The Herd: How Sweden chose its own path through the worst pandemic in 100 years

In the spring of 2020, as a new and deadly virus rapidly spread across the globe, the world shut down. But a small country in Northern Europe remained open.

First, its government instituted no restrictions. Then, it didn’t order the wearing of face masks. While the rest of the world looked on with incredulity, condemnation, admiration, and even envy, a small country in Northern Europe stood alone. As Covid-19 spread rapidly across the globe, the world shut down. But Sweden remained open.

The Swedish Covid-19 strategy was alternately lauded and held up as a cautionary tale by international governments and journalists alike — with all eyes on what has been dubbed ‘The Swedish Experiment.’

Key Questions Explored:

• What made Sweden take such a different path?
• Did it work?

In The Herd, journalist Johan Anderberg narrates this improbable story, guiding the reader through:

• The history and practice of epidemiology
• The ticking-clock decisions that Sweden's pandemic-response decision-makers faced daily

Weaving past and present effortlessly, Anderberg delivers a real-life thriller about a nation dealing differently with a global crisis.