The Demon Under The Microscope

By: Thomas Hager

Narrated by: Stephen Hoye

The Nazis discovered it. The Allies won the war with it. It conquered diseases, changed laws, and single-handedly launched the era of antibiotics. This incredible discovery was sulfa, the first antibiotic medication. In The Demon Under the Microscope, Thomas Hager chronicles the dramatic history of the drug that shaped modern medicine.

Sulfa saved millions of lives, among them, Winston Churchill's and Franklin Delano Roosevelt, Jr.'s, but its real effects have been even more far reaching. Sulfa changed the way new drugs were developed, approved, and sold. It transformed the way doctors treated patients. And it ushered in the era of modern medicine. The very concept that chemicals created in a lab could cure disease revolutionized medicine, taking it from the treatment of symptoms and discomfort to the eradication of the root cause of illness.

A strange and vibrant story, The Demon Under the Microscope illuminates the colorful characters, corporate strategy, individual idealism, careful planning, lucky breaks, cynicism, heroism, greed, hard work, and central (though mistaken) idea that brought sulfa to the world. This is a fascinating scientific tale with all the excitement and intrigue of a great suspense novel.

©2006 Thomas Hager (P)2006 Tantor Media, Inc.

Critic reviews

"Highly entertaining." (Publishers Weekly)

Fascinating for the Science Buff

Thomas Hager has done extensive, detailed research and written his story in a concise style which makes him easy to follow. His characters are alive; the life of the scientist well described. I know of no other book which covers this subject matter; the development of the most commonly used medicines and some insight as to what life was like before this became available. Its relevance is brought to life by stories of two US Presidents' sons who became sick: one lived; one died. Absorbing detail in both cases.

Is it for everyone? Probably not. History buffs, science minded enthusiasts, medical students: I used it for some marvelous facts concerning the discovery of bacteria which parallels what is happening today in nanoscience. I can put that in PowerPoint in a second.

I have one comment for Audible, if they can do anything about it. The reader has a wonderful voice tone, speaks clearly and at the perfect speed for me. However, he has the annoying habit of dropping his tone at the end of just about every sentence or phrase, giving emphasis to the word in a way that lends sad reflection. Have you any idea how irritating this can be? I rather think it might be the same reader as ruined 'Slaughterhouse 5' for me, although the effect was a lot less intrusive in this book than there.

So interesting

This is really a very good book . It surpassed my expectations. I am going to listen to it again . The narrator has a good voice

One of the Best of the Medical History Audiobooks

Well researched and narrated, this is the story of Sulfa, the pre-curser antibiotic to penicillin, and the stories of its discovery, use, and consequences for public health. Though lengthy, I finished it in two days. For those who are interested in the subject, or medical professionals, the book covers a class of drugs no longer studied. Wonderful book that had me checking wiki for further info on topics.

Great book of history, medicine, and health

This is a very interesting and well-told story about something so common most people take it for granted -- antibiotics. But it's more than just the story of how the first medicine to fight bacterial infections was discovered, it's also the story of what life was like before antibiotics, how the Nazi's affected the development of medicine, and how even national boundaries affected what and how drugs were used around the world.

And it's written so well; it flows nicely and holds the readers' attention well.

There's a lot of dovetailing with Hager's "The Alchemy of Air" (also excellent, but with better narration), in that it occurs after that book but also involves the talented and innovative work of the men at Bayer in the early 20th century.

Interesting topic, difficult to listen to

The subject and story are engrossing, but it was hard to listen to this narrator's overly dramatic inflections and his misproununciations. I gave up half way through.