Author Richard Conniff will talk about the subject of his new book, “Ending Epidemics,” from 4 to 6 p.m. Sunday at the Lyme Public Hall, 249 Hamburg Road, Lyme.

Admission is free.

Conniff will explain the research in his book detailing how scientists saved humanity from the deadliest infectious diseases, thus doubling average human life expectancy in less than a century. His book tells the story behind “the mortality revolution,” the dramatic transformation not just in people’s longevity, but in the character of childhood, family life, and human society. Can this history help humans to prepare for more future epidemics?

“Ending Epidemics” has been chosen as a Next Big Idea Club feature. Conniff is a National Magazine Award-winning writer for Smithsonian magazine, The Atlantic, National Geographic, and other publications, and a past Guggenheim Fellow. Among his many books are “The Species Seekers: Heroes, Fools, and the Mad Pursuit of Life on Earth” and “Swimming with Piranhas at Feeding Time: My Life Doing Dumb Stuff with Animals.”