My book on the history of antibiotics, Dangerous Miracle, is out now.

Reviews

A Radio 4 Book of the Week; a Waterstones Best Popular Science Book of 2025; a Times Best Book of 2025

'Riveting...In combining the passion of Robert MacFarlane with the incisiveness of Patrick Radden Keefe, Shaw has announced himself as a brilliant new voice in science writing' – Rachel Clarke, The Spectator

'Succeeds brilliantly as an engaging and incisive history of antibiotics...the book is a triumph' – Science

'A concise, carefully wrought and engaging history’ – Times Literary Supplement

'A terrific history of antibiotics...superb. He demonstrates an unusual ability to make science seem not only accessible but also beautiful' – Literary Review

'With great precision Shaw unpicks the events that hastened this looming disaster...His lively history is a valiant attempt to shine a spotlight on the crisis' – Sunday Times

'[an] enthralling and wonderfully entertaining debut' – The Bookseller

'An eye-opening and thrilling account...This is not only an important history you never knew, it is also a vital call to arms to change the way that new drugs are discovered.' – Matthew Cobb

Journalism

I write pieces for the London Review of Books: here.

I co-write a fortnightly science column in the Morning Star: here.

If you’re bored, I’ve also written a detailed statistical analysis of coughs on Who Wants To Be a Millionaire: here.