Biss wrote On Immunity during the swine flu (H1N1) pandemic. Debates concerning the safety of vaccines in 2009 and whether or not the state should mandate them parallel many of the arguments I've seen about masks on my newsfeed today, although there's a lot of fear-mongering which seems to divide us further than before.

The book is exceptional because it speaks directly to our time. Biss masterfully weaves together her paranoia concerning her son's safety with the culture's prevalent fear of viruses, bacteria, and many other invisible forces that "attack" us. And even though the story is intimate and personal, Biss doesn't allow her opinions to change her tone towards those she disagrees with. Her appeal for the larger community to see how disease connects us, and how immunity is a social issue rather than an individual right, makes this book a must-read today. If we are to come out of COVID-19 stronger than before, we must recognize our dependence on one another.