The Hot Zone

A Terrifying True Story

By: Richard Preston

Narrated by: Richard M. Davidson

Length: 11 hrs and 2 mins

Publisher's summary

A highly infectious, deadly virus from the central African rain forest suddenly appears in the suburbs of Washington, D.C. There is no cure. In a few days, 90 percent of its victims are dead. A secret military SWAT team of soldiers and scientists is mobilized to stop the outbreak of this exotic "hot" virus.

The Hot Zone tells this dramatic story, giving a hair-raising account of the appearance of rare and lethal viruses and their "crashes" into the human race. Shocking, frightening, and impossible to ignore, The Hot Zone proves that truth really is scarier than fiction.

©1999 Richard Preston (P)2011 Simon & Schuster

Excellent book! Good narrator, bad pronunciation

What did you love best about The Hot Zone?

Amazing book. This is probably the 7th time I've read the novel and decided to go with an audible version. It's a nail biter, historical narrative and science lesson wrapped into one. Very impressed.

What about Richard M. Davidson’s performance did you like?

This narrator does a fantastic job setting up this book. Felt like I was on the edge of my seat the entire time. Only problem -- the narrator mispronounces a handful of scientific terms in his performance (etc. Ketamine, pseudomonas). Distracting when it happens, but the narrator really is very talented otherwise.

Scarier Because It’s Real

As our world community is more mobile than ever, the chance for this scenario or worse has and will continue to one of our greatest health challenges. It’s just a question of when. Preston brings the documentation and gravitas to the subject. And while it does get slow in some parts, it’s always interesting. The narrator does a good job bringing the characters to life.

informative and fascinating

gripping story with drama balanced with lots of information on fascinating and terrifying diseases. A great listen

Very well written, minus few bad words.

The book was well written and done. enjoyed it well except for a few foul/cuss words.

fantastic!

If you're on the fence, let me push you over. Read this now! great story and all true

Holds your attention throughout the book

Informative and fascinating. Narrator was easy on the ears. I would recommend this book. 5 stars!

Chilling and Relevant Nonfiction Thriller

This was so good, and additionally chilling because it is based on a real global healthcare concern and about the true events of the Reston, VA Ebola incident. Richard Preston’s “The Hot Zone” is one of the books which has influenced a century of science, and especially public perception of the emergence of new viruses. This best-selling 1994 nonfiction thriller is still very much applicable to today, as there have been Ebola outbreaks since its publication and it is only recently that a possible Ebola vaccine is being tested in the field.

Preston wrote his book by interviewing experts in filoviruses, both past and present for his time, and those who were involved in the Reston, VA incident. The most thrilling part of the book is when Preston describes the Ebola strain that infected monkeys in a Virginia laboratory and almost lead to a large human health crisis. It was fascinating to read about the United States Army Medical Research Institute of Infectious Diseases (USAMRIID) at Fort Detrick, and how they and the Center for Disease Control (CDC) responded to this event on US soil so close to the Capitol.

I loved how central Maj. Nancy Jaax, VMD is to this story, as she was to the 2019 National Geographic mini-series of the same name. I watched the mini-series first, so that probably influenced my reading of the source material, but I still really enjoyed this. It probably really only influenced how I pictured various characters, and I wasn’t confused or upset about any of the differences between what the mini-series highlights and what Preston’s book highlights about this story.

I recommend to all those interested in studying infectious diseases, especially Ebola zaire, and any fan of Michael Crichton. This has the storytelling stylistic flare of Michael Crichton while being about an investigative journalism process. This could very much read like really good science fiction, like if “The Andromeda Strain” was based on true events. Preston also writes better female characters than Crichton does, so that was a huge relief.

It’s a little gross to start with.

This book can be a bit boring at times but l definitely have a greater respect for military veterinarians. Yes l mean veterinarian that’s not a typo.

A wonderfully terrifying experience

Talk about a wake up call. This is a must read. I don't listen to non fiction but I am so glad I bought this.

A must-read for the curious mind!

Some books are watershed moments in our learning experiences. This was one of those for me. Recommended to all, even those only slightly interested. The gross-out factor is PG-13 by modern standards.