The Demon Under The Microscope

De: Thomas Hager

Narrado por: 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.

Reseñas de la Crítica

"Highly entertaining." (Publishers Weekly)

such a great science writer

can't say enough good things about hager's treatment of the topic. there are so many historical biomedical stories that I don't know enough about yet, but as a biologist learning about them from almost every other lay-writer out there makes me want to throw my e-reader out the window on the freeway. hager balances the story of the importance of the drugs and treatments that he's teaching us about with context and scientific rigor. he is both a good writer and actually understands the science. for some reason, this is almost completely unheard of. essentially every scientist in the world, myself included, is a writer: a terrible one. Hager isn't a scientist, but he was trained as one. it seems that he was born with the soul of a writer who accidentally got trained as a scientist, and it worked out to the benefit of all of us.

A world without antibiotics

I don't often think about how much our world has changed, but this compelling history of the development of the drugs we take for granted made me all too aware that in another time I could have lost my beautiful children to things that are no more than an annoyance today. I don't too often stray from fiction, but the pace and story-telling of this surprisingly interesting book kept me interested all the way through. A really enjoyable and educational read.

interesting story

liked the content, found it to be fascinating. the voice was difficult to listen to at times, but overall very good and interesting!

A great book, wonderfully read

Where does The Demon Under The Microscope rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

This book ranks very highly. It's a gripping tale of scientific discovery, public health and lots of little historical vignettes. Loved it!

What did you like best about this story?

The author does a great job of making complicated processes compelling and easy to understand.

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

This was the first time I've listened to Stephen Hoye but it won't be the last. An outstanding reader!

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

Sure!

Sulfa compounds: True wonder drugs

Spectacularly important story of the discovery and medically revolutionary use of sulfa.
Essential and stimulating listening for medical specialists and laypersons alike.

Very good narration. Sincerity comes through loud and clear.