Matt McCarthy is the author of two US bestsellers, The Real Doctor Will See You Shortly and Odd Man Out. He is an assistant professor of medicine at Weill Cornell and a staff physician at NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital, where he serves on the Ethics Committee. His work has appeared in Sports Illustrated, Slate, The New England Journal of Medicine, and Deadspin. He reviews nonfiction for USA Today and is editor-in-chief of Current Fungal Infection Reports.
‘There might not be another author who so fluidly combines a
world-class doctor and researcher's knowledge and experience with a
memoirist's sensibility. Matt McCarthy is Siddhartha Mukherjee and
David Sedaris rolled into one. Who else but McCarthy could write a
dispatch from the front lines of the secret fight for the future of
the human race that is not just gripping and illuminating, but also
poignant and funny?’
*Ben Reiter, New York Times bestselling author of
Astroball*
‘Written from the front lines in the battle against resistant
microbes, Superbugs will educate and inspire all those concerned
about the growing threat to individuals and society. McCarthy
offers a fast paced, vivid narrative that grips the reader from the
opening pages and never lets go.’
*Dr. Jerome Groopman, Recanati Professor at Harvard Medical School,
and co-author of New York Times bestseller Your Medical
Mind*
‘Superbugs is a riveting look into the world of bacteria and
antibiotics. Dr. Matt McCarthy offers a compulsively readable tour
through infectious disease. With his characteristic humour and
warmth, Dr. McCarthy humanises a fascinating and timely topic that
has resonance for us all. In a voice that is thoughtful and honest,
punctuated by sharp wit, he reveals the drugs and dilemmas that
will impact humanity for years to come. This is a rare and
important book.’
*Daniela Lamas, author of You Can Stop Humming Now*
‘An amazing informative book that changes our perspective on
medicine, microbes and our future’
*Dr. Siddhartha Mukherjee, New York Times bestselling author
of The Emperor of All Maladies*
‘A perfect work of popular science. Like Atul Gawande, Matt
McCarthy has the magical ability to transmit deeply technical
knowledge in a way that makes the reader feel like part of a
high-level professional conversation; like Michael Lewis, a gift
for the place where big ideas overlap; like Elizabeth Kolbert, a
sense of narrative urgency about the state of the present world
that makes anything outside its pages seem trivial.
Magnificent.’
*Charles Finch, winner of National Book Critics Circle Award*
‘Dr. Matt McCarthy … writes about the ‘microscopic miracles’ that
lie beneath the soil.’
*Sydney Morning Herald*
‘The rise of the superbug has transformed each working hour into a
battle to outwit the treatment-resistant bacteria that threaten
patients’ lives … In McCarthy’s new book, he explains through the
stories of his patients what antibiotic resistance means to every
one of us.’
*The Times*
‘Intriguing ... This book discusses many big things, along with
microscopic ones, and the two combine to provide a valuable insight
to a challenge facing us all, whether doctor or patient.’
*GPSpeak*
‘It is a fascinating read, enhanced by his detours into medical
history ... McCarthy can wring suspense from fungal infection and
faculty meetings.’
*North and South*
‘Mostly heart-breaking, but at times laugh-out-loud funny …
Superbugs is an immersive and educational read that combines
feelings of futility with a sense of hope at just the right
moments.’
*COSMOS*
‘A riveting insider’s look at the race to find a cure for
antibiotic-resistant infections, one of the most pressing
challenges in modern medicine … The author’s storytelling is at
once urgent and empathetic, a compelling combination that leaves
readers feeling informed and optimistic. Insightful and honest,
McCarthy effectively combines useful information about the latest
advances in microbial research with accounts of the best aspects of
humanity.’
*Kirkus Reviews*
‘McCarthy gives an insider’s look at the history of antibiotics and
the urgent fight against deadly, drug-resistant bacteria.’
*People*
‘Dr. McCarthy offers a glimmer of hope: a new way to both cure and
prevent future superbug infections with a single treatment.’
*Christian Broadcasting Network*
‘McCarthy weaves the history of the life-saving drugs into a
suspenseful account of his own role in a groundbreaking clinical
trial.’
*The Boston Globe Magazine*
‘It may sound like another sci-fi superhero movie, but physician
and author Matt McCarthy warns that the topic of lethal bacteria is
not to be taken lightly … McCarthy explains how these pathogens
have built up a resistance to our current arsenal of
antibiotics.’
*NPR’s All Things Considered*
‘Cutting-edge science.’
*Twin Cities Pioneer Press*
‘Sheds a lot of light on an issue that should be in the public
consciousness.’
*SF Gate*
‘Incredibly interesting with a good mix of the scientific and human
aspects … McCarthy also goes into the history of antibiotic
development and the economics of today’s drug development that
limit the research for new antimicrobials … The book is easy to
read, and never dull due to the patient interactions. McCarthy
explains novel concepts in a simple, easy to understand way.’
*Sam Still Reading*
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