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Jonathan Kennedy

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Twitter

J_J_Kennedy

Genre

Science, Nonfiction

Member Since

December 2022

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Jonathan Kennedy teaches politics and global health at Queen Mary University of London. He has a PhD in sociology from the University of Cambridge.

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Jonathan Kennedy’s books

Average rating: 3.94 · 11,572 ratings · 1,809 reviews · 1 distinct work • Similar authors

Pathogenesis: A History of the World in Eight Plagues

3.94 avg rating — 11,581 ratings — published 2023 — 25 editions

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Spring is the season of abundance: a time of lengthening days, flowering blossoms, and—for hopelessly devoted readers—giant stacks of...

Jonathan is Currently Reading

Jonathan Kennedy is currently reading

The Overstory

by Richard Powers

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Feb 20, 2025 02:18PM

Jonathan Kennedy is currently reading

Empire of Pain: The Secret History of the Sackler Dynasty, winner of the Baillie Gifford Prize for Non-Fiction

by Patrick Radden Keefe

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Feb 16, 2025 03:15PM

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The Serviceberry: An Economy of Gifts and Abundance

by Robin Wall Kimmerer

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Jan 28, 2025 11:21AM

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Jonathan’s Recent Updates

Jonathan Kennedy liked Ashley's review of Pathogenesis: A History of the World in Eight Plagues: "What I was anticipating was a history of 8 major disease outbreaks and their impact on human societies. What I got was an overview of human history since the paleolithic, with explanations of how disease caused them. Not really what I signed up for, " Read more of this review »
Feb 10, 2026 02:58AM · see review · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of Pathogenesis by Jonathan Kennedy. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — Pathogenesis by Jonathan Kennedy <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
Jonathan Kennedy and 2 other people liked Amanda Wood's review of Pathogenesis: A History of the World in Eight Plagues: "One of my weird niche history interests is medical history, so I was destined to loved this. Pathogenesis actually goes way beyond just detailing the history of a few plagues: the thesis of this book is that germs and infectious diseases played a cri" Read more of this review »
Feb 10, 2026 02:58AM · see review · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of Pathogenesis by Jonathan Kennedy. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — Pathogenesis by Jonathan Kennedy <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
Jonathan Kennedy and 1 other person liked Heather Roland's review of Pathogenesis: A History of the World in Eight Plagues: "🎧: THE CONCLUSION OF THIS BOOK!!! I mean, stellar the entire way through, but the ending drove it home so so well. I don’t think I’ll ever shut up about this. My only critique is that it’s slightly euro-centric (as most “world” history books written " Read more of this review »
Feb 10, 2026 02:58AM · see review · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of Pathogenesis by Jonathan Kennedy. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — Pathogenesis by Jonathan Kennedy <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
Jonathan Kennedy liked Cole's review of Pathogenesis: A History of the World in Eight Plagues: "Distracting that the audiobook was slightly different than the paperback but still a great lens to review history."
Feb 10, 2026 02:58AM · see review · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of Pathogenesis by Jonathan Kennedy. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — Pathogenesis by Jonathan Kennedy <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
Jonathan Kennedy voted for One Day, Everyone Will Have Always Been Against This as Readers' Favorite Nonfiction in the Final Round of the 2025 Goodreads Choice Awards. Cast Your Vote
Nov 25, 2025 01:49PM · like
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Jonathan Kennedy rated a book really liked it The Cancer Code: A Revolutionary New Understanding of a Medical Mystery by Jason Fung (Goodreads Author)	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
Aug 04, 2025 11:55AM · 1 like · like · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of The Cancer Code by Jason Fung. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — The Cancer Code by Jason Fung <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
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Aug 03, 2025 11:42PM · like · more quotes by Jason Fung · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of The Cancer Code by Jason Fung. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — The Cancer Code by Jason Fung <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
Jonathan Kennedy wants to read Heart of the Hive: Inside the Mind of the Honey Bee and the Incredible Life Force of the Colony by Hilary Kearney (Goodreads Author)	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
Apr 12, 2025 12:10AM · like · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of Heart of the Hive by Hilary Kearney. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — Heart of the Hive by Hilary Kearney <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
Jonathan Kennedy wants to read Growing a Revolution: Bringing Our Soil Back to Life by David R. Montgomery (Goodreads Author)	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
Mar 03, 2025 01:45PM · like · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of Growing a Revolution by David R. Montgomery. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — Growing a Revolution by David R. Montgomery <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">

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Quotes by Jonathan Kennedy (?)

“Pathogens thrive on inequality and injustice.”
― Jonathan Kennedy, Pathogenesis: A History of the World in Eight Plagues

tags: disease, hope, injustice

4 likes

“There is one universally incorrect choice: do nothing. This didn't work when humans thought that plagues were a punishment sent by angry gods. Nor does a laissez-faire approach help stop disease when it is a deliberate policy choice.”
― Jonathan Kennedy, Pathogenesis: A History of the World in Eight Plagues

tags: cynicism, disease, fatalism, hope

4 likes

“The image of Neanderthals picking wildflowers to line the grave of a loved one really brings home how similar they were to us. Solecki claimed that his discovery revealed “that the universality of mankind and the love of beauty go beyond the boundary of our own species.”
― Jonathan Kennedy, Pathogenesis: A History of the World in Eight Plagues

2 likes

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