The Good Virus: The Untold Story of Phages: The Most Abundant Life Forms on Earth and What They Can Do For Us

The Good Virus is a book that explores the world of phages, which are good viruses that can infect and destroy bacteria, and reveals how personalities, power, and politics have hindered our understanding of these life forms. It highlights the incredible power of phages to heal and their importance in all ecosystems on Earth, especially in the face of antibiotic resistance. The book was selected as a Book of the Year 2023 by Waterstones and The Times.

Format: Hardback
Length: 400 pages
Publication date: 29 June 2023
Publisher: Hodder & Stoughton

The book that has been chosen as a Book of the Year 2023 by Waterstones and The Times is a remarkable work of science writing that has the potential to change the world. This superbly written book captivates readers of all genres and will fascinate absolutely everyone.

The Telegraph describes it as "luxury-class science writing," while Forbes praises it as a "delight." Nature calls it "outstanding," and Clive Myrie, a renowned scientist, calls it "fascinating."

It's important to note that not all viruses are out to harm us. In fact, the viruses that do us harm are vastly outnumbered by viruses that can actually save lives. At every moment, within our bodies and all around us, trillions of microscopic combatants are fighting an invisible war. Countless times per second, good viruses known as phages are infecting and destroying bacteria. These phages are the most abundant life form on the planet and have an incredible power to heal rather than harm.

So why have most of us never even heard of them? The Good Virus reveals how personalities, power, and politics have repeatedly crashed together to hinder our understanding of these weird and wonderful life forms. We explore why Stalin's Soviet Union embraced using phages to fight disease, but the rest of the world shunned the idea. We find out why scientists only recently realized phages are central to all ecosystems on Earth. And we meet the often eccentric phage heroes who have shaped the strange history of this field and are unlocking its exciting future.

Faced with the threat of antibiotic resistance, we need phages now more than ever. The Good Virus celebrates what phages could do for us and our planet if they are at last given the attention they deserve.

Weight: 622g
Dimension: 165 x 244 x 35 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9781529365245