Fantasy Buddy Reads discussion

This is a Buddy Read for Pathogenesis: A History of the World in Eight Plagues by Jonathan Kennedy starting on May 5, 2025.


Happy Reading!

Thank you!

Well, this came up at the library so I took it thinking we were reading it next month only to find out it’s in May. I’m
Behind on everything else but super early on this!

LOL yay! I look forward to reading your thoughts in May!

So far pretty interesting. I’m only barely in though. So happy to get some non-fiction up in here!

I’m about 25% in and this is rough. This book isn’t about plagues as the subtitle indicates I actually couldn’t really explain what this is about. Lots of ancient history and bones and what not, but where is this going? It’s very heavy handed in its political/social commentary and I’m losing interest fast.

Okay, I’m 50% and it did pick a path and it’s more interesting now. Glad I stuck with it. Fingers crossed!

Huh, interesting.... Though I do find as a fiction reader that sometimes nonfiction feels aimless to me... glad it picks up at 50%!

Yeah, I’m about 70% now and it’s remaining interesting.

So, ultimately this was a miss. Some aspects were interesting but there were a lot of parts where the authors opinion was given as fact and theories were built on the opinion which made the whole thing come off as weakly researched.

(view spoiler)[
I’m not sure when this came out, but most of the information on covid is incorrect. Which has only come to light more recently so he may have written the book before he knew, but, that makes me question someone who would include an event in a scientific book when we didn’t have all the answers. His prescriptions as to why China ‘faired’ better during covid is laughable. It’s like believing in Santa Claus.

I did find the part about American slavery being the only place on earth where race was the factor for slavery to be very interesting, though I highly doubt it’s true. I have to do some research on that.

Anyway, solid 1.5 star for me. When I read non-fiction, I like to feel like I’m learning something instead of being told a bunch of ideological trash. (hide spoiler)]

Felina wrote: "So, ultimately this was a miss. Some aspects were interesting but there were a lot of parts where the authors opinion was given as fact and theories were built on the opinion which made the whole t..."

Ick. I don't like the sound of that. But forewarned is forearmed. It'll be interesting to see what the local book club thinks.

I definitely want to know what they think. And what you think. I tend conservative which adds its bias. so maybe this hits different for you. And if it does, I’d love to discuss. 🤗

^_^ Looking forward to it!

Ok, so, I caught a cold this week--not the plague, thankfully, but I still find it ironic to be reading a book on plagues while sick. I ended up skipping my local book club 'cuz I'm feeling it hit even harder today.

So I wasn't able to focus too much as I was reading, but what I did catch was interesting. I stand left and center politically, and my brain fuzzed out during the Covid part, so I can't say I'll provide much good discussion, sadly. I would have enjoyed that.

I liked (view spoiler)[the bits about the Neanderthals--my mother and I both did DNA testing when I was younger, as birthday presents, and discovered that we're in the top 1-2% percent for Neanderthal DNA--as in, more Neanderthal DNA than 99% of the population tested. So I've always found them interesting. Though I already knew about it.

Honestly, I feel like the parts I tuned in for--I already knew most of what the author was talking about, like how plundering the African continent for slaves was the first time that slavery was tied to race instead of country. America weren't the only ones to do this--but they were the only country that took a war to stop it. England did it with a vote.

I had a hard time following how the author was tying everything to eight plagues. It seemed more like a general history of the world with some medical connections thrown in to try to tie it together... which I guess goes with the title. It was interesting seeing how the author connected things, but I went in to the book expecting something more medical and got something mostly historical. (hide spoiler)]

Well, I’d say you didn’t miss much. Having it behind me for a bit hasn’t weathered it very well for me. And I just read back through my comments and don’t even remember half the stuff I mentioned so it didn’t stick very well. Ha ha.

100% agree that this didn’t feel like much to do with plagues and more just general facts and retelling of history. If you haven’t read Bill Brysons A Short History of Nearly Everything, I recommend it. That books is what this was trying to be but done much better by an author with some humor.

I do really enjoy non-fiction though so I’m glad to have gotten some under my belt.

I'm glad you were here to read with me! I get antsy reading anything that isn't SFF, even if it's interesting. I definitely don't seek it out without being forced to by a book club.

No problem. Happy to be along for the ride!!

<3!