The Demon Under The Microscope

By: Thomas Hager

Narrated by: Stephen Hoye

Length: 12 hrs and 14 mins

Publisher's summary

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.

Interesting read

Fascinating tale that unfolds in the midst of wartime Germany. Although I cringed at some of the main characters' connections to the Nazis, I found the story interesting and revealing. Great delivery, too.

Fascinating Listen

Surprisingly easy listen with loads of interesting details. Paints the picture of early drug development and early Western medicine in a carefully thought out manner. The author does takes a few rabbit trails at times and, in my opinion, ended the book about a chapter too soon. Recommended read.

Fascinating!

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

Yes, it was one of the best books I've ever read. A fascinating read!

What other book might you compare The Demon Under The Microscope to and why?

The Great Influenza because of the medical information they contain, written in an easy to understand, descriptive way.

What about Stephen Hoye’s performance did you like?

He was great. All the characters seem real and it was easy to keep them straight.

Any additional comments?

I was amazed at the lack of medical care as we know it in the US. In a country that was one of the world's leaders in inventions and innovations in the late 1800's - 1930's, it was appalling how ignorant the so called physicians were about disease, infections, and how to treat them properly. So many people died unnecessarily due to lack of sanitation and proper medicine. I was shocked to find out that doctors used many of the same methods that were used during the Middle Ages! No medical schools in the US were regulated or accredited; no research was done for anything and a man (no woman) could become a doctor with as little as 2 years of training. Almost all medical discoveries happened in Europe, Germany/France mostly. Here is where the first discoveries of molecules to produce antibiotics and antibacterials happened. This book not only explains very scientific ideas clearly, and in a way for anyone to understand.
This is the history of modern medicine as we know it today. It was not until 1937 that the first antibiotic was produced. The results amazed the world and changed the history of medicine. It is also the modern history of pharmacology. A fascinating read!

Great but 50% too big

What was the most interesting aspect of this story? The least interesting?

This story details how modern medicine was changed by the first antibiotics. A real eye opener especially about child birth infections and battle field surgery. The author details how dangerous and short life was before these drugs came out before world war 2. However, the book is too verbose. The details of some of the research are boring, for example in one point of the book they read off 10 minutes of numbers that were lab sample numbers, I let out a groan half way through that mind numbing detail. I took to pushing the skip 15 seconds ahead button a lot. Really about half this book could be edited out. It has a lot of details about unsuccessful experiments, some people's names and locations that don't real add much to the story.

Do you think The Demon Under The Microscope needs a follow-up book? Why or why not?

Nope, enough said.

The first miracle Drug and sacrifices to find it

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

Yes, but I would let them know it often goes very in depth in discussing the lives of the doctors and not everything is easy to listen to. This isn't a comfortable book at all times and a basic understanding of medical practices of the time is useful.

What was one of the most memorable moments of The Demon Under The Microscope?

There isn't one particular moment. There are so many people discussed in the book and their work was in concert.

Have you listened to any of Stephen Hoye’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

No this was my first. He did an excellent job in making the book interesting and giving his voice gravity when the subject matter became darker.

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

No, this was a book that took some time to listen to. I had to take breaks to let things settle in my mind.