Liam Shaw

Antibiotics. Invented by microbes. Mined by humans. And now running out. ‘This history of scientific discovery and corporate greed chronicles arguably the most significant technological advance of the 20th century … A lively history and a stark warning’ Sunday Times, Best Books of the Year 2025‘Combines the passion of Robert Macfarlane with the incisiveness of Patrick Radden Keefe … Brilliant’ Rachel Clarke, SpectatorThe discovery of antibiotics is one of humanity’s greatest achievements, saving millions of lives and changing the world forever.But, unlike other drugs, each time we take antibiotics we use up a finite resource. And now we are running out.This is the spellbinding story of how we learned to harness the fossil fuels of medicine – and an urgent call to adapt, so they can hold a place in our future.‘Excellent … highly readable’ Henry Marsh‘Brilliant’ Tim Spector‘Wonderful … thrilling’ Venki Ramakrishnan‘An enjoyable and absolutely essential read’ Kate Bingham‘A fascinating deep dive’ Sarah Gilbert‘Eye-opening … a vital call to arms’ Matthew Cobb‘This book is a triumph’ Science

Antibiotics are one of humanity's greatest achievements but our access to them is under threat. Discover their miraculous history - and how we confront their uncertain future. Since their advent, antibiotics have saved millions of lives, marking one of the greatest medical advances in our history. Dangerous Miracle weaves together the grand arc of the evolution of antibiotics over millions of years with a history of the past century: first as we mined the earth for naturally occurring antibiotic molecules, then as we learned to synthesise our own. But like fossil fuels, antibiotics are a finite resource which we've regarded as a cheap, everlasting fuel. They are unlike other drugs: every time we use them we increase the possibility of antibiotic resistance emerging, risking their future effectiveness. If we want antibiotics to have a future, we need to prepare to adapt. And fast.