DrMama answers “I was tempted to read this because I was...”

A Goodreads user asked this question about The Premonition: A Pandemic Story:

I was tempted to read this because I was so impressed with another of Michael Lewis's books (The Undoing Project), but now it looks to me like the focus of the book is entirely on the situation in the USA. Is this just American parochialism, or is there some international interest for readers from the rest of the world?

DrMama He's American, he lives and works there, plus - at the first whispers of the onset of Covid - he also knew people in the US (and beyond) who worked in…moreHe's American, he lives and works there, plus - at the first whispers of the onset of Covid - he also knew people in the US (and beyond) who worked in all sorts of pertinent areas. Together they could expand on his and each others' specialisms ... and they all knew even more people with specialities and contacts, so that the work-web could expand to cover all aspects of the work that needed to be done. Including contact with specialists in other countries. I'm sure the same was happening - on a smaller scale - in most countries: including the UK... and that all were eventually sharing research. Lewis can only write about what he did, and who he knew (or knew of).
Althogether, it's a wonderful book, describing awesome work, sharing and reciprocity. Plus, I'm sure that a similar book by the specialists from 'any' country would appear to have a similar parochialism... except not... because they were all eventually sharing. I read a library copy of this, but I have since bought the work, as it was one of the best reads I've had in a long time - even better than 'Middlemarch'. (less)

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