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)

Fantastic story, narration, and information!

Would you listen to The Demon Under The Microscope again? Why?

Yes, it was very enjoyable and I think I would pick up on patterns and history in the early chapters even more now that I understand how it all plays out.

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

The section that discussed how Germany pharmaceutical companies benefitted from currency issues after the war was incredible. I could easily see how something similar could happen today.

Any additional comments?

This was surprisingly VERY thrilling for a book about a long history of a specific class of drugs and pharmaceuticals in general.

a shocking history of the pre penicillin era

I loved this story. The writing style is great, and the readers voice is easy to listen to.

interesting read

I did not know the history of sulfa and how important it was. I think of penicillin as the first antibiotic and was glad to learn about this important precursor.

Don't usually write reviews but...

If you could sum up The Demon Under The Microscope in three words, what would they be?

Enlightening! Loved the chronology aspect to modern day medicines. This could have been a boring, fact-filled narration, however the presentation made this so interesting that I had a hard time turning it off. Would recommend this to everyone.

Informative and well worded, this book is one not to miss.

I received a view into the path followed to create the first antibiotic. Followed the politics and science as well as background of the men that brought sulfa drugs to market.

The history of medicine is fascinating-

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

Yes- If you enjoy chemistry and medicine this book will be right up your ally-
I enjoy the meshing of science and history-

Who was your favorite character and why?

Not sure about a character- but the episodes about German drug engineering were fascinating-

Which scene was your favorite?

Not sure if there is a scene- sorry

Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

No extreme reaction-
Enjoyed the book enough to listen to several chapters again and again-

Excellent, humanizes what could be a dry subject

If you could sum up The Demon Under The Microscope in three words, what would they be?

medical history comes alive

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

It brought the scientist to life, he became a flesh and blood character. I appreciated learning about the process of discovery and the cost of illness before the discovery of sulfa drugs.

What does Stephen Hoye bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

He was a great narrator, very good style.

Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

no

Any additional comments?

If you like learning about things, the history of how something came to be, this is a great book.

The story starts strong,

The story starts off EXCELLENT. The first ~5 chapters were absolutely riveting and would be highly entertaining to all audiences (regardless of scientific background).

As the story progresses, though, it becomes more technical and it is no longer engaging in an "edge-of-your-seat" sort of way. Please don't misunderstand - the latter portion of the book still contains excellent and interesting history, but it is a story which may be difficult to follow for readers who lack a biological or medical background.

The narrator was absolutely top-notch. However, with the large number of non-English names and technical terms, be prepared to occasionally "rewind" in order to avoid mixing-up characters or drug components.

Great Read!

So many valuable lessons and a great story about the course of scientific research and economics, as well as the human story behind the scenes.

Absolutely Fascinating!

Reads like a novel, but is a fascinating history of the search for a "magic bullet" that scientists had searched for for centuries. The discovery of the first sulfa drugs are the focus, beginning in the early 30's in Germany, but all kinds of background information is included, making for a really interesting listen.

On the human side, the story centers on Gerhard Domagk's life, and his quest to find an antibacterial agent that would be able to prevent infections and/or cure infections. He eventually was awarded a Nobel Prize in 1939 for his work in the development of the first sulfa drugs.

Amazing story and terrific audio. Highly recommended!