Synopses & Reviews
The past year has been one of viral panicandmdash;panic
about viruses, that is. Through headlines, public health warnings, and at least one homemade hazmat suit, we were reminded of the powerful force of viruses. They are the smallest living things known to science, yet they can hold the entire planet in their sway.
A Planet of Viruses is Carl Zimmerandrsquo;s eye-opening look at the hidden world of viruses. Zimmer, the popular science writer and author of National Geographicandrsquo;s award-winning blog The Loom, has updated this edition to include the stories of new outbreaks, such as Ebola, MERS, and chikungunya virus; new scientific discoveries, such as a hundred-million-year-old virus that infected the common ancestor of armadillos, elephants, and humans; and new findings that show why climate change may lead to even deadlier outbreaks. Zimmerandrsquo;s lucid explanations and fascinating stories demonstrate how deeply humans and viruses are intertwined. Viruses helped give rise to the first life-forms, are responsible for many of our most devastating diseases, and will continue to control our fate for centuries. Thoroughly readable, and as reassuring as it is frightening, A Planet of Viruses is a fascinating tour of a formidable hidden world.
Review
"David Quammen is a brilliant star of nature writing." Edward O. Wilson
Review
"David Quammen is a master." Bill Bryson
Review
"Quammen is not just among our best science writers but among our best writers." New York Times
Review
"This slender book ...does a nimble job of situating this year's unnerving events in historical context... [Quammen's] book, like most writing about Ebola, is deeply unsettling, but it's also sober minded, and in this respect, a standout in the floodlet of Ebola books, many of them quickie scare guides and medical thrillers." Wired
Review
"A tidy book that explains everything we know, and everything we don't, about this terrifying disease." Nick Stockton
Review
andldquo;Just about everything youandrsquo;ve always wanted to knowandmdash;and a lot youandrsquo;ll probably wish you didnandrsquo;t knowandmdash;about the viruses that have caused humanity so much grief throughout history.andrdquo;
Review
andldquo;In A Planet of Viruses, science writer Carl Zimmer accomplishes in a mere 100 pages what other authors struggle to do in 500: He reshapes our understanding of the hidden realities at the core of everyday existence. . . . Whether heandrsquo;s exploring how viruses come to America or picking apart the surprisingly complicated common cold, Zimmerandrsquo;s train of thought is concise and illuminating.andrdquo;
Review
and#160;andldquo;Absolutely top-drawer popular science writing. . . . Zimmerandrsquo;s information-packed, superbly readable look at virological knowledge awakens readers to the fact that not only are viruses everywhere but we couldnandrsquo;t live without them.andrdquo;
Review
andldquo;A smart, beautiful, and somewhat demented book thatandrsquo;s likely to give you a case of the willies. In the best way possible.andrdquo;
Synopsis
"A frightening and fascinating masterpiece of science reporting that reads like a detective story." --Walter Isaacson
Synopsis
In 1976 a deadly virus emerged from the Congo forest. As swiftly as it came, it disappeared, leaving no trace. Over the four decades since, Ebola has emerged sporadically, each time to devastating effect. It can kill up to 90 percent of its victims. In between these outbreaks, it is untraceable, hiding deep in the jungle. The search is on to find Ebola’s elusive host animal. And until we find it, Ebola will continue to strike. Acclaimed science writer and explorer David Quammen first came near the virus while he was traveling in the jungles of Gabon, accompanied by local men whose village had been devastated by a recent outbreak. Here he tells the story of Ebola—its past, present, and its unknowable future.
Extracted from Spillover by David Quammen, updated and with additional material.
About the Author
Carl Zimmer is a columnist for the New York Times, writes for National Geographic and other magazines, and is the author of thirteen books, including Parasite Rex, Soul Made Flesh, and Microcosm. He is also a lecturer at Yale University, where he teaches writing about science and the environment.
Table of Contents
Foreword by Judy Diamond and Charles Wood
and#160;
INTRODUCTION
andldquo;A Contagious Living Fluidandrdquo;
Tobacco Mosaic Virus and the Discovery of the Virosphere
OLD COMPANIONS
The Uncommon Cold
How Rhinoviruses Gently Conquered the World
Looking Down from the Stars
Influenzaandrsquo;s Never-Ending Reinvention
Rabbits with Horns
Human Papillomavirus and Infectious Cancer
EVERYWHERE, IN ALL THINGS
The Enemy of Our Enemy
Bacteriophages as Viral Medicine
The Infected Ocean
How Marine Phages Rule the Sea
Our Inner Parasites
Endogenous Retroviruses and Our Virus-Riddled Genomes
THE VIRAL FUTURE
The Young Scourge
Human Immunodeficiency Virus and the Animal Origins of Diseases
Becoming an American
The Globalization of West Nile Virus
Predicting the Next Plague
Ebola Virus and the Many Others Like It
The Long Goodbye
The Delayed Oblivion of Smallpox
EPILOGUE
The Alien in the Water Cooler
Giant Viruses and the Definition of Life
and#160;
Acknowledgments
Selected References
Credits
Index