Science & engineering
A Pox on Fools: The True Believers, Grifters, and Cynics Who Convinced Us to Reject Vaccines
By Thomas Levenson, professor of science writing in MIT Comparative Media Studies/Writing
Penguin Random House · 2026
In his latest book, Levenson searches for the origins of the most common arguments against vaccines: that they are unnatural; that they are more dangerous than the illnesses they claim to prevent; and that they are an affront to freedom. "A Pox on Fools" explores the human impulse to question and wonder, sometimes past the point at which the very act of questioning turns deadly.
From Summer 2026 recommended reading from MIT (MIT News). Cover image via Google Books.
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