Review of Pandemic Recovery?  Reframing and Rescaling Societal Challenges, Edited by Lauren Andres, John R. Bryson, Aksel Ersoy, and Louise Reardon.  Published by Edward Elgar, 2024.

Reviewer:  Donald A. Donahue, DHEd, MBA, MSJ, President, World Association for Disaster and Emergency Medicine

Much has been written about the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic; dissecting timelines, the actions of governments and commerce, and recovery.  Virtually all analyses focus on progress toward returning to pre-event realities – what could be termed the BC era:  before COVID.

For Pandemic Recovery?, the editors assembled a series of 24 discrete essays, prefaced by a framing introduction and summarized with a conclusion, that delve into the less obvious societal implications of the pandemic, changes that can have significant impact on everyday life but are all but unseen as catalysts of change.  These analyses are grouped into five broad categories:  People, Organisations, Place, Climate Change and Sustainability, and The Policy and Practice of Recovery.

The breadth and extent of the 26 chapters are sufficiently large to be beyond the scope of this review.  Yet, combined, the essays paint a detailed picture of the second and third order effects that will influence work, the built and natural environments, feeding humanity, education, healthcare, commerce, and innovation far into the future.  Assessments are conducted through the lens of social sciences.  What are the advantages and disadvantages of strong, central national governance versus local autonomy?  Modification of the social fabric impacts where and when people work.  The ripple effect influences central business zones, agriculture and production, energy use and policy, and supply chains.

These shifts point to reexamining the structure and nature of government, the ability to promote and sustain innovation, and devising new approaches to measuring and guiding societal changes.  The authors carry this forward in discussing the imperative for leadership in healthcare, higher education, and civil society to rapidly adapt to the changing environment and societal needs and expectations.  So, too, are discussed the roles of public space and tourism; civil interactions that promote a robust and resilient society.

Throughout, these observations are supported by detailed analysis, relevant statistics, and an eye for critical analysis.  Not “beach reading” by any measure, but a serious examination of the intricate factors that will continue to drive what is certain to be a fragmented recovery from the COVID pandemic and similarly disjointed preparation for the next global crisis.