About the Book: Rats, Lice, and History by Hans Zinsser is a captivating blend of science and storytelling, offering a vivid “biography” of typhus fever and a broader exploration of how disease has shaped human history. With wit, insight, and literary elegance, Zinsser illustrates how microscopic organisms carried by vermin have influenced wars, toppled empires, and redirected the course of civilizations. A distinguished bacteriologist and humanist, he masterfully bridges medical science and narrative nonfiction, making this timeless classic essential reading for anyone interested in the unseen forces that have profoundly impacted humanity.