Nicholas Christakis is a doctor and a sociologist who has studied the science of infectious diseases and how plagues of the past have altered societies. "Everywhere you see the spread of germs, for the last few thousand years, you see right behind it the spread of lies," he says. "Denial and lies ... [are] almost an intrinsic part of an epidemic." Christakis's book is 'Apollo's Arrow: The Profound and Enduring Impact of Coronavirus on the Way We Live.'

Also, Maureen Corrigan reviews Jess Walter's new novel 'The Cold Millions.'