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4.09 AVERAGE
4.09 AVERAGE
Not to perpetuate the Ebola scare but this book was extremely fascinating while incredibly terrifying. It's a true story about an Ebola outbreak near Washington DC in 1989 and gives a unique view into the minds of the people fighting to contain the virus. There's a reason Stephen King was quoted as saying "One of the most horrifying things I've ever read." when reviewing this book.
dark
informative
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
Really interesting read. I know some of the facts have been stretched a little, or have been updated due to this having been written almost 20 years ago.
This book was amazing! Made a true story read like a thriller novel. Changed the way I look at viruses! Made me want to read more by Preston and more books on the same subject!
Fascinating and graphic. Skip this one if you have a weak stomach. But if you’re fascinated by viruses and diseases, you’ll love it. It’s pretty unforgettable and I’ve already told people about it.
What amazing work has been done to identify Ebola and its relatives. I have so much respect for the doctors who care for patients that are dying from this disease. Also, all the close calls in this book gave me anxiety.
Excellent descriptions of scenery and great characterization of these real people. Easy to understand but not surface level science. I just really liked this.
Bonus points for talking about some areas in Kenya I was familiar with, and reminding me of the Swahili word askari.
What amazing work has been done to identify Ebola and its relatives. I have so much respect for the doctors who care for patients that are dying from this disease. Also, all the close calls in this book gave me anxiety.
Excellent descriptions of scenery and great characterization of these real people. Easy to understand but not surface level science. I just really liked this.
Bonus points for talking about some areas in Kenya I was familiar with, and reminding me of the Swahili word askari.
This book captured me in a way that really surprised me. I've never read anything like it and it was probably the scariest non-fiction I've ever read.
Some things I didn't love about it: really flowery language that went on for too many paragraphs at a time and the last section of the book. it felt really out of place and I found myself skimming just to get through it.
Some things I didn't love about it: really flowery language that went on for too many paragraphs at a time and the last section of the book. it felt really out of place and I found myself skimming just to get through it.
adventurous
informative
reflective
tense
medium-paced
Lmao y'all were scared of this book?? Couldn't possibly be me. I mean it was entertaining for what it is but I don't think it answered many questions for me. The writer is also low-key orientalist and sexist. The way that every woman had some relationship or family drama or some petty and vain reaction was annoying and I don't even think it was intentional. The way the author writes is annoying and repetitive too, with unnecessary purple prose and elucidating over irrelevant details.
My favorite part is how this book portrays the army and CDC as rivals in how much they cared about public health when we know after three years of plague that this is patently not fucking true lmfao. Really annoying military propaganda but it's entertaining enough.
My favorite part is how this book portrays the army and CDC as rivals in how much they cared about public health when we know after three years of plague that this is patently not fucking true lmfao. Really annoying military propaganda but it's entertaining enough.
This book was written more as a simple thriller than a scientific overview of Ebola. So it races along with a pretty tense description of the Reston biohazard mission, after setting up the pucker factor with gory details of death by Ebola. Not really a good choice of books to read while a family member is in Africa doing Ebola research.
Stephen King was right, this book was absolutely horrifying - but I couldn't put it down.