Just in time for the contagion season, we are honored to welcome veteran Science reporter and biomedicine expert Jon Cohen to share from his new book Planning Miracles: How to Prevent Future Pandemics. In conversation with Dean Nelson, founding director of the Journalism program at Point Loma Nazarene University, Cohen will take us through the history of public health planning and pandemic prevention — leading into the serious challenges facing public health today.
“Jon Cohen is the real thing: a veteran science journalist of high intelligence, keen judgement, and rock-solid integrity who also writes fascinating books. This one is especially eye-opening and important. Trust him: He sees the pandemic future, it ain’t pretty, but he has positive ideas about what should be done.”
—David Quammen, author of Breathless and Spillover
Join us at the San Diego Central Library @ Joan Λ Irwin Jacobs Common for an author talk, Q&A, and book signing. This event will be located in the Shiley Suite on the 9th floor. Registration is required to attend. Doors will open at 6:00 p.m., and the event will begin at 6:30 p.m. on October 21st.
Please pre-order Planning Miracles early to guarantee your copy of the book!
All book orders will be available for pick-up at the Library Shop SD after Planning Miracles is published on October 7. Drop by the store after that date to get your book early, if you would like to read it in advance of the talk. On October 21, your pre-ordered book will also be available for pick-up during check-in for the event. Proceeds from all book sales support the San Diego Public Library System.
About the Book
A groundbreaking book about the past, present, and future of pandemics, and a behind-the-scenes portrait of the groundbreaking community of scientists working tirelessly to stop the next one before it starts.
In 1955, the vaccine that eliminated polio was celebrated as a “planned miracle;” today, despite the astonishing global effort that came together to develop a vaccine for COVID-19 faster than ever before, we now struggle against the rise of science denial and misinformation. Since 2020, we have had to face a terrifying truth: it’s not if we’ll experience another pandemic, it’s when. How do we prepare to face it?
Planning Miracles tells the stories of the heroes at the frontlines of epidemiology, fighting back against societal distrust and panic, monitoring the threats that exist, detecting outbreaks early, and developing new interventions as quickly as possible. Renowned science reporter Jon Cohen travels from the mountains of Vietnam to the rainforests in the Amazon, from the “wet” markets in Cambodia to fairgrounds in the United States, asking how we’ll defend ourselves against the growing threat of pandemics, and finds surprising-and encouraging-answers. He meets scientists sampling bats, pigs, wild birds, and insects to hunt for the next dangerous virus. He visits labs developing next generation vaccines with cutting edge technology that aim to protect us from entire viral families. Cohen discovers the unexpected links between climate change and the spread of disease and explores efforts to improve the equitable distribution of vaccines, diagnostics, and data sharing around the world.
Weaving together history, reportage, and science writing, Planning Miracles is revelatory and necessary.
About the Speakers
JON COHEN, a longtime correspondent for Science magazine, is a widely published magazine writer and author who specializes in biomedicine and infectious diseases. He has a degree in science writing and has done field reporting on health topics in more than 50 countries. He frequently appears on TV and radio shows, and he has collaborated on several documentaries and series. His print and broadcast stories have won awards from leading science academies and journalism organizations, as well as two national Emmys.
DEAN NELSON, founder and director of the journalism program at Point Loma Nazarene University in San Diego, is also the celebrated interviewer, founder, and host of the annual Writer’s Symposium by the Sea. A forty-year veteran journalist, Nelson’s byline has appeared in publications such as the New York Times, Boston Globe, USA Today, San Jose Mercury News, San Diego Union-Tribune, San Diego Magazine, and more. He has won several awards from the Society of Professional Journalists. His most recent book is Talk to Me: How to Ask Better Questions, Get Better Answers, and Interview Anyone Like a Pro.
