainer and the social media manager at Hood River Adopt a Dog; and Lisa Erland, board treasurer at Home At Last Humane Society.

Tune into the final Read Smart podcast episode of the year, where 2022 prize winner Katherine Rundell discusses her book Super-Infinite: The Transformations of John Donne and how she feels following the announcement. Our host Razia Iqbal also speaks to some of the other guests at the awards ceremony, including former judge Sara Collins, last year's chair of judges Andrew Holgate and Margaret Busby. The winner was livestreamed on FacebookLive and YouTube at a  gala dinner generously supported by the Blavatnik Family Foundation on Thursday 17 November. Super-Infinite: The Transformations of John Donne gives readers a glimpse into the tempestuous life of poet John Donne. Sometime religious outsider and social disaster, sometime celebrity preacher and establishment darling, John Donne was incapable of being just one thing. Described by Rundell as being perhaps the greatest love poet in the history of the English language, the work provides a fascinating insight into Donne's multi-layered existence.    Super-Infinite: The Transformations of John Donne was chosen by this year's judging panel: writer and Associate Editor of The Bookseller, Caroline Sanderson (chair); writer and science journalist, Laura Spinney; critic and writer for The Observer, Rachel Cooke; BBC journalist and presenter, Clive Myrie; author and New Yorker writer, Samanth Subramanian; and critic and broadcaster, Georgina Godwin. The podcast is generously supported by the Blavatnik Family Foundation. For more podcasts from The Baillie Gifford Prize, click here. Follow @BGPrize on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, TikTok and YouTube.

The latest episode of The Read Smart Podcast, is dedicated entirely to our much anticipated longlist. Host Razia Iqbal is joined by three members of our judging panel, Caroline Sanderson, Laura Spinney and Samanth Subramanian, to discuss all twelve longlisted books and why these have been chosen to be in the running for this year's prize. Listen now to hear all about the longlist. The podcast is generously supported by the Blavatnik Family Foundation. To find out more about The Baillie Gifford Prize, visit www.thebailliegiffordprize.com Follow @BGPrize on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, YouTube and TikTok. The announcement of the six books shortlisted for this year's prize will take place on 10 October during an event at Cheltenham Literature Festival. The winner will be announced on 17 November at the Science Museum at an award ceremony generously supported by the Blavatnik Family Foundation. The announcement will also be livestreamed across the Baillie Gifford Prize social channels. #BGPrize2022 #longlist #nonfiction #booktube #booktok #reading #books #awards #literature #author #writer #bgprize #podcast #readsmart

Congress is threatening to cut billions in COVID aid even as a new variant emerges. On this week's On the Media, how our policy debate reveals an indifference for long COVID disabilities and death on a staggering scale. And, how that apathy tracks with a pattern of past pandemics. Plus, a look at the novelist Kurt Vonnegut's theory of storytelling, and what it tells us about why so many Americans have stopped paying attention to the virus. Ed Yong [@edyong209], staff writer at The Atlantic, on why mass deaths from COVID have failed to provoke a strong political and social reckoning. Listen. Laura Spinney, [@lfspinney], author and science journalist on how pandemics have historically disabled people, and what this teaches us about Covid long-haulers. Listen. Micah Loewinger [@MicahLoewinger], OTM correspondent, on how to make sense of Covid's ever-changing plot, using Kurt Vonnegut's theory of "the shapes of stories." Listen. Music:Agnus Dei by Martin PalmeriLove Theme from Spartacus by Fred HerschPassing Time by John RenbournMisterioso by Kronos QuartetBewitched, Bothered and Bewildered by Brad Mehldau Trio    

Congress is threatening to cut billions in COVID aid even as a new variant emerges. On this week's On the Media, how our policy debate reveals an indifference for long COVID disabilities and death on a staggering scale. And, how that apathy tracks with a pattern of past pandemics. Plus, a look at the novelist Kurt Vonnegut's theory of storytelling, and what it tells us about why so many Americans have stopped paying attention to the virus. Ed Yong [@edyong209], staff writer at The Atlantic, on why mass deaths from COVID have failed to provoke a strong political and social reckoning. Listen. Laura Spinney, [@lfspinney], author and science journalist on how pandemics have historically disabled people, and what this teaches us about Covid long-haulers. Listen. Micah Loewinger [@MicahLoewinger], OTM correspondent, on how to make sense of Covid's ever-changing plot, using Kurt Vonnegut's theory of "the shapes of stories." Listen. Music:Agnus Dei by Martin PalmeriLove Theme from Spartacus by Fred HerschPassing Time by John RenbournMisterioso by Kronos QuartetBewitched, Bothered and Bewildered by Brad Mehldau Trio     On the Media is supported by listeners like you. Support OTM by donating today (https://pledge.wnyc.org/support/otm). Follow our show on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook @onthemedia, and share your thoughts with us by emailing onthemedia@wnyc.org.

Two years after the first UK coronavirus lockdown, Laura Spinney reflects on what the years after the 1918 Spanish flu pandemic looked like, and what we might expect in a post-Covid era. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/infocus

(Día Internacional de la Preparación ante las Epidemias) «Cuando surge una nueva amenaza a la vida, la primera y más apremiante preocupación es nombrarla”, afirma la periodista científica Laura Spinney en su libro Jinete Pálido: La gripe española de 1918 y cómo cambió al mundo, publicado en el centenario de aquella letal pandemia—. Es muy difícil hablar de algo que no tiene un nombre, y aún más difícil combatirlo —explicó Spinney en una entrevista que le concedió a Radio 4 de la BBC—. Una vez que le has puesto un nombre puedes hablar acerca del mismo, considerar posibles soluciones, adoptar o rechazar esas soluciones, transmitir un mensaje de salud pública y pedir que la gente lo cumpla. Creo que no hay nada más atemorizante que algo que no tiene un nombre y no sabes lo que es», agregó. Sin embargo, es muy estigmatizante y contraproducente seguir la forma tradicional de ponerle a una enfermedad el nombre del país donde presuntamente surgió. Eso puede tener consecuencias devastadoras para la economía de ese país, causando que se cierren las fronteras y se cancelen los vuelos a ese destino. Para colmo de males, ha habido ocasiones en que a una enfermedad infecciosa las autoridades, aun antes de conocer todos sus síntomas y efectos, se han apresurado a darle un nombre que ha resultado erróneo o confuso, llegando a ser culpables de un gran perjuicio injusto. A fin de evitar semejantes errores de juicio y de perjuicio, en 2015 la Organización Mundial de la Salud formuló nuevas reglas para nombrar enfermedades. El caso más conocido de una enfermedad incorrectamente nombrada fue precisamente el que llevó a Spinney a escribir su libro. A aquella pandemia que llegó a ser el peor brote de influenza de la historia, que cobró la vida de más de cincuenta millones de personas en todo el mundo entre 1918 y 1920, pasado ya más de un siglo no hemos dejado de llamarla gripe española. Y sin embargo «la enfermedad no tenía nada en particular de español— afirmó Spinney—. Afectó a España, pero no surgió en España. Creemos que probablemente se haya originado en Estados Unidos, aunque no lo sabemos con certeza. »Se le puso el nombre de gripe española porque España permaneció neutral durante la Primera Guerra Mundial y no censuraba a sus diarios, como sí lo hacían Estados Unidos, el Reino Unido, Francia y las naciones en guerra, que prohibieron que se informara sobre la gripe para no bajar la moral de la población. Así que, cuando los españoles empezaron a reportar los primeros casos que surgieron en Madrid, que ocurrieron varios meses después de los primeros casos en los Estados Unidos de América... al resto del mundo le pareció que la enfermedad había surgido en Madrid, y la llamaron la gripe española», concluyó Spinney.1 Así como podemos equivocarnos en cuanto al nombre que le ponemos a un virus físico, también podemos equivocarnos en cuanto al nombre que le ponemos al virus espiritual que es el pecado. El peor error que podemos cometer es llamarlo «nada» o «poca cosa», siendo que San Pablo nos advierte que todos padecemos de ese virus, y que es una enfermedad mortal. Confesémosle más bien a Dios nuestro pecado para que nos lo perdone y podamos así recibir no sólo el perdón sino también la vida eterna.2 Carlos ReyUn Mensaje a la Concienciawww.conciencia.net 1 «Gripe española, gripe porcina, influenza H1N1... ¿de dónde vienen los nombres de las enfermedades?», BBC News Mundo, 21 octubre 2018 En línea 11 julio 2021; Patricia R. Blanco, «La injustamente apodada “gripe española de 1918”», Diario El País, Madrid, 31 marzo 2020 En línea 11 julio 2021. 2 Ro 3:23; 6:23; 1Jn 1:9

Wondering if going freelance or rebuilding your personal brand is for you? In this episode, we answer that question. We discuss everything you'll need to consider before taking the leap to freelance. There are so many different pathways to do this. I am chatting with Sydney based Freelance Hair Stylist, Laura Spinney about how she did it. Alternatively, if you are not interested in becoming a freelancer, but you are wanting to rebrand and attract a new tribe of clients we've got you covered too! If you are needing a strong dose of inspiration you're in luck because Laura has a knack for shaking things up. - - - - - - - - - - SHOW NOTES of this episode and links mentioned in the interview https://www.kristinarussell.com.au/80 DM KRISTINA ON INSTAGRAM https://www.instagram.com/colourkristina

The Delta variant is continuing its deadly march -- particularly among those who haven't been vaccinated. It's also draining the optimism of only a few months ago that the U.S. had turned the corner on COVID-19. For perspective, we look back to the far deadlier influenza pandemic of 1918: how it started; how it was treated; how it divided people; how it ended; and what it helped create. Laura Spinney, author of Pale Rider: The Spanish Flu of 1918, and How it Changed the World joins Josh Robin to discuss the parallels.

This week on the podcast we're reading part 1 of “An American Tragedy,” by Theodore Dreiser. Originally published in 1925, Dreiser based his novel on a notorious murder of a young woman named Grace Brown, and the subsequent trial of her boyfriend. The novel has just been republished in a new edition. The next two episodes will cover parts two and three. Episode Links “An American Tragedy,” by Theodore Dreiser Reading Pete - "Cuyahoga” by Pete Beatty Jennie - “One of Us is Next" by Karen M. McManus, the sequel to One of Us Is Lying Megan – “Pale Rider: The Spanish Flu of 1918 and How It Changed the World” by Laura Spinney and “Eat a Peach: A Memoir” by David Chang Tell us what YOU think about this book, or anything else you're reading, in our GoodReads or Facebook groups, or talk to us on twitter using the #BigBookPodcast hashtag. If you'd like to make a suggestion for future reading send us your recommendations on the Big Book Club Podcast page on the Arlington Public Library website. Upcoming Summer Books: Our July 19 book will be “The Big Sleep,” by Raymond Chandler, followed by Terry Pratchet's “The Wee Free Men” for August 2.  

Laura Spinney, finalist for AHFA Newcomer and winner of 2019 F.A.M.E Team and has developed a growing reputation for edgy short haircuts, mullet, shags and everything in between. Although classically trained and has a love for precision cutting, Laura breaks the boundaries of shape, texture and balance alongside bright colours, playful placement and seems to be attracting a lot of large makeovers. Outside the salon, Laura has a flourishing editorial career, working with big names such as Nicole Scherzinger and The Pussycat Dolls, big and small publications like Marie Claire and BOY! Incognito, Sony, EMI, and many more but also loves that after almost 15 years in the industry, she is finally doing hair that she loves. Laura has also travelled the world attending Fashions Weeks and major hair shows around the world. To satisfy every aspect of this incredible industry, Laura also educates for De Lorenzo, taking classes through breaking the barriers and fear of cutting short hair, how to maintain creativity whilst in a salon and still keep your clients happy and your list growing.@laura.spinney.creative.@colourbycrys@un.foiledSupport this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/the-successful-stylist-un-foiled/donations

Doing good is tricky at the best of times. Even at an individual level, it's difficult to get it right. When it comes to tackling the world's biggest problems such as climate change, education, violence, gender inequality, immigration and living standards it's even tougher. Some countries are doing better than others at solving these problems within their own borders, and my guest today – Andrew Wear has put together a wonderful exploration of just how they are doing it in his book, Solved! Andrew is a senior Australian public servant with degrees in politics, law, economics and public policy, and is a graduate of the Harvard Kennedy School of Government. He is also a Fellow at the Institute of Public Administration, and a director of Ardoch – a children's education charity. His work appears in peer-reviewed journals, as well as The Mandarin, The Guardian and others. Follow Andrew on Twitter @AndrewWear Andrew is reading: Pale Rider, by Laura Spinney, The Great Influenza, by John M. Barry, and The Pandemic Century, by Mark Honigsbaum Andrew is listening to: America, if you're listening, by Matt Bevan at ABC, and Humans of Purpose with Mike Davis.

When looking back at pandemics in modern history, the 1918 Spanish influenza stands out.  It took the lives of somewhere between 50 and 100 million people — and while it devastated the countries of the Global North, it took its greatest toll in the Global South.  Science writer Laura Spinney reflects on the similarities — and significant differences — between the Spanish flu and Covid-19.  She discusses how the pandemic took hold at the end of WW1 and struck down the young, and how many of the affected countries adopted universal healthcare in its wake. (Encore presentation.) Resources: Laura Spinney, Pale Rider: The Spanish Flu of 1918 and How It Changed the World PublicAffairs, 2017 The post Lessons from the Spanish Influenza appeared first on KPFA.

Tell us what you like or dislike about this episode!! Be honest, we don't bite!Today we sit down and talk to our expert Laura Spinney as we deep dive into historic pandemics, its effects on society and the social frameworks we all stick with.—Thanks for watching!SUBSCRIBE NOW FOR MORE TIPS—WebsiteInstagramTik TokFacebookTwitterLinkedIn—LISTEN TO THE PODCAST!SpotifyApple—Who Is Matt Haycox? - Click for BADASS TrailerAs an entrepreneur, investor, funding expert and mentor who has been building and growing businesses for both myself and my clients for more than 20 years, my fundamental principles are suitable for all industries and businesses of all stages and size.I'm constantly involved in funding and advising multiple business ventures and successful entrepreneurs.My goal is to help YOU achieve YOUR financial success! I know how to spot and nurture great business opportunities and as someone who has ‘been there and got the t-shirt' many times, overall strategies and advice are honest, tangible and grounded in reality.

When looking back at pandemics in modern history, the 1918 Spanish influenza stands out.  It took the lives of somewhere between 50 and 100 million people — and while it devastated the countries of the Global North, it took its greatest toll in the Global South.  Science writer Laura Spinney reflects on the similarities — and significant differences — between the Spanish flu and Covid-19.  She discusses how the pandemic took hold at the end of WW1 and struck down the young, and how many of the affected countries adopted universal healthcare in its wake. Resources: Laura Spinney, Pale Rider: The Spanish Flu of 1918 and How It Changed the World PublicAffairs, 2017 The post Lessons from the Spanish Influenza appeared first on KPFA.

It's incredibly difficult to get an inkling of what is going on inside gas giants Saturn and Jupiter. But with data deliveries from the Cassini and Juno spacecraft, researchers are starting to learn more. Science Staff Writer Paul Voosen talks with host Sarah Crespi about new gravity measurements from Cassini's last passes around Saturn. Using these data, researchers were able to compare wind patterns on Saturn and Jupiter and measure the mass and age of Saturn's rings. It turns out the rings are young, relatively speaking—they may have formed as recently as 10 million years ago, after dinosaurs went extinct. Megan Cantwell then talks to science writer Laura Spinney about how researchers are fighting conspiracy theories and political manipulation in the Democratic Republic of the Congo during the country's ongoing Ebola outbreak. In a first, the government, nongovernmental organizations, and scientists are working with community leaders to fight misinformation—and they might actually be winning. This week's episode was edited by Podigy. Download the transcript (PDF) Listen to previous podcasts. About the Science Podcast [Image: NASA/JPL-Caltech/SwRI/MSSS/Stuart Rankin; Music: Jeffrey Cook]

Pale Rider By Laura Spinney Hachette Books Help support DocSmo.com by buying this reviewed book or joining Audible.com using these affiliate links. You get Amazon's best price and DocSmo.com earns a small affiliate marketing fee.  Thank you.   Introduction Welcome to this book review edition of Portable Practical Pediatrics. I'm your host, Dr. Paul Smolen also known as Doc Smo. I just finished reading a fascinating book titled, Pale Rider, by British journalist Laura Spinney, a work in which she gives her readers a detailed look at the effect of a global influenza pandemic that is known today as The Spanish Flu of 1918. Ms. Spinney makes the case that this single event was the worst human tragedy in human history, killing an estimated 50-100 million people; a number greater that the number of deaths in both WW1 and WW2 combined! How did this tragedy happen and could it happen again?  Is this tragedy relevant for today's world population including your children? Find out and hear my review of this Pale Rider in this edition of Portable Practical Pediatrics, which is being brought to you by Audible, a place where you can sit back, rest your eyes, rev up your imagination, and listen to great books like Pale Rider. Consider joining today by clicking the banner displayed on my website, accompanying this post. Musical Intro The Spanish Flu From Every Angle Readers of Pale Rider will quickly realize that the author is a journalist due to her attention to detail and historical context. She points out that the Spanish Flu occurred within the backdrop of WW1, contributing to the spread and intensity of the disease. Ms. Spinney ferrets out an amazing amount of detail about the route of spread, susceptibility of different populations around the world, survival rates of different ethnic groups, available medical therapies of the time, and mortality rates. The author also goes to great length to describe the discovery and isolation of the influenza virus, its biology, and the history behind the development of an effective preventative vaccine. I have a medical degree and have more than a cursory understanding of the biology and natural history of viral infections, yet I found that the author's description of the basic science behind of Spanish influenza infections absolutely fascinating and quite informative. Readers will also learn how influenza got its name, how it help usher in the concept of universal healthcare, and how the Spanish Flu helped push scientist's and physician's understanding of disease, culminating in the modern paradigm of the germ theory.  Come to think about it, there are very few questions about the Spanish flu that Ms. Spinney did not address. Her book is very rich with detail and insight.   The Magnitude of the Disease The Spanish Flu has been earned the title of the greatest human tragedy in known human history and many fear that it could happen again on an even bigger scale.  According to infectious disease experts of today, the world's next influenza pandemic is not a matter of if  but when.  Understanding as much as possible about how the Spanish flu was able to slaughter 2.5%-5% of the world's mostly young healthy population is crucial to keeping it from happening again.  Think about the magnitude of the crisis if 5% of today's 7 billion inhabitants of earth were to succumb to a global influenza pandemic; a disaster that translates to an increase in world deaths from the current 55 million/year to a whopping 350 million deaths/year. Critique Overall, I found Pale Rider a book that is very informative, thoroughly researched, and extremely relevant to today's world; a fascinating read and a book that will be very appealing to inquisitive readers with a strong interest in the history of disease and world history. But, readers who aren't ready to digest a great amount of historical detail may want to shy away from this book, however. Ms.

The Spanish flu of 1918-1920 was one of the greatest human disasters of all time. It infected a third of the people on Earth–from the poorest immigrants of New York City to the king of Spain, Franz Kafka, Mahatma Gandhi and Woodrow Wilson. But despite a death toll of between 50 and 100 million people, it exists in our memory as an afterthought to World War I. In this gripping narrative history, Laura Spinney traces the overlooked pandemic to reveal how the virus travelled across the globe, exposing mankind's vulnerability and putting our ingenuity to the test. As socially significant as both world wars, the Spanish flu dramatically disrupted–and often permanently altered–global politics, race relations and family structures, while spurring innovation in medicine, religion and the arts. It was partly responsible, Spinney argues, for pushing India to independence, South Africa to apartheid and Switzerland to the brink of civil war. It also created the true “lost generation.” Drawing on the latest research in history, virology, epidemiology, psychology and economics, Pale Rider: The Spanish Flu of 1918 and How It Changed the World (PublicAffairs, 2017) masterfully recounts the little-known catastrophe that forever changed humanity. Jeremy Corr is the co-host of the hit Fixing Healthcare podcast along with industry thought leader Dr. Robert Pearl. A University of Iowa history alumnus, Jeremy is curious and passionate about all things healthcare, which means he's always up for a good discussion! Reach him at jeremyccorr@gmail.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices