Annie Jacobsen’s reported nonfiction uses a biological catastrophe scenario to examine how infection and institutional responses could unfold over time.
About the Book
Interviews with experts in government, medicine, and the military inform the book’s account of how a small beginning could have consequences across society. Read with attention to what a timed scenario can reveal and where it requires assumptions.
Elliot’s Reading Perspective
In the recommendation supplied for this project, Ackerman describes the book as chilling and informative. His response also included gratitude that humanity had not visited such terrors on itself, and respect for Jacobsen’s work. That response invites a discussion about the relationship between imagining catastrophe and the human choices that can prevent it.
Questions for Discussion
- How does following a scenario through time differ from reading a general account of risk?
- Which questions concern technical capability, and which concern institutional preparation or human judgment?
- How can readers discuss a catastrophic scenario without treating it as a prediction?
Book Details and Further Reading
Annie Jacobsen, Biological War: A Scenario. Reference edition: Dutton hardcover, July 28, 2026; 432 pages; ISBN 9798217046034. Compare its scenario method with Jacobsen’s Nuclear War, paying attention to the different threats and response systems.
Watch Jacobsen’s 92NY conversation with Elliot Ackerman.
Explore Biological War: A Scenario in the Book Club catalog.