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While the topics of these works vary considerably, all of them help us understand the biological threats we face and how today’s societies might respond to epidemics. I’ve used several of these books as reference material for lectures, and Animal Health at the Crossroads was the required text for a course that I co-taught on emerging zoonotic diseases at the Mount Sinai School of Medicine. Individuals interested in understanding the current issues surrounding biotechnology research must read Biotechnology in an Age of Terrorism. I struggled to get through The Biology of Doom because the subject matter is so disturbing, but The Great Influenza is a terrific read for anyone interested in epidemics and public health.

Animal Health at the Crossroads: Preventing, Detecting, and Diagnosing Animal Diseases

by the National Research Council (National Academies Press, 2005)

Highlights the fragmented nature of animal health and recommends better coordination of human and animal health.

Deadly Arsenals: Nuclear, Biological, and Chemical Threats

by Joseph Cirincione, Jon B. Wolfstahl, and Miriam Rajkumar (Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, 2005)

A useful reference text that provides encyclopedic information on the arsenal status of selected nations.

Biotechnology Research in an Age of Terrorism

by the National Research Council (National Academies Press, 2004)

Known as the “Fink Report,” after the committee’s chairman, Gerald Fink, a genetics professor at MIT, this key report makes a number of insightful recommendations, including the formation of the National Science Advisory Board for Biosecurity, oversight of experiments of concern, education of the scientific community on security issues, and international harmonization of oversight.

The Great Influenza: The Epic Story of the Deadliest Plague in History

by John M. Barry (Penguin Books, 2004)

An important book that details what can happen during a deadly pandemic. The book describes the people involved in responding to the influenza crisis, the impact on society, and the aftermath.

The Future of the Public’s Health in the 21st Century

by the Institute of Medicine (National Academies Press, 2003)

Follow-up to the IOM’s 1988 assessment of public health in the United States. An important book to read to understand the U.S. public health infrastructure.

Secret Agents: The Menace of Emerging Infections

by Madeline Drexler (Penguin Books, 2002)

A well-written book that describes outbreaks involving newly emerging infectious diseases.

Germs: Biological Weapons and America’s Secret War

by Judith Miller, Stephen Engelberg, and William Broad (Simon and Schuster, 2001)

A discussion of the programs that the United States is conducting in the name of biodefense. It also discusses the former Soviet bioweapons program, as well as the former U.S. offensive program, among other related topics.

The Biology of Doom

by Ed Regis (Henry Holt and Co., 1999)

An excellent historical overview of bioweapons programs--from the Japanese program to the U.S. program to the British program.

Biohazard: The Chilling True Story of the Largest Covert Weapons Program in the World—Told from Inside by the Man Who Ran It

by Ken Alibek and Stephen Handelman (Random House, 1999)

A provocative book that provides a perspective on what a large, paranoid nation can do in the name of biodefense.

Smallpox and Its Eradication [PDF, 98 KB]

by F. Fenner, D. A. Henderson, I. Arita, Z. Jezek, and I. D. Ladnyi (World Health Organization, 1988)

This hefty tome is the definitive text on smallpox.

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Laura H. Kahn (Profile Image)

Laura H. Kahn

A general internist who began her career in health care as a registered nurse, Kahn works on the research staff of Princeton University's Program on Science and Global Security. Her expertise is in public health, biodefense, and pandemics. From 2003-2005, she led a study that assessed the public health infrastructures of New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, and Pennsylvania. She has also co-organized the Carnegie Corporation’s "Biodefense Challenge" seminar series, which introduces biosecurity, codes of conduct, and dual-use biotech threats to the life sciences community. Prior to joining Princeton, she was a managing physician for the New Jersey Department of Health and Senior Services and a medical officer for the Food and Drug Administration.

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