Breathless

The Scientific Race to Defeat a Deadly Virus

By: David Quammen

Narrated by: Jacques Roy

Length: 13 hrs and 26 mins

Publisher's summary

National Book Award finalist Breathless tells the story of the worldwide scientific race to decipher the coronavirus SARS-CoV-2, trace its source, and make possible the vaccines to fight the Covid-19 pandemic—a “luminous, passionate account of the defining crisis of our time.” (The New York Times).

Breathless is a “gripping” (The Atlantic) but “clear-eyed analysis” (Time) of SARs-CoV-2 and its fierce journey through the human population, as seen by the scientists who study its origin, its ever-changing nature, and its capacity to kill us. David Quammen expertly shows how strange new viruses emerge from animals into humans as we disrupt wild ecosystems and how those viruses adapt to their human hosts, sometimes causing global catastrophe. He explains why this coronavirus will probably be a “forever virus,” destined to circulate among humans and bedevil us endlessly, in one variant form or another. As scientists labor to catch it, comprehend it, and control it, with their high-tech tools and methods, the virus finds ways of escape.

Based on interviews with nearly one hundred scientists, including leading virologists in China and around the world, Quammen explains that:

-Infectious disease experts saw this pandemic coming

-Some scientists, for more than two decades, warned that “the next big one” would be caused by a changeable new virus—very possibly a coronavirus—but such warnings were ignored for political or economic reasons

-The precise origins of this virus may not be known for years, but some clues are compelling, and some suppositions can be dismissed

-And much more

Written by “one of our finest explainers of the natural world for decades” (Chicago Tribune), This “compelling and terrifying” (The New York Times) account is an unparalleled look inside the frantic international race to understand and control SARS-CoV-2—and what it might mean for the next potential global health crisis.

PLEASE NOTE: When you purchase this title, the accompanying PDF will be available in your Audible Library along with the audio.

©2022 David Quammen. All rights reserved. (P)2022 Simon & Schuster, Inc. All rights reserved.

Exceptional “mosaic” of the SARS-CoV2 pandemic

Through the expert assembly of multiple voices and multiple perspectives, each of them like a tile in a mosaic, David Quammen has constructed a brilliant picture of the current pandemic. While there is some temporal linearity to the story, it is largely a story made from fragments of the entire picture, where the image comes into focus as one stands back and assembles them in their mind’s eye. This may stand as the best picture of the pandemic, captured as we stand in the midst of it. This is science communication at its best. That the words are conveyed so well in this excellent reading make it all the better. Highly recommended.

Highly informed and well-written Covid Narrative

Because of his earlier work on the spillover of viruses from the wild into humans, Quammen is superbly qualified and connected to explain how scientists addressed the Covid pandemic. My only gripe is that he doesn’t understand the Heisenberg Uncertainty Principle and wish he hadn’t brought it up at the end.

All We Know So Far About the Corona Virus

This is one of the few books of have listened to more than once in a row to make sure I didn't miss any important facts. David Quammen writes in a clear way that is understandable for anyone, even if you do not have a scientific background. The narration by Jacques Roy is excellent and easy to follow. For those who want to know what is known about the Corona Virus to date (and what is still unknown about it) it is the history of this enigmatic virus that still affects the world. It is a very clear background of the discovery of the virus, the mistakes made in identifying it, the interference of political disinformation about it and the facts discovered by thousands of researchers world wide. It gives us a concise background of the development of the life saving vaccines we presently have. I highly recommend David Quammen's books. I started with "Spillover" and was hooked. Our world is constantly threatened by emerging zoonotic viruses and it is important to understand why they are so prevalent today. You couldn't do better than to listen to his series of books.

Great book and excellent reading

The topic is/was interesting, the reading of information was very listenable.
The frank nature of writing made a heavy topic engaging and entertaining to listen too if a person enjoys listening to these kind of topics.

Fantastic book

Beautifully written and beautifully told. I deeply appreciate that the author included a variety of perspectives in an even-handed tone, while giving a great deal of humanity and personality to everyone in this story.

As close to solving biggest evolutionary thriller of our time

If you are interested in the origin of the coronavirus SARS-CoV-2 and this COVID pandemic, this book will blow your mind. Quammen has read everything there is to read, and talked to everyone involved. I’m a biologist, I work with biologists, and Quammen knows more about biology than many of us. I can’t recommend this book more highly.

Long but perfectly read scientific account of SARS COVI 2

Audible version review. This is a follow-up to an earlier book by Quammen, Spillover. The book is long and scientific but the author and narrator know how to spin a tale. He does get “into the weeds” a bit but does a good job of holding your hands while he goes there. He goes only far enough to make a point.

He takes things step-by-step and you feel every written and verbal inflection. He’s a master of irony. He does come with a point of view but from data, not ideology. Here, his concern is the origins and response to a spillover event parallel to the event occurring in 1918, SARS COVI 2. He doesn’t suffer fools.

Loved it!

David Quammen is one of my favorite writers, so this review could be considered biased. If you like his writing style and his humor and have an interest in the genomic history of Sars Cov 2, than you'll like this book. I work in veterinary medicine with zoo animals, have a passion for bat conservation and enjoy learning about the different fields of science as related to human and animal interactios... Therefore most all of David Quammen's books are fascinating to me! The narrator did a good job too, easy to listen too and scientific names were pronounced correctly!

interesting and very detailed account

I enjoyed but struggled with the exhaustive detail... I would have preferred an abridgement

Amazing read and they must read

Amazing read and must read about everything concerning the origin of COVID-19, vaccines, politicians, and how the scientist save the world again. An unbiased, direct straightforward narrative of the micro, genetic virologist, who have devoted their life to finding and identifying COVID-19 pandemic solutions