The worst pandemic in recorded history, it is estimated that the Black Death infected two in three Europeans, resulting in the deaths of around 25 million, or a third of the population of the continent. Author Don Nardo explores the complex moral, economic, and scientific implications of the Black Death. Chapters facilitate critical conversations from diverse perspectives to provide a broad understanding of the plague, including the origin of the disease, the hysteria and panic that consumed entire populations, the effects to the economy and culture of the areas affected, and recurrences of plague in later ages.