The Five Horsemen of the Modern World

Pragmatic and measured.

Barron H. Lerner, MD, PhD, Author of The Good Doctor: A Father, A Son and the Evolution of Medical Ethics:
It is hard enough to write a wise book on a single major social problem, but Daniel Callahan has written a wise book about five of them, ultimately proposing important suggestions for moving forward. The Five Horsemen should be mandatory reading for anyone interested in climate change, food distribution, the water supply, chronic illness or obesity—in other words, all of us. This book challenges us to look at the global and local ramifications of everything we know and do.

Steve Cohen, Columbia University:
Callahan's analysis of the evolution of global problems is instructive and accessible; his use of data, clear and persuasive. A work of impressive scope.

Sheldon Krimsky, author of Stem Cell Dialogues: A Philosophical and Scientific Inquiry Into Medical Frontiers:
Callahan is subtle in expressing his point of view—you never feel like he is pushing an ideology or a single-minded solution at the reader. He lets the data speak first, and then he sets the path.

Paul Sabin, author of The Bet: Paul Ehrlich, Julian Simon and Our Gamble Over Earth's Future:
Callahan, a pioneer in bioethics, has written a thoughtful meditation on our most recalcitrant worldly challenges, from the health of our bodies to the wellbeing of our planet. Well-written and accessible, The Five Horsemen of the Modern World demonstrates how the complex mix of technology, politics, and media have slowed progress and calls for a more productive partnership with sustainable businesses to chart a path forward.

Michael Roth, Wesleyan University:
Daniel Callahan's powerful, lucid book offers a sober confrontation with some of the most serious problems facing the world today, asking us to change our ideas of progress to mitigate the catastrophic consequences of how we have come to live.

Donna Dickenson, author of Me Medicine vs. We Medicine: Reclaiming Biotechnology for the Common Good:
This book is a wide-ranging, sincere, and syncretic attempt to identify and analyze the greatest threats to the planet today. It is a work of tremendous breadth of vision, with an earnest concern about some of the most serious problems of our time. Callahan is a master of clear communication.