Bad Luck. The Politics of Catastrophe

Destructive earthquakes, floods, epidemics, crises, wars – throughout history, humanity has faced various catastrophes. What lessons have these taught us? How well are we prepared for future trials? Niall Ferguson, a British historian, writer, and journalist, seeks answers to these questions in his book. Against the backdrop of the terrifying COVID-19 pandemic, he reflects on what we need to do to better cope with such events in the future or even prevent them altogether. «...This essay should be on the same shelf as the recent ambitious and multifaceted books by authors such as Jared Diamond, Nassim Nicholas Taleb, and Steven Pinker…» (The New York Times Book Review). In 2000, Time magazine included Ferguson in its list of the 100 most influential people on the planet, and the series «The Ascent of Money» based on his book of the same name won an Emmy award.