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Preventable: The Inside Story of How Leadership Failures, Politics, and Selfishness Doomed the U.S. Coronavirus Response Hardcover – June 15, 2021
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* NATIONAL BESTSELLER *
“Painfully good. The book could have been called, ‘Outrageous.’ The story Andy Slavitt tells is not just about Trump’s monumental failures but also about the deeper ones that started long before, with our health system, our politics, and more.” --Atul Gawande, author of Being Mortal
The definitive, behind-the-scenes look at the U.S. Coronavirus crisis from one of the
most recognizable and influential voices in healthcare
From former Biden Senior Advisor Andy Slavitt, Preventable is the definitive inside account of the United States' failed response to the Coronavirus pandemic. Slavitt chronicles what he saw and how much could have been prevented -- an unflinching investigation of the cultural, political, and economic drivers that led to unnecessary loss of life.
With unparalleled access to the key players throughout the government on both sides of the aisle, the principal public figures, as well as the people working on the frontline involved in fighting the virus, Slavitt brings you into the room as fateful decisions are made and focuses on the people at the center of the political system, health care system, patients, and caregivers. The story that emerges is one of a country in which -- despite the heroics of many -- bad leadership, political and cultural fractures, and an unwillingness to sustain sacrifice light a fuse that is difficult to extinguish.
Written in the tradition of The Big Short, Preventable continues Andy Slavitt’s important work of addressing the uncomfortable realities that brought America to this place. And, he puts forth the solutions that will prevent us from being here again, ensuring a better, stronger country for everyone.
- Print length336 pages
- LanguageEnglish
- PublisherSt. Martin's Press
- Publication dateJune 15, 2021
- Dimensions6.58 x 1.2 x 9.57 inches
- ISBN-101250770165
- ISBN-13978-1250770165
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Editorial Reviews
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“Slavitt draws upon his own insider access in Preventable … It's a unique status that gave him direct access to decision-makers, who appeared to confide in him.” ―The Washington Post
“[Preventable] is an informative examination of what went so horribly wrong in the federal government’s response.” --New York Times Book Review
“Ever since the pandemic began, and well before that, Andy Slavitt has been an indispensable voice of reason and urgency when it comes to America’s health. This book comes at a crucial moment as he explains, in accessible and engaging terms, how we got here and what must happen next.” ―Pete Buttigieg, Former Presidential Candidate and Mayor of South Bend, Indiana
“Informative and often enraging account of ‘missed opportunit[ies]’ in the U.S. government’s handling of the Covid-19 pandemic … offers critical insights for mitigating the next public health crisis.” ―Publishers Weekly
“A page-turning thriller detailing the tick-tock of the worst public health disaster in a century.” ―Sanjay Gupta, Chief Medical Correspondent, CNN
"One of the most well-connected figures in medicine and health policy... He’s become a go-to account for the daily inside scoop on where the U.S. is progressing and where it’s failing. [His Twitter thread] is also a good source of a dose of humanity ― including his viral thread inviting people to share a photo and short caption that best summarizes their life in the pandemic. It will make you laugh and cry." --Elemental
“He’s not swaggery; he doesn’t come across as particularly commanding. But then leadership isn’t always blustery or elected. Slavitt is a policy wonk turned cage rattler, and in this time of pandemic, he’s emerged on Twitter and TV as one of the more straightforward, consistent sources of information, a health care administrator with a talent for getting senators and CEOs to call him back.” --The Chicago Tribune
“As CMS administrator, he was able to work across the aisle, though quietly, more than some predecessors. His pragmatic problem-solving (he dislikes the word “technocrat”) approach helped him build good ties with much of the health care industry and many governors, including those in red and purple states.” --Politico
“During his tenure at CMS, he has repeatedly proven to be an effective problem solver that engages stakeholders to craft consensus-based solutions.” --American Medical Association
“He’s as knowledgeable about health care as anyone I’ve met. He’s one of the few people that can really integrate all of the aspects.” --Bill George, former Medtronic CEO
“With decades of experience delivering health care services to millions of Americans, Andy has developed a track record as an effective and innovative leader who gets results. As acting administrator at CMS, Andy has played a crucial role in leading efforts to combat health care fraud, reform health care delivery, and improve health outcomes.” --Amy Klobuchar
“Andy pairs a deep understanding of U.S. health care with a unique ability to execute honed over years as a private-sector leader. And as the bipartisan make up of United States of Care demonstrates, Andy’s expertise is recognized by Republicans and Democrats.’’ --Denis McDonough, Former White House Chief of Staff
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Product details
- Publisher : St. Martin's Press (June 15, 2021)
- Language : English
- Hardcover : 336 pages
- ISBN-10 : 1250770165
- ISBN-13 : 978-1250770165
- Item Weight : 1.25 pounds
- Dimensions : 6.58 x 1.2 x 9.57 inches
- Best Sellers Rank: #531,064 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- #211 in Health Policy (Books)
- #458 in Social Services & Welfare (Books)
- #1,199 in Political Commentary & Opinion
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Andy is informed, insightful & honest as he looks ahead encouraging realistic, effective strategies for our future.
Andy proves once again that the American people are very fortunate to have him looking out for us. Thank you, Andy!
It was not to be.
I started looking around for sources of information that I could trust, and Andy Slavitt cut through the noise with his clear and cogent assessments. I started following him on Twitter and listening to his In the Bubble podcasts. I even bought a few of the Livinguard ("one g") masks for my collection. I ordered this book nine months ago, and finished it on the day that the Supreme Court reaffirmed the legality of the ACA.
The book itself, excluding notes and exhibits, is about 250 pages, a fast read. The focus is on the current pandemic as it unfolded in 2020, describing the collapse of the systems designed to support the United States during such a crisis, systems that had been undermined and underfunded -- for political reasons -- over the prior ten years. The book also illuminates some of the major flaws in our not-exactly-public health care system. In The Folly of the Free Market Pandemic, he describes how pharmaceutical companies ignore impending disasters like antibiotic-resistant bacteria because it's simply not profitable to produce new products, how the richest hospitals can rake in a small windfall by lending money to state governments, and of course how insurance companies are enriching themselves at everyone else's expense. It's all about profits, and we, the taxpayers, health care providers, and patients, are collateral damage. "Whether you believe capitalism has some role to play in health care or not, during the pandemic the system only served its masters."
Most of the blame, however, falls to the former guy and the echo chamber he assembled to advise him. Thanks to that administration's self-serving negligence and desire to avoid accountability, hundreds of thousands of Americans lost an average of ten years of their lives, and many millions more suffer long-term morbidities. Perhaps even worse, a substantial percentage of Americans were inculcated with anti-science, pro "freedom" propaganda that has prevented them from listening to experts, wearing masks, or getting life-saving vaccines.
The book ends in December 2020, with a brief Afterward where Andy explains why he agreed to help the new administration mount a federal response to the pandemic. Although he doesn't discuss it in any detail, his leadership was key to getting the vaccines distributed to hundreds of millions of Americans in record time. That story, I'm hoping, will be the topic of the next book.
The book combines a broad view of policy failures at multiple levels with close-up vignettes of the real-life consequences, along with ideas for preventing future catastrophes of this sort.
Slavitt's accounts of White House staff, health department officials, and outside groups having to maneuver to get the attention and cooperation of a disengaged and even hostile president, and the need to flatter the President and convince him that necessary actions were his own brilliant ideas are chilling.
Slavitt challenges the reader to participate in political and social changes to address the inequities that exacerbated the pandemic while unfairly burdening those who were most important in doing the essential work of dealing with it.
Reviewed in the United States on June 18, 2021