The Viral Storm

The Dawn of a New Pandemic Age

De: Nathan Wolfe

Narrado por: Robertson Dean

In The Viral Storm, award-winning biologist Nathan Wolfe tells the story of how viruses and human beings have evolved side by side through history; how deadly viruses like HIV, swine flu, and bird flu almost wiped us out in the past; and why modern life has made our species vulnerable to the threat of a global pandemic.

Wolfe's research missions to the jungles of Africa and the rain forests of Borneo have earned him the nickname "the Indiana Jones of virus hunters," and here Wolfe takes listeners along on his groundbreaking and often dangerous research trips - to reveal the surprising origins of the most deadly diseases and to explain the role that viruses have played in human evolution. In a world where each new outbreak seems worse than the one before, Wolfe points the way forward, as new technologies are brought to bear in the most remote areas of the world to neutralize these viruses and even harness their power for the good of humanity. His provocative vision of the future will change the way we think about viruses, and perhaps remove a potential threat to humanity's survival.

©2011 Nathan Wolfe (P)2011 Tantor

Reseñas de la Crítica

"By turns terrifying and comforting, The Viral Storm is a clear, riveting account of the threat of undiscovered viruses." (Mary Roach, author of Stiff)

Muy oportuno para entender el tema de los virus

Muy buen audiolibro para darse una idea general del complejo mundo de los virus y los seres humanos; un título escrito años antes de las verdaderas pandemias que ahora nos tocó vivir y que sería muy educativo para que los tomadores de decisiones no ignoren la importancia de los virus en su choque con la actividad humana

No ratings yet? Why? This was an amazing book.

I loved the depth of the authors work and its implications. I am not a scientist but have always been interested in virology and this was wonderful. I have already listened to it 4 times… Highly recommended.

Excellent, well researched book!

As far as new research on viruses go, this book has it all. Not too technical, but gives you a very detailed overview of these devastating litle creatures! Highly recommend.

Good Intro/Overview

This book was easy to follow and understand, so it is good for its intended general audience. I do have to say it was dry in some spots, though. Many reviewers who already have knowledge in this field have panned the book for its simplicity and lack of new information, but that is not the target audience. There needs to be books at this level for people like me, who want a general understanding of the subject matter; the experts can get their information from peer reviewed articles in scientific journals.

As for the book itself, there were some interesting parts. I never thought much about viruses other than they are pesky things that make people sick. However, I was fascinated to learn that viruses actually time their release (hence the reason they lie dormant at times) and transmission passage to enhance their success at continuing its life cycle and ensure the success of their offspring. Its actually a bit chilling to think of them in that way, like little villains living in your body going "aha, the perfect time for spreading myself around is here!" The symptoms of some viruses, such as coughing, sneezing, etc., are designed to make sure that they are spread and continue to survive.

The most chilling part of this book for me was when the author talks about microbes that keep him awake at night. This is a case of knowing too much; ignorance can be bliss at times. He knows what potential there is for new viruses to emerge, as well as bio terror or bio error, and I imagine that knowledge can be pretty darn scary.

The last section was fascinating in terms of using cell phone data to pinpoint where natural disaster events are occurring as well as internet search terms to determine if pandemics are going to be occurring. The prospect of a pandemic of these new super bugs is scary, but maybe with the forecasting techniques the author describes, it can be controlled.

Okay

Fact filled, unclear whether this will slow pandemic spread. Possibly earlier identifications. Clear presenter, not