World War C

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A book review of World War C: Lessons from the COVID-19 Pandemic and How to Prepare for the Next One by Sanjay Gupta, MD

Stars: ****

Simon & Schuster (2021)
Health & Fitness
304 pages

Disclosure: I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. This post contains affiliate links.

Summary

CNN chief medical correspondent Sanjay Gupta, MD, offers an accessible, data-packed answer to our biggest questions about Covid-19: What have we learned about this pandemic and how can we prepare for—or prevent—the next one?

As America’s favorite frontline Covid-19 health journalist, Dr. Sanjay Gupta has barely left his primetime seat in his makeshift studio basement since the pandemic began (other than to perform brain surgery). He’s had the insider of insider access to the drama’s unfolding, including exclusive conversations with the world’s top public health experts and behind-the-scenes scientists racing to find treatments and cures. And now he’s sharing what he’s learned in a book that will answer not only all our questions about what happened, but also about how our world will change in the years ahead, even once we’re back to “normal.”

Gupta argues that we need to prepare for a new era where pandemics will be more frequent, and possibly even more deadly. As the doctor who’s been holding America’s hand through the crisis with compassion, clarity, and well-earned wisdom, he gives you the unvarnished story behind the pandemic, including insights about the novel virus’s behavior, and offers practical tools to ready ourselves for what lies ahead.

He answers critical questions: Can we stamp out the virus for good (and if not, how do we live with it)? Should we put our parents in a nursing home? Where should we live? What should we stockpile? What should we know before taking a trip? Does it make sense to spend more on health insurance to deal with any long-term effects? How do you decide when it’s safe to go to a public pool or schedule elective surgery? What should Covid survivors know about protecting their future health? What if you become a long-hauler with chronic health challenges stemming?

World War C will give you hope for the future along with real information that leaves you more resilient and secure.

I’ve been (understandably) reading a lot about the COVID-19 Pandemic lately but this is the most thorough book I’ve read to date. Unfortunately the situation is always changing so while this was made this year, it’s already not fully up to date. That’s understandable though. I’m sure he will eventually do an updated version. In the mean time, it’s up to date enough to read if you are confused and want to know more.

The author Sanjay Gupta, MD is the CNN Chief Medical Correspondent. As such, the book is written from an American point of view. I still enjoyed it as a Canadian although I’d love to read a book about the pandemic written by a Canadian.

Two Parts

The book is broken into two parts. Part One has four chapters and is about the history of the pandemic and where it might have come from. If you are unclear about it’s history or you are reading this many years after I wrote this and you weren’t apart of the pandemic, this part will be helpful.

Part Two is about becoming Pandemic P.R.O.O.F. and being prepared for a future pandemic. P.R.O.O.F. stands for:

P – Plan Ahead
R – Rethink and Rewire Risk in Your Brain
O – Optimize Health
O – Organize Family
F – Fight for the Future of Us

This section includes some information similar to his other book: Keep Sharp. This part is about preparing your home, yourself and your family for future pandemics or other emergencies.

Examples

For example the Risk section goes over the traps that people often fall into when assessing their risk level. This would be things such as believing it’s not going to happen to YOU, believing you’re okay because you’re in control, not worrying because no one knows anyway, using examples such as all these people didn’t follow the rules and they are okay etc. The Health section goes over Move, Sleep and Chill which is a fun way of saying get exercise, good sleep and destress. The health section is a lot more than that, but that’s the basics.

I thought the Organize section was important. Things such as: choosing health care plans, rebuild emergency funds, keep up with checkups and rethink long-term care facilities.

Even if you aren’t sure you agree with certain procedures like vaccines, masking or gathering rules, you will find this book informative.

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