The definitive story of COVID-19 and how global politics shape our health - from a world-leading expert and the pandemic's go-to science communicator

Professor Devi Sridhar has risen to prominence for her vital roles in communicating science to the public and speaking truth to power. In Preventable she highlights lessons learned from outbreaks past and present in a narrative that traces the COVID-19 pandemic - including her personal experience as a scientist - and sets out a vision for how we can better protect ourselves from the inevitable health crises to come.

In gripping and heartfelt prose, Sridhar exposes the varied realities of those affected and puts you in the room with key decision makers at crucial moments. She vibrantly conveys the twists and turns of a plot that saw: deadlier varients emerge (contrary to the predictions of social media pundits who argued it would mutate to a milder form); countries with weak health systems like Senegal and Vietnam fare better than countries like the US and UK (which were consistently ranked as the most prepared); and the quickest development of game-changing vaccines in history (and their unfair distribution)

Combining science, politics, ethics and economics, this definitive book dissects the global structures that determine our fate, and reveals the deep-seated economic and social inequalities at their heart - it will challenge, outrage and inspire.

Health Psychology, Eleventh Edition, provides a comprehensive, accessible, and engaging look into the field of health psychology. With a focus on the most current research related to stress, psychosocial issues, and chronic disorders, this edition covers both the scientific progress of health psychology, as well as its important real-life applications. Research is presented with practical stories, written so that any reader can quickly identify how best to lead a healthier life. Since 1986, Health Psychology has helped thousands of students learn how to identify and eliminate stress, maintain their health, and use technology to get the best care possible, and this edition is no exception.

'Addictive and illuminating' Dr Saliha Mahmood Ahmed From a world-leading microbiome scientist and surgeon with over two decades of experience comes Dark Matter - the definitive book on the science of the microbiome and how unlocking its potential can protect our health, our immunity and our planet. Why are we living longer, but not happier? The microbiome - our inner ecosystem of viruses, bacteria and other microbes - is critically important to our health and wellbeing. It is given to us by our mothers at birth, adapts with us as we age, influences our moods, determines how fast we run and even who we choose as a partner. Yet it is only now, as we are beginning to discover the microbiome's enormous potential, that we are realising it is in grave danger, being irrevocably destroyed through the globalisation of our diets, the war on bugs and the industrialised world. But we can look to reverse this damage. Drawing on cutting-edge research and years of clinical experience, Kinross shows how to unpack the microbiome's secrets, explaining that if we work with, not against, our microbes, we can live better, healthier lives.

“For weeks and weeks people from ethnic minority communities have been wanting to know how they can better protect themselves from coronavirus.” [BBC News June 13th 2020] We believe that during Covid-19, ethnic minority communities in the UK, the USA and elsewhere, and all others vulnerable to seasonal Vitamin D deficiency, have been seriously let down by politicians and medical-scientific officialdom. As a result they have been needlessly deprived of extensive biological knowledge that would have protected them against disease and death from a novel virus, for which adequate levels of Vitamin D are essential. We are two retired physicians of similar ages, who together bring a century of experience to many aspects of medical practice and medical education. This includes the endocrinology of vitamin D, the prevention and treatment of serious infections, experience of previous pandemics, and a sadly sceptical view of present medicoscientific politics. During the course of the Covid-19 disaster we both came up against the neglect of first-line immunity provided by adequate levels of Vitamin D, critically important for effective defence against invasion by all new viruses, and supported by science. This is explored from many aspects in this book, in which we identify important lessons for the future, including the folly of relying exclusively on Big-Pharma and the scientists it supports.