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4.09 AVERAGE
4.09 AVERAGE
This is possibly the most terrifying thing I've ever read. Not due to the charmingly melodramatic way Preston frames every description of the disease. Or the downright silly "Gaia's" revenge thesis presented at the end.
No, it's because every time I've seen a fictional disease outbreak scenario, once the military deploys, they always seem to able to quickly isolate and control the outbreak, albeit in a heavy handed manner. And then inevitably hubris, or malice, or some other venial human failing results in a series of event resulting in containment being breached. But that's just to drive the drama, the message conveyed is always "do things by the book and we'll be able to handle this".
But this real world example shows that to be a bald faced lie. Hopefully procedures have been reevaluated and technologies have improved, because Washington DC at least, is lucky to still be around.
Why do the spacesuits keep tearing? Why? Why aren't they made of tougher fabric? Why are people allowed to transport horrific viruses on the trunks of their Corrolas in plastic garbage bags without consequences? Why does the CDC have to measure dicks with the Army at the dawn of a potential epidemic? Why are the most valuable personnel literally sniffing unknown virus samples? Why are people allowed to conceal possible exposure out of fear of being quarantined? Why are the most knowledgeable personnel being needlessly exposed to the most risk? Why are careers and media deception prioritized over safety? Why risk stabbing the monkeys 3 times to execute them humanely rather than just gassing the whole fucking building or something? Why, more than anything else, does the military wait for the lawyers to give the okay before starting its operating?
I'd like to think there are reasons for these things (and more) and that people who think about these scenarios for a living have so thought, and this is the best they have come up with, for reasons I'm simply ignorant about... but that seems like a big stretch. All I know is, if the military ever shows up at a building in my town, and won't show the news crews what they're doing, but assure them everything is fine, I'm fleeing town.
Which sucks for the rest of the country, because of Reston is any guide, by then I'll have already been infected.
No, it's because every time I've seen a fictional disease outbreak scenario, once the military deploys, they always seem to able to quickly isolate and control the outbreak, albeit in a heavy handed manner. And then inevitably hubris, or malice, or some other venial human failing results in a series of event resulting in containment being breached. But that's just to drive the drama, the message conveyed is always "do things by the book and we'll be able to handle this".
But this real world example shows that to be a bald faced lie. Hopefully procedures have been reevaluated and technologies have improved, because Washington DC at least, is lucky to still be around.
Why do the spacesuits keep tearing? Why? Why aren't they made of tougher fabric? Why are people allowed to transport horrific viruses on the trunks of their Corrolas in plastic garbage bags without consequences? Why does the CDC have to measure dicks with the Army at the dawn of a potential epidemic? Why are the most valuable personnel literally sniffing unknown virus samples? Why are people allowed to conceal possible exposure out of fear of being quarantined? Why are the most knowledgeable personnel being needlessly exposed to the most risk? Why are careers and media deception prioritized over safety? Why risk stabbing the monkeys 3 times to execute them humanely rather than just gassing the whole fucking building or something? Why, more than anything else, does the military wait for the lawyers to give the okay before starting its operating?
I'd like to think there are reasons for these things (and more) and that people who think about these scenarios for a living have so thought, and this is the best they have come up with, for reasons I'm simply ignorant about... but that seems like a big stretch. All I know is, if the military ever shows up at a building in my town, and won't show the news crews what they're doing, but assure them everything is fine, I'm fleeing town.
Which sucks for the rest of the country, because of Reston is any guide, by then I'll have already been infected.
adventurous
dark
tense
medium-paced
adventurous
informative
tense
fast-paced
Decent but out of date
Overall, it's a good book. I enjoyed reading it. However, much of the information has been proven incorrect or just out of date. For example, if methods in the book three strains of Ebola. To date, there are five strains. So for a good read and an interesting look at one of the world's most interesting diseases, read this book. For an accurate portrayal of Ebola today, look elsewhere
Overall, it's a good book. I enjoyed reading it. However, much of the information has been proven incorrect or just out of date. For example, if methods in the book three strains of Ebola. To date, there are five strains. So for a good read and an interesting look at one of the world's most interesting diseases, read this book. For an accurate portrayal of Ebola today, look elsewhere
informative
tense
medium-paced
tense
I learned a lot and this book is fantastically written but damn am I afraid to leave my house ever again.
This book is really good and will make you feel fascinated about the virus world. It is my second time around and I enjoyed it even more. Coincidentally, just as I was reading it this second time an Ebola outbreak started in Liberia and Guinea.
I've been complementing my read with current Ebola news and a little research on my own so this has been really enjoyable and interesting. The book itself is very good and the reason I don't give it 5 starts is because I found it to be a little slow at times and had me lose a little of that "can't wait to get home from work to read" feeling in some parts. I felt some character side stories were completely irrelevant and I would've focused a little bit more on the Ebola Reston patients like they did with the Marburg, Ebola Zaire and Ebola Sudan patient stories.
Apart from this, I highly recommend this book! Will have you researching and reading more about the subject.
I've been complementing my read with current Ebola news and a little research on my own so this has been really enjoyable and interesting. The book itself is very good and the reason I don't give it 5 starts is because I found it to be a little slow at times and had me lose a little of that "can't wait to get home from work to read" feeling in some parts. I felt some character side stories were completely irrelevant and I would've focused a little bit more on the Ebola Reston patients like they did with the Marburg, Ebola Zaire and Ebola Sudan patient stories.
Apart from this, I highly recommend this book! Will have you researching and reading more about the subject.