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jacki_f's review against another edition
4.0
Richard Preston, author of The Hot Zone, returns to the territory of killer viruses with this account of Ebola in Africa. It's the story of two outbreaks: the initial emergence of Ebola in 1976 in Zaire, and then its re-emergence in Guinea, Sierra Leone and Liberia (approx 4000km away) in 2014. He weaves into the account the stories of various medical professionals who worked to fight the disease - some of whom survived, some of whom didn't. It's an engrossing and frightening read.
aliciaurbain's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
informative
medium-paced
4.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Excrement, Medical trauma, Racism, Blood, Medical content, and Pandemic/Epidemic
larryerick's review against another edition
4.0
The quick and dirty review is that I found it to be roughly a blend of The Andromeda Strain and The Walking Dead, especially in the beginning chapters. You'll know in the very first few pages whether or not you can handle its subject matter. Having said that, there are a number of things that make this book fairly unique, in my view. In saying that, I'm taking for granted the obvious timeliness of reading this during the current coronavirus outbreak, which this book will make clear may have issues very similar and perhaps very dissimilar to the ebola outbreak covered in the book. The author takes some pains to make sure the reader is alert to differences between diseases, even to differences between mutations within the same disease. Point #1 to make is the writing style of the person doing the reporting. Having not read any of his other books, I can't judge if this book's style was unique to this work or not, but the observation I made was that the author seemed to have purposely chosen a vocabulary level that kept an average reader from being overwhelmed with medical or technical jargon and yet never let things lapse to such a simple level that it verged into becoming a story aimed at youngsters. He was very adept at taking rather complex issues and making them quite understandable. I also point out how carefully and how faithfully he brings in multiple issues that add or subtract from efforts to confront a pandemic. Perhaps the most important of these is the overlay of medical ethics. I also found it rather unique that unlike most historians and investigative reporters books I have read, this one had very little in the way of a bibliography or other sources listed. What he reports -- and he reports quite extensively --comes from his own interviews with a great number of people upon whom he was reporting. Despite, multiple people being involved at multiple locations in multiple countries, he digs into it all, making sense of it all for the reader. As I look back at what I have written so far, I wonder if I have diminished the point I made at the top, that this is a very captivating narrative, provided the reader can handle the emotional descriptions.
teachinsci's review against another edition
5.0
Robert Preston did it again! He took a true story of disease along with those who fight it and turned it into a compelling narrative. This nonfiction science work starts out with a history of Ebola and those who were first made ill by the outbreak in 2014. He introduces the main players in starting the fight against the epidemic by giving insights into their lives and their motivations. Then, through flashbacks, he brings in the earliest discoveries of Ebola and the beginnings of research into cures and prevention. The book leaves off in mid-2016 with the virus coming to the US and a look at how the country has and has not prepared. The people who you meet in the story age not perfect, they are real. They have histories and different things which motivate them. You will find yourself holding your breath and exclaiming alternately with dismay and with joy as the story progresses. If you enjoyed Hot Zone, Demon in the Freezer, or Preston's fiction work, you will love this book as well. If you are wanting to understand how a crisis develops or how it could be averted, you will love this book. Frankly, if you love a good story and can handle the realization that it is REAL, you will love this book. Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review.
kathrinpassig's review against another edition
4.0
Nach "The Hot Zone" wollte ich jetzt auch noch wissen, wie die Ebola-Geschichte weitergeht (dieses Buch ist 20 Jahre neuer). Es ist weniger sensationalistisch als das erste, aber immer noch ziemlich interessant. Auf eine seltsame Art ist es beruhigend, mitten in einer Pandemie darüber zu lesen, dass man noch ganz andere Probleme haben könnte. Aber dann auch wieder nicht, denn im Nachhinein denke ich, ich hatte einfach mein Leben lang überhaupt keine Vorstellung von den Problemen mit Infektionskrankheiten. Wie so viele Themen hatte ich sie irgendwie für ein kurioses, überwundenes Ding von früher gehalten, und das, obwohl ich 2019 fürs "Handbuch für Zeitreisende" selbst das Gegenteil recherchiert, aufgeschrieben und in Interviews gesagt habe.
bookishblond's review against another edition
4.0
Richard Preston's previous outbreak books--[b:The Hot Zone: The Terrifying True Story of the Origins of the Ebola Virus|16213|The Hot Zone The Terrifying True Story of the Origins of the Ebola Virus|Richard Preston|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1413747743l/16213._SY75_.jpg|909325] and [b:The Demon in the Freezer|198505|The Demon in the Freezer|Richard Preston|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1172613042l/198505._SY75_.jpg|192020]--are two of the most compelling books I have ever read. I was thrilled to see that Preston had written a new book, one that appeared to be a sequel to his first book about Ebola, The Hot Zone.
Crisis in the Red Zone is about the 2013-2014 Ebola outbreak. This is brand new, separate outbreak from the one at the heart of The Hot Zone--the first Ebola outbreak in the 1970s. But it still felt like a sequel. Many of the same characters and locations appeared in this story but they aren't solving the same problem over again--this crisis is new and modern. And terrifying. I am from Dallas, and I vividly remember when one of our city's hospitals housed an Ebola outbreak during this outbreak. The fear was palpable and pervasive.
I definitely enjoyed reading this book, but it didn't quite meet my expectations. It's been two years since I read one of Preston's books, but I recall staying up late into the night to finish reading, on the edge of my seat (bed) with anxiety. Crisis in the Red Zone did not have the same sense of urgency. To be fair, I could be misremembering. But I did remember many of the names and places, primarily because there were some chapters in this book that felt strangely repetitive of The Hot Zone. For example, there is a short section about the 1970s Ebola outbreak that felt like too much recap.
Something else I noticed while reading this book that I didn't notice with the others was how much conjecture was involved. It was raining, and the nurse might have gotten Ebola-saturated mud on her feet. The boy may have been bitten may a bat, and might have begun to feel ill. I understand that Preston is telling a story, and certain liberties need to be taken, but there is just so much conjecture here. It's distracting.
This book was more like 3.5 stars, but rounded up for the sake of nostalgia for Preston's other books. If you're a fan of those, you will very likely enjoy this one.
Crisis in the Red Zone is about the 2013-2014 Ebola outbreak. This is brand new, separate outbreak from the one at the heart of The Hot Zone--the first Ebola outbreak in the 1970s. But it still felt like a sequel. Many of the same characters and locations appeared in this story but they aren't solving the same problem over again--this crisis is new and modern. And terrifying. I am from Dallas, and I vividly remember when one of our city's hospitals housed an Ebola outbreak during this outbreak. The fear was palpable and pervasive.
I definitely enjoyed reading this book, but it didn't quite meet my expectations. It's been two years since I read one of Preston's books, but I recall staying up late into the night to finish reading, on the edge of my seat (bed) with anxiety. Crisis in the Red Zone did not have the same sense of urgency. To be fair, I could be misremembering. But I did remember many of the names and places, primarily because there were some chapters in this book that felt strangely repetitive of The Hot Zone. For example, there is a short section about the 1970s Ebola outbreak that felt like too much recap.
Something else I noticed while reading this book that I didn't notice with the others was how much conjecture was involved. It was raining, and the nurse might have gotten Ebola-saturated mud on her feet. The boy may have been bitten may a bat, and might have begun to feel ill. I understand that Preston is telling a story, and certain liberties need to be taken, but there is just so much conjecture here. It's distracting.
This book was more like 3.5 stars, but rounded up for the sake of nostalgia for Preston's other books. If you're a fan of those, you will very likely enjoy this one.
pickwickthedodo's review against another edition
5.0
Fascinating and truly chilling. Exactly what I've come to expect of Richard Preston.
Obviously not for those who have a tendency toward hypochondria.
Obviously not for those who have a tendency toward hypochondria.
dragnfly18's review against another edition
5.0
A great update to The Hot Zone! This book is written in the same exciting tone and language as its predecessor. I thoroughly enjoyed it and very much appreciate the updated science and medicine. A must read for anyone that enjoyed The Hot Zone!