'Brilliant' TIM SPECTOR 'Excellent' HENRY MARSH 'Thrilling' VENKI RAMAKRISHNAN
Antibiotics: one of humanity's greatest achievements - but invented by microbes. An epic
narrative of discovery and innovation - but also of extraction and exploitation. This is the
spellbinding story of how we have burned through the fossil fuels of medicine. Since their
advent antibiotics have saved millions of lives marking one of the greatest medical advances
in our history. Dangerous Miracle weaves together the grand arc of the evolution of antibiotics
over millions of years with a history of the past century: first as we mined the earth for
naturally occurring antibiotic molecules then as we learned to synthesise our own. But like
fossil fuels antibiotics are a finite resource which we've regarded as a cheap everlasting
fuel. They are unlike other drugs: every time we use them we increase the possibility of
antibiotic resistance emerging risking their future effectiveness. If we want antibiotics to
have a future we need to prepare to adapt. And fast. Rich with pioneering characters great
breakthroughs and grave risks Dangerous Miracle is a grand drama of science history and
politics. It is a revelatory account of the miraculous history and uncertain future of
antibiotics from a gifted writer. 'An enjoyable and absolutely essential read. The next global
pandemic might not be a virus at all - it could be a drug-resistant bacterium as antibiotics
stop working and common infections turn deadly. As Shaw passionately argues in this compelling
history we urgently need a new approach' KATE BINGHAM 'Eye-opening and thrilling ... This
is not only an important history you never knew it is also a vital call to arms to change the
way that new drugs are discovered. Essential reading for everybody' MATTHEW COBB
