Simon Schama with Elizabeth Meyer-Bernstein: Pandemics and Prejudice

Simon Schama’s Foreign Bodies, a dramatic account of heroes, heroines and villains instrumental in the development of vaccines that saved millions from smallpox, cholera and plague in the 18^th to early 20^th centuries, also sheds light on political and scientific conflicts during the Covid pandemic. His colorful cast of characters includes unsung microbiologist Waldemar Haffkine (1860-1930), originator of the first mass production cholera vaccine, and familiar figures such as Pasteur. University Professor of Art History and History at Columbia University, best selling author of award-winning books, as well as prolific presenter of documentaries for the BBC, Schama discusses his passionate belief in the interconnectedness of humanity and nature with biologist Elizabeth Meyer-Bernstein, Dean of the College of Charleston Honors College. 

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