The best books on malaria

8 authors have picked their favorite books about malaria and why they recommend each book.

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Legacy of Hunger

By Christy Nicholas,

Book cover of Legacy of Hunger

Despite being a work of fantasy the level of research and authenticity has to be gravely respected. The storytelling is organic and feels effortlessly natural while still delivering a compelling mix of action and intrigue. Students of Celtic history will eat up the genuine feel that Nicholas is able to produce in her work from cover to cover.

Legacy of Hunger

By Christy Nicholas,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Legacy of Hunger as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

When the magical secrets of The Emerald Isle beckon, will she survive answering the call?

Pittsburgh, 1846. Valentia McDowell wishes she could rest. Plagued by nightmares of her grandmother’s mysterious brooch lost in Ireland, the well-off woman grows more troubled when a fire ravages her family’s business. But as she buries herself in the rebuilding efforts, she can’t shake the sense that a powerful inheritance awaits her across the ocean… if she can weather the treacherous journey.

Horrified when the voyage claims her brother’s life and afflicts her with malaria, Valentia believes her grief will be for nothing if she…


Who am I?

I currently reside in my home state of Connecticut with my darling wife and a duo of sweet cuddly dogs. I am a renaissance man having dabbled in Acting for Film and Theater, Fencing and Mixed Martial Arts, Professional Dorkary, and a bevy of other passions before coming to land on writing. Having stepped into numerous fantasy worlds over the years I have had the chance to sample many different flavors of imagination and developed a refined taste for all things dark, mystical, and tragic. 


I wrote...

Calling the Reaper: First Book of Purgatory

By Jason Pere,

Book cover of Calling the Reaper: First Book of Purgatory

What is my book about?

The time of the Unity has ended. The realm of man is stranded between Paradise and Purgatory. The Valkyrie and Reaper battle over the fate of all who pass from the land of the living into the afterlife. Eight mortal spirits from vastly different worlds tread the same, path toward their last, crucial decision. In this rich, harrowing tale of pride, deceit, honor, vengeance, and redemption, each individual must battle their inner turmoil, facing the sacrifices they have made before their unavoidable end in the land of the living. But their last day in life is also their first day of death amidst the terrors of the underworld. Lord Master Death wants them all…and the real battle has only just begun.

Mosquito Empires

By J.R. McNeill,

Book cover of Mosquito Empires: Ecology and War in the Greater Caribbean, 1620–1914

McNeill, William McNeill’s son, examines the intersection of disease, ecology, race, and international politics to show how infectious disease shaped the fortunes of colonial empires in the Caribbean. In the wake of the encounter between Europeans and the New World which destroyed up to 90 percent of the Amerindian population, European empires restructured the region into a colonial economy of sugar and slavery. Mosquitos bearing malaria and yellow fever flourished in this environment and McNeill shows how anyone seeking power in the region had to reckon with both them and disease.

Mosquito Empires

By J.R. McNeill,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Mosquito Empires as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

This book explores the links among ecology, disease, and international politics in the context of the Greater Caribbean - the landscapes lying between Surinam and the Chesapeake - in the seventeenth through early twentieth centuries. Ecological changes made these landscapes especially suitable for the vector mosquitoes of yellow fever and malaria, and these diseases wrought systematic havoc among armies and would-be settlers. Because yellow fever confers immunity on survivors of the disease, and because malaria confers resistance, these diseases played partisan roles in the struggles for empire and revolution, attacking some populations more severely than others. In particular, yellow fever…


Who am I?

Carol R. Byerly is a historian specializing in the history of military medicine. She has taught American history and the history of medicine history at the University of Colorado, Boulder, was a contract historian for the U.S. Army Office of the Surgeon General, Office of History, and has also worked for the U.S. Congress and the American Red Cross. Byerly’s publications include Fever of War: The Influenza Epidemic in the U.S. Army during World War I and Good Tuberculosis Men: The Army Medical Department’s Struggle with Tuberculosis. She is currently working on a biography of Army medical officer William C. Gorgas, (1854-1920), whose public health measures, including clearing yellow fever from Panama, enabled the United States to construct the canal across the Isthmus.


I wrote...

Fever of War: The Influenza Epidemic in the U.S. Army During World War I

By Carol R. Byerly,

Book cover of Fever of War: The Influenza Epidemic in the U.S. Army During World War I

What is my book about?

The startling impact of the 1918 influenza epidemic on the American army, its medical officers, and their profession, a story which has long been silenced. The influenza epidemic of 1918 killed more people in one year than the Great War killed in four, sickening at least one-quarter of the world's population. In Fever of War, Carol R. Byerly uncovers medical officers' memoirs and diaries, official reports, scientific articles, and other original sources, to tell a grave tale about the limits of modern medicine and warfare.

Book cover of Travels in the Interior Districts of Africa: Performed Under the Direction and Patronage of the African Association, in the Years 1795, 1796, and 1797

Beyond the occasional adrenaline rush, one of the chief attractions of risky travel is that it enables us to see how we and others behave under challenging circumstances. For readers whose exposure typically comes from UNILAD Adventure posts or edgy Bruce Chatwin travelogues, this book is refreshingly unself-conscious and uniquely terrifying.

In his quest to locate the legendary Niger River as a potential trade route during the late 18th century, when most of Africa was still unmapped, Park, at 24, set off with two days’ worth of provisions and a few strategic supplies (including an umbrella – he was Scottish), relying upon his wits and native guides to complete an epic journey in which he suffered bouts of malaria, nearly starved, was held captive by Moors, got repeatedly robbed and at one point had to bang on a village gate to escape being eaten by lions.

Given modern sensibilities,…

Travels in the Interior Districts of Africa

By Mungo Park,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Travels in the Interior Districts of Africa as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

The 18th century was a wealth of knowledge, exploration and rapidly growing technology and expanding record-keeping made possible by advances in the printing press. In its determination to preserve the century of revolution, Gale initiated a revolution of its own: digitization of epic proportions to preserve these invaluable works in the largest archive of its kind. Now for the first time these high-quality digital copies of original 18th century manuscripts are available in print, making them highly accessible to libraries, undergraduate students, and independent scholars.
Delve into what it was like to live during the eighteenth century by reading the…


Who am I?

I started out like most travelers, attracted to new places and to meeting people whose worlds were different from my own. Typically, this meant tried-and-true destinations in Europe until a book project required me to visit an utterly daunting place, the West African nation of Liberia during a civil war. I was in no way prepared for the experience and it changed everything. Seeing how people behave when faced with extreme circumstances profoundly altered my view of the world. Everything was magnified. Though I still enjoy a cup of espresso on the Piazza Navona, there is nothing like traveling to a forbidden zone and meeting someone destined to be a lifelong friend on the roof of a bombed-out building. It opens the world in ways that are challenging and scary, but also incomparably rewarding. 


I wrote...

Here I Am: The Story of Tim Hetherington, War Photographer

By Alan Huffman,

Book cover of Here I Am: The Story of Tim Hetherington, War Photographer

What is my book about?

Tim Hetherington (1970-2011) was one of the world’s most distinguished and dedicated photojournalists. In Here I Am, I recount Hetherington’s life: his first interests in photography; his critical role in reporting the Liberian Civil War; and his tragic death in Libya. I also trace Hetherington’s photographic milestones, from his prize-winning photographs of Liberian children to the celebrated portraits of sleeping U.S. soldiers in Afghanistan.

Here I Am explores the risks, challenges, and thrills of war reporting, and is a testament to the unique work of people like Hetherington, who risk their lives to give a voice to people ravaged by war.

The Life You Can Save

By Peter Singer,

Book cover of The Life You Can Save: How to Do Your Part to End World Poverty

In The Life You Can Save, Peter Singer makes the case that we can do a tremendous amount of good by donating to high-impact charities. Every year, hundreds of thousands of children die from preventable diseases, and at little cost to ourselves, we can make an enormous positive difference by giving to organizations like the Against Malaria Foundation. 

The Life You Can Save

By Peter Singer,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked The Life You Can Save as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

For the first time in history, eradicating world poverty is within our reach. Yet around the world, a billion people struggle to live each day on less than many of us pay for bottled water.

In The Life You Can Save, Peter Singer uses ethical arguments, illuminating examples, and case studies of charitable giving to show that our current response to world poverty is not only insufficient but morally indefensible. The Life You Can Save teaches us to be a part of the solution, helping others as we help ourselves.

'A persuasive and inspiring work that will change the way…


Who am I?

William MacAskill is an associate professor in philosophy at the University of Oxford. At the time of his appointment, he was the youngest associate professor of philosophy in the world. He cofounded the nonprofits Giving What We Can, the Centre for Effective Altruism, and Y Combinator–backed 80,000 Hours, which together have moved over $300 million to effective charities. He is the author of Doing Good Better and What We Owe The Future.


I wrote...

What We Owe the Future

By William MacAskill,

Book cover of What We Owe the Future

What is my book about?

The fate of the world is in our hands. Humanity’s written history spans only five thousand years. Our yet-unwritten future could last for millions more — or it could end tomorrow. Astonishing numbers of people could lead lives of great happiness or unimaginable suffering, or never live at all, depending on what we choose to do today.

In What We Owe The Future, philosopher William MacAskill argues for longtermism, that idea that positively influencing the distant future is a key moral priority of our time. From this perspective, it’s not enough to reverse climate change or avert the next pandemic. We must ensure that civilization would rebound if it collapsed; counter the end of moral progress; and prepare for a planet where the smartest beings are digital, not human.

The Bedlam Stacks

By Natasha Pulley,

Book cover of The Bedlam Stacks

Having lived, in my youth, high in the Bolivian Andes, I was drawn to this tale, set mainly in the Peruvian cordilleras. And who can resist a book with “bedlam” in the title? Pulley invents an extraordinary world, rooted in ancient lore, but in detail invented, strange, magical, and compelling. Loving wordcraft sweeps you into a reality where you are just as confused as the protagonist, Merrick, stumbling his way through a dreamlike, unforgiving realm. Like Merrick, who is living in a culture he knows little of, we often aren’t sure what happened or why. And all the time, a friendship slowly grows between Merrick and Raphael, his guide and host—a friendship that will be tested by the inexorable workings of time-out-of-time.

The Bedlam Stacks

By Natasha Pulley,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked The Bedlam Stacks as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

SHORTLISTED FOR THE ROYAL SOCIETY OF LITERATURE'S ENCORE AWARD 2018 LONGLISTED FOR THE WALTER SCOTT PRIZE 2018 'A sheer fantastical delight' The Times 'Epic' New York Times 'An immense treat' Observer Books of the Year 'A fast-paced adventure story' i 'Magical' Sunday Express In uncharted Peru, the holy town of Bedlam stands at the edge of a mysterious forest. Deep within are cinchona trees, whose bark yields the only known treatment for malaria. In 1859, across the Pacific, India is ravaged by the disease. In desperation, the India Office dispatches the injured expeditionary Merrick Tremayne to Bedlam, under orders to…


Who am I?

We live in a world of wonders! When my daughter was small, we used to go on wonder walks through our town—and led by the wide-open eyes of a child, we discovered amazing things. Magic and wonder aren’t just for kids. We all need it! And I never want to lose the capacity for it. Now I explore daily in my city of Montréal through the eyes of a camera, trying to see what I might miss if I weren’t open to the magic in the everyday. All of this inspires my writing, which uses fantasy elements to explore the human condition.


I wrote...

Hammer the Sky: And Other Wonder Tales

By LL Rose,

Book cover of Hammer the Sky: And Other Wonder Tales

What is my book about?

I wanted to explore wonder through a collection of short tales. Each story has fantasy elements, but is firmly rooted in the real world. And each, in some way, explores the question: What's a life for? 


For example, there’s young Bertie, who works at Haven House, where he serves those who have died—but are not yet dead. Or Gabe, who thought his life was all about his magical gift... but maybe it’s about something far more mysterious and valuable. And Caspertina Passala who, at age 103 is re-dreaming—or perhaps re-living—life’s events, and still learning about them. These stories explore mysteries of life, with a touch of whimsy.

Ask More

By Frank Sesno,

Book cover of Ask More: The Power of Questions to Open Doors, Uncover Solutions, and Spark Change

I believe leaders need to ask better questions. Questions are the secret to delegating effectively, to coaching and mentoring, to holding people accountable, to generating ideas, and to creating psychological safety even. Every leader needs a set of go-to questions for different purposes. Frank Sesno is a well-known CNN reporter who has written the ultimate guide to asking questions. The key message: frame the question for what you want to know. Great stories and a fun read.  

Ask More

By Frank Sesno,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Ask More as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

What hidden skill links successful people in all walks of life--across cultures, industries, generations . . . all of time? The answer is surprisingly simple: they know how to ask the right questions at the right time. Questions help us break down barriers, discover secrets, solve puzzles, and imagine new ways of doing things. The right question can provide for us not only the answer we need right then but also the ones we'll need tomorrow. Emmy award-winning journalist and media expert Frank Sesno wants to teach you how to question others in a methodical, intentional way so that you…


Who am I?

I am passionate about helping people have the kinds of opportunities they want to have in their careers. I coach, teach, speak and write on how to do exactly that. The secret – it almost always involves getting out of your comfort zone, doing something that is a bit scary to you and that shakes your confidence a bit. However, you never want to be sitting alone trying to achieve something all by yourself. It takes a village to succeed. The art comes in knowing how to ask, getting over your fear of being vulnerable, building trust, knowing how to persuade each person you need, and much more. This is my life’s work. 


I wrote...

You Can't Know It All: Leading in the Age of Deep Expertise

By Wanda T. Wallace,

Book cover of You Can't Know It All: Leading in the Age of Deep Expertise

What is my book about?

We expect our leaders to know more than we do. We expect them to be credible, have vision, make decisions and get results. Sometimes the leader does know more, many times the leader needs to harness the power of the team’s knowledge and build credibility in other ways than through expertise.  

So, how do you lead when you are not the (only) expert? Clarify three questions: 1) How are you adding value? 2) What work you are doing and how do you know your team is doing the right work? 3) How are you influencing and building trust if it’s not with facts? The book is a guide on how to get out of your comfort zone and lead outside of your expertise. 

The Calcutta Chromosome

By Amitav Ghosh,

Book cover of The Calcutta Chromosome: A Novel of Fevers, Delirium & Discovery

The Calcutta Chromosome is part thriller, part science investigation, part cult conspiracy, and part homage to the West Bengal Capital. Set across several time periods, the novel explores how Malaria was first linked to the mosquito and how this discovery by the Britisher Ronald Ross may have been manipulated by a shadowy movement invested in immortality. Not Gosh’s best, but his evocation of Calcutta is fantastic.

The Calcutta Chromosome

By Amitav Ghosh,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked The Calcutta Chromosome as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

In this extraordinary novel, Amitav Ghosh navigates through time and genres to present a unique tale. Beginning at an unspecified time in the future and ranging back to the late nineteenth century, the reader follows the adventures of the enigmatic L. Murugan. An authority on the Nobel Prize-winning scientist Sir Ronald Ross, who solved the malaria puzzle in Calcutta in 1898, Murugan is in search of the elusive 'Calcutta Chromosome'.

With its astonishing range of characters, advanced computer science, religious cults and wonderful portraits of Victorian and contemporary India, The Calcutta Chromosome expands the scope of the novel as we…


Who am I?

I'm a writer and journalist with an eye on South and Southeast Asia. I first visited Kolkata, or Calcutta as the city was known back then, in 1995 and fell in love with its spirit, culture, architecture, politics, and decrepitude. I have been back regularly reporting on the city’s cultural life for media like CNN and Nikkei Asia. In 2019, I was selected as artist-in-residence for the Indo-European Art Residency by the Goethe Institute and spent 10 weeks writing a crime fiction set in the Bengali capital. Kolkata is, hands down, my favorite city in the world – despite its poverty, systemic injustice, and political cruelty, there is an energy in the place that is hard to beat.


I wrote...

Kolkata Noir

By Tom Vater,

Book cover of Kolkata Noir

What is my book about?

Becker is a British traveler in trouble. Madhurima is a rising star police officer. In three explosive tales, set over a period of forty years, Becker and Madhu join forces to investigate the Kolkata’s crooked high society, take on deluded would-be messiahs in search of Mother Teresa’s stolen millions, encounter Hindu fanatics, circus freaks, and cannibals, fall in and out of love and pay homage to one of the world’s most beautiful and toughest cities.

Amidst passion, murder, and mayhem in India’s most beautiful and fascinating metropolis, is there room for two lovers driven by justice and compassion?

Why Zebras Don't Get Ulcers

By Robert M. Sapolsky,

Book cover of Why Zebras Don't Get Ulcers

I like it because it is written almost jargon-free and it’s a lot of fun, as the title indicates. As Sapolsky explains, when we worry or experience stress, our body turns on the same physiological responses that an animal's does. However, animals stop experiencing stress when the environmental emergency passes,  while we humans can worry for long times and thus produces the same physiological responses which, if chronic, can take a toll on our bodies and, if prolonged, can make us sick. 

Why Zebras Don't Get Ulcers

By Robert M. Sapolsky,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Why Zebras Don't Get Ulcers as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

Now in a third edition, Robert M. Sapolsky's acclaimed and successful Why Zebras Don't Get Ulcers features new chapters on how stress affects sleep and addiction, as well as new insights into anxiety and personality disorder and the impact of spirituality on managing stress. As Sapolsky explains, most of us do not lie awake at night worrying about whether we have leprosy or malaria. Instead, the diseases we fear - and the ones that plague us now - are illnesses brought on by the slow accumulation of damage, such as heart disease and cancer. When we worry or experience stress,…


Who am I?

As a thirteen-year-old boy, I read Sigmund Freud’s Interpretation of Dreams and I became totally fascinated by Freud’s slow, methodical questioning that eventually revealed deeply hidden unconscious conflicts in the lives of his patients. Then and there I resolved to become a psychiatrist. As a psychiatrist, I explored my patients’ early memories. Over the years, I authored seven books, including The Secret Life of the Unborn Child, published in 28 countries now. I have previously taught at Harvard University, the University of Toronto, York University (Toronto), and St. Mary’s University. This book takes my studies of memory a step further and drills right down to the intelligence of cells.


I wrote...

The Embodied Mind: Understanding the Mysteries of Cellular Memory, Consciousness, and Our Bodies

By Thomas R. Verny,

Book cover of The Embodied Mind: Understanding the Mysteries of Cellular Memory, Consciousness, and Our Bodies

What is my book about?

It seems that in July 2007, a 44-year-old French man went to a hospital complaining of mild weakness in his left leg. When the doctors performed numerous scans of his head, they discovered a huge fluid-filled chamber occupying most of the space in his skull, leaving little more than a thin sheet of actual brain tissue. It was a case of hydrocephalus, literally – water on the brain.

Dr. Lionel Feuillet of Hôpital de la Timone in Marseille was quoted as saying, “The images were most unusual...the brain was virtually absent.” The patient was a married father of two children and worked as a civil servant apparently leading a normal life, despite having a cranium filled with spinal fluid and very little brain tissue.

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