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“So Very Small is the wonderfully intimate and intertwined story of how humans discovered microbes and learned to tame them. Levenson is a master storyteller, and his latest book reads like an epic novel, spanning centuries, continents and microbial calamities. It offers a compelling story of how microbes have influenced society, seamlessly intertwined with fascinating historical events, while vividly bringing the characters and scientific discoveries to life.”—Alanna Collen, author of 10% Human “In So Very Small, Thomas Levenson brings to brilliant life the social history of medical detective work, notably the long quest to understand and to combat infectious disease. In doing so he illuminates the fascinating world of pathogenic microbes, the often unexpected ways we’ve achieved protection, and the often self-destructive ways we’ve undermined—and continue to undermine—our own public health successes. In a world where the next pandemic waits ahead, this is essential reading.”—Deborah Blum, New York Times bestselling author of The Poison Squad “A penetrating chronicle of humanity’s fight against microorganisms . . . Buoyed by the author’s lucid prose, this is a first-rate work of popular science.”—Publishers Weekly, starred review “Every page is fascinating; every detail on this amazing journey through history affects our daily lives: the story of how humans discovered microbes and germs and created the world we know today. Never has science been so compelling, exciting and accessible as it is in the hands of Thomas Levenson. . . . Brilliant!”—Simon Sebag Montefiore, New York Times bestselling author of The World “So Very Small is very large and fascinating. Thomas Levenson expertly combines storytelling and big questions, most notably: Why not? Why wasn’t the germ theory of disease formulated 200 years earlier? Why, in general, are huge scientific discoveries delayed until they happen? This is exactly the sort of book that a literate citizen, keenly interested in science, reads for enlightenment, perspective, and fun.”—David Quammen, New York Times bestselling author of Breathless “How can a book about small things be so enormously entertaining? Levenson’s command of narrative and eminently readable style zooms us effortlessly between two realms to tell the story of humanity’s relationship with the microcosmos—a drama tracing back to long before we knew the microcosmos existed. Both an opus and a page-turner, So Very Small is a work of grand-scale ambition, elegantly achieved.”—Jason Roberts, author of Every Living Thing and A Sense of the World “By peering through the lens of the modern germ theory, and our protracted battle with disease, Levenson has crafted a vivid, engaging, and timely reminder that we are not as omnipotent nor as clever as we often believe ourselves to be. So Very Small is a deeply researched and thoughtfully compelling exploration of our successes, failures, and precarious future with deadly pathogens.”—Timothy C. Winegard, New York Times bestselling author of The Mosquito and The Horse “A thought-provoking, engrossing account of one of the most momentous transformations in our understanding of the world and our place in it. So Very Small brings the history of science to life with vivid details and captivating anecdotes.”—Jonathan Kennedy, author of Pathogenesis “[A] very enjoyable and informative read. . . . Levenson gives a good account of the vigorous competition between the early advocates of germ theory as well as the often-heated battles with their opponents, paying due attention to the traditional ideas those opponents held. And his research turns up some surprises. . . . An engaging survey of the discovery of microbes, their role in disease, and the efforts to combat them.”—Kirkus Reviews, starred review “[A] timely and robust medical history.”—Booklist

Author Information

Thomas Levenson is a professor of science writing at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. He is the author of several books, including Money for Nothing, The Hunt for Vulcan, Einstein in Berlin, and Newton and the Counterfeiter. He has also made ten feature-length documentaries (including a two-hour Nova program on Albert Einstein), for which he has won numerous awards.

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