Rabid

A Cultural History of the World’s Most Diabolical Virus

By: Bill Wasik, Monica Murphy

Narrated by: Johnny Heller

Length: 8 hrs and 8 mins

Publisher's summary

A maddened creature, frothing at the mouth, lunges at an innocent victim—and with a bite, transforms its prey into another raving monster. It’s a scenario that underlies our darkest tales of supernatural horror, but its power derives from a very real virus, a deadly scourge known to mankind from our earliest days. In this fascinating exploration, journalist Bill Wasik and veterinarian Monica Murphy chart four thousand years in the history, science, and cultural mythology of rabies.

The most fatal virus known to science, rabies kills nearly 100 percent of its victims once the infection takes root in the brain. A disease that spreads avidly from animals to humans, rabies has served as a symbol of savage madness and inhuman possession throughout history. Today, its history can help shed light on the wave of emerging diseases—from AIDS to SARS to avian flu—with origins in animal populations.

From Greek myths to zombie flicks, from the laboratory heroics of Louis Pasteur to the contemporary search for a lifesaving treatment, Rabid is a fresh, fascinating, and often wildly entertaining look at one of mankind’s oldest and most fearsome foes.

Bill Wasik is a senior editor at Wired magazine and was previously a senior editor at Harper’s, where he wrote on culture, media, and politics. He is the editor of the anthology Submersion Journalism and has also written for Oxford American, Slate, Salon, and McSweeney’s.

©2012 Bill Wasik and Monica Murphy (P)2012 Blackstone Audio, Inc.

Critic reviews

"[An] ambitious and smart history of the virus…. The authors track how science tried to tame the scourge, with its ravaging neurological effects. Yet the rare tales of modern survivors only underscore that, despite the existence of treatment through a series of injections, we're at a stalemate in conquering rabies." ( Publishers Weekly)

"[Wasik and Murphy] place the world's deadliest virus in its historical and cultural context with a scientifically sound and compelling history that begins in ancient Mesopotamia and ends in twenty-first-century Bali…Readable, fascinating, informative, and occasionally gruesome, this is highly recommended for anyone interested in medical history or the cultural history of disease." ( Library Journal)

Fascinating

So fascinating, been on my list for years. Highly recommend any vet techs or anyone with dogs ready this. Vaccinate!

Great book

Great book left me wanting more very educational as well would like to reas more like this

Great Book!

Very interesting. I highly recommend this book for people who works or are interested in knowing about diseases.

Good storytelling and informative

I really enjoyed the was the book was written and the history presented. informative but not boring, kept ahold of my attention.

I didn't know rabies had such importance

A great description of the importance of rabies in human history and culture, as it was the first infectious disease to have the mechanism of transmission understood. I had no idea that rabies had caused such a deep impression in human culture as described (sometimes to extensively, in my opinion). Overall a great book about disease, if you don't mind its specificity.

disappointed

Way too much "filler" . The last chapter being the only one worthwhile. Narrators voice is grating, but that may be only me

So much fun!!

Wow - an insightful, fun, gruesome account of rabies history. Great during the time of covid; this book highlights the ever present skeptics within scientific research and studies, namely Louis Pasteur. Just goes to show nothing really changes and we are destined to repeat history.

Interesting

I actually learned a lot more than I expected. Super interesting and delivered well, with good balance between stories/anecdotes and information.

Interesting!

Grabbed this book because I’m a backpacker who never considered rabies as much as I would snake venom or bear hunger. So much information regarding the history and development of the ailment. Definitely worth a listen to broaden your perspective of Mother Nature, culture, and viruses in general.

A fun history of rabies

This was quite a fun history of rabies. Diving into the long standing prevalence of the disease across the human experience. This book takes a look at origin stories of classic monsters and compares them to the dramatic symptoms of rabies. Additionally it takes a look at the medical progress and overall strategies for reducing the impact of rabies globally.