Includes bibliographical references and index.

Introduction -- Where did the pandemic start? -- WHO started the panic? -- How it spread -- Social manias and the cult of expertise -- Rush to lockdown -- Untangling the numbers -- Blind models -- Why did we believe lockdown would work? -- Did the lockdowns work? -- The human cost -- Life, death, and the pursuit of happiness -- Through a glass darkly: Balancing costs with benefits when we don't know the future -- Who got it right? -- Lessons learned -- Conclusion. Against the brave new normal.

What just happened? The human cost of the emergency response to COVID-19 has far outweighed the benefits. That's the sobering verdict of a trio of scholars - a biologist, a statistician, and a philosopher - in this comprehensive assessment of the worst panic-induced disaster in history. As the media fanned the flames of panic, government officials and a new elite of scientific experts ignored the established protocols for mitigating a dangerous disease. Instead, they shut down the world economy, closed every school, confined citizens to their homes, and threatened to enforce a regime of extreme social distancing indefinitely. And the American public - amazingly enough - complied without protest. Modestly but relentlessly focused on what we know and don't know about the coronavirus, Douglas Axe, William M. Briggs, and Jay W. Richards demonstrate in this eye-opening study what real experts can contribute when a pandemic strikes. In the early spring of 2020, the panic of government officials, the hysteria of the media, and the hubris of suddenly powerful scientists produced a worldwide calamity. The Price of Panic is the essential book for understanding what happened and how to avoid repeating our deadly mistakes. --