Viking acquires Devi Sridhar’s How Not to Die (Too Soon)

Viking has acquired How Not to Die (Too Soon): The Lies We’ve Been Sold and the Policies That Could Save Us by Devi Sridhar.

Editorial director Connor Brown acquired world all-language rights from Andrew Gordon at David Higham Associates. The book is scheduled for publication in hardback in July 2025.

The description reads: “Have you ever questioned why, despite the avalanche of self-help books and optimisation hacks, we remain embroiled in multiple global health crises? Populations worldwide are gaining life-shortening excess weight (even in poorer countries), and water contamination is rampant (even in richer countries). In such dire circumstances, a gratitude journal won’t help.

“The stark reality is that we’ve been sold a monumental lie. The obsession with individual health optimisation has distracted us from the real game changer: holding governments accountable for policies that can significantly extend our lifespans. How Not to Die (Too Soon) is a vital, transformative guide that shifts the focus from individual responsibility to societal accountability. It’s time to demand the changes that will save lives.”

Devi Sridhar is a writer, broadcaster and world-leading expert in public health and wellbeing. She is professor and chair of Global Public Health at the University of Edinburgh and has advised the WHO, UNICEF, UNESCO and the Scottish, UK and German governments.

She appears regularly on ITV and Channel 4 News and has a weekly column in the Guardian. Her first book, Preventable (Viking), was a BBC Radio 4 Book of the Week. 

Brown said: “This paradigm-shifting book challenges the myth of individualism in health, arguing that to significantly improve our wellbeing and lifespan we must focus on societal changes and hold governments accountable. We are delighted to be working with Devi again to bring this vital book into the world.”