"Dr Laura Kahn has produced a useful book that provides a brief historical background on public health and terrorism, followed by interesting examples of leadership during outbreaks and events that escalated to public health crises. The roles of astute clinicians, public health professionals, appointed public health leaders, and elected officials are described by the players themselves. These insights provide important perspectives and are fascinating reading, but each event includes the voices of only a few of many participants. This omission may leave the reader hungry for a wider variety of viewpoints. Kahn takes the reader through a thought-provoking overview of the complexity of leadership and some early milestones in public health. Kahn makes it clear that politics, economics, communications, and interpersonal relations are as central to today's public health crises as they were in the past."

Reviewed by Patrick J McConnon, Emerging Infection Diseases. 2010 Jun;16(6):1050-1051. doi 10.3201/eid1606.100345

"Laura H Kahn has assembled a timely, detailed and unbiased compendium of history, facts and statistics about the use and abuse of antibiotics in animals and humans and the evolution of antimicrobial resistance (AMR). AMR is a complex, evolving drama with profound implications for human and veterinary medicine, agriculture, food security and the environment (hence 'One Health'). The 'playbill' includes agribusinesses, 'Big Pharma', governments, farmers, veterinary and medical organizations and animal rights and environmental activists. Increasing AMR is an imminent threat to many advances in medicine. The book has 10 chapters, three appendices (listing relevant congressional hearings, Food and Drug Administration (FDA) actions and reports by US scientific organizations) and detailed page notes."

Gwendolyn L Gilbert, International Journal of Epidemiology, Volume 46, Issue 5, October 2017, Pages 1723-1724,

Unpacks the mysteries of COVID-19's origins to impart important lessons for future outbreaks. Unpacking the mysteries of COVID-19's origins to impart important lessons for future outbreaks. In this timely book, leading public health expert Laura H. Kahn uses the comprehensive One Health approach to investigate the COVID-19 pandemic. The concept of "One Health" recognizes the interconnected links among the health of humans, animals, plants, and the environment. By comparing the history, science, and clinical presentations of three different coronaviruses-SARS-CoV-1, MERS, and SARS-CoV-2 (COVID-19)-Kahn uncovers insights with important repercussions for how to prepare for and avoid future pandemics. The One Health approach is a useful framework for examining the outbreak of COVID-19. Understanding the origins of this zoonotic disease requires examining the environmental and molecular biological factors that allowed the virus to spread to humans. Kahn investigates the many ways in which the wild animal trade, wet markets, and the camel industry contributed to the spread of earlier coronaviruses such as SARS-CoV-1 and MERS. The book also explores the biosafety, biosecurity, and bioethics implications of gain-of-function research on pandemic potential pathogens. This important book is a must-read to understand the history, science, and geopolitics of the COVID-19 pandemic.