Dangerous Miracle: The Astonishing Rise and Looming Disaster of Antibiotics

An Oxford University biologist reveals the fascinating history of antibiotics, how we burned through them, and what that means for our future health.

The discovery of antibiotics was one of humanity’s greatest achievements. Since their advent less than a century ago, antibiotics have saved millions of lives, marking one of the greatest medical advances in our history. Much like oil in the previous century, they were not invented but discovered—the most effective antibiotics are found in nature, made by microbes. But just like oil, antibiotics came with a cost. That’s because antibiotics aren’t like other drugs: every time we use them, we increase the possibility of resistance to them and thus undermine their future effectiveness. And like fossil fuels, they won't last forever.

How did we get here? In order to understand the future of antibiotics, we need to understand their past. Dangerous Miracle tells the story of antibiotics, tracing the grand arc of their evolution over millions of years with a history of the past century. Antibiotic resistance shows how easily bacteria have been able to undo human progress. If we want antibiotics to have a future, we need to prepare to adapt accordingly. And fast.

Dangerous Miracle is a revelatory account of the miraculous history and uncertain future of antibiotics from a visionary and gifted biologist.

Liam Shaw is a biologist researching the evolution and spread of antibiotic resistance. After completing his PhD at University College London, for the past four years he has worked as a Wellcome-funded research fellow at the University of Oxford. His essays and journalism have appeared in the London Review of Books, Morning Star, and Private Eye.