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

If you love viruses and gore and non-fiction...

It's rare that a non-fiction book can be this exciting, this compelling, and this gory! Hot Zone certainly gets detailed, and I loved every second of it. Preston did an OUTSTANDING job researching this topic, and really becoming an expert on it. The way he crafted a story that will keep you guessing is nothing short of genius. Narrarator is outstanding. Overall, I'd rather read/listen to this non-fiction book than ANY of the fictional virus stories I've read. Yes, it's THAT good!

The Mystery

loved it, couldn't put it down a tour deForce of unimaginable horror up into the very end, to then be tempered by subtle mercy.

the hot zone

scary,truthful and a damn good read. This book is an amazing eye opener. I think everyone should take time to read this.

Great book on current "Hot" topic.

Would you listen to The Hot Zone again? Why?

Yes, it was very informative.

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

He kept me engaged, well done.

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

No, it was a rather long one, but worth the time.

nonfiction, informative, interesting

Well written with an engaging style. This well researched story about viruses like ebola and others is alarming. Comic relief and pleasant narration make it a worthwhile nonfiction audiobook..

Knowledge Is Understanding

this has been one of the best books I have ever listened to.
this documentary-esk nonfiction story is chock-full of facts about the deadliest adversary we face on planet Earth today as humans. I almost wish that this story and this book were required reading in English classes today so that children understand what it means to be human. Our vulnerabilities and shortcomings, as well as The human condition are all covered here in this book written by Richard Preston and takes a look at some of the most horrific events in our recent past with mercy & forgiveness upon those innocent participants struggling to survive at all costs in this merciless & hostile world. EPIC!

Scarier than any horror fiction

this will make you second guess the chance of life and how close death really is at the hands of the world around. great book, solid performance.

great story annoying narration

The story was compelling so I finished it and it was well worth the time. The narration was done in a slightly irritating staccato style - short, choppy enunciation and loooooong pauses between sentences to the point that sometimes I thought it was the end of the chapter instead of just the end of a sentence. And, most disappointing of all was the narrator's utter lack of effort to even attempt an accurate pronunciation of any of the French words. I know French is challenging to pronounce, but this narrator slaughtered probably it worse than I've ever heard. Disclosure - I have a degree in French and speak it fluently, so I am patient with people who mispronounce it. But this narrator's pronunciation of French was atrocious. Really abysmal. Most of the time it was so bad, I didn't even realize the words he was pronouncing were even French. I am buying the hard copy so I can actually find the words, since I'm still not sure of a couple of them. I expect more of professional narrators.

A reminder of the power of nature

This is a non-fiction story told very well through a story format with good narration. I found myself looking up the events and places mentioned in the book which only added to the engagement as I listened. There are a few sections of the book that may be difficult to listen to if you’re squeamish while listening a description of the damage a virus can do to a human body. These sections are few and don’t last longer than necessary, but they highlight the true power that nature has and that humans are not immune from it. This was a great listen, I recommend it to anyone who is interested in science topics.

Interesting, a definite page turner

Very interesting and informative. Highly recommend. I always wanted to know more about Ebola. Scary