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4.42 AVERAGE
4.42 AVERAGE
Fascinating analysis of how diseases like AIDS, Lyme, influenza and coronaviruses are born and “spillover” from one species to another. Published in 2012 he is quote clear we should be on the lookout for NBO (next big one). It is now 2022 and here we are.
informative
medium-paced
Absolutely fantastic! Quammen's book is most comprehensive and compelling popular science writing I've seen on this subject. It lacks the sensationalism and shoddy journalistic narrative of The Hot Zone (and even goes so far as to debunk some of the misconceptions Preston perpetuated in the section on Ebola). Quammen does an excellent job of explaining scientific concepts in an accessible way; the only section that may be too technical for the layperson is the discussion of the parasitology of malaria. As a microbiology student, Spillover gets my highest praise.
funny to have finished this right before NPR started a series on pandemics. i think my number one take home from this book was maybe DON'T take the extra excursion to the cave full of bat poop -- and that's what they were doing on today's segment on morning edition!!! ugh.
the history of the AIDS virus and why it's important was so interesting. And tho I was aware that bats and wild birds are important reservoirs, it was interesting to hear why. I love the descriptions of all the vets and research scientists and their field work (a fantasy job in a previous life tho I know I would never have the stomach for it). Thank you for sharing their names, their stories and their work. I've heard the story of malaria many times but he put it in a historical context (early in the times of microbiology) that makes it amazing that they figured it out at all.
Big and dense - a lot of info to take in. I borrowed this from the library but am going to need my own copy so I can map out some of these pathways.
One of the questions that came up for me was that even in areas with say ebola and cholera, not everyone who is exposed catches it, and of those that do, not everyone dies. I am interested to know what about those people protected them while others around them suffered. A topic for another book that I hope is being studied.
In the meantime -- avoid bat poop, don't eat downed bush meat, avoid sick chickens & pigs & wild birds.
the history of the AIDS virus and why it's important was so interesting. And tho I was aware that bats and wild birds are important reservoirs, it was interesting to hear why. I love the descriptions of all the vets and research scientists and their field work (a fantasy job in a previous life tho I know I would never have the stomach for it). Thank you for sharing their names, their stories and their work. I've heard the story of malaria many times but he put it in a historical context (early in the times of microbiology) that makes it amazing that they figured it out at all.
Big and dense - a lot of info to take in. I borrowed this from the library but am going to need my own copy so I can map out some of these pathways.
One of the questions that came up for me was that even in areas with say ebola and cholera, not everyone who is exposed catches it, and of those that do, not everyone dies. I am interested to know what about those people protected them while others around them suffered. A topic for another book that I hope is being studied.
In the meantime -- avoid bat poop, don't eat downed bush meat, avoid sick chickens & pigs & wild birds.
Measuring the merits of this book is impossible.
First of all, the quality of the writing is such as to make the subject matter - in itself difficult - extremely pleasant, interesting, in some places more entertaining than any novel. In scientific divulgation, Asimov teaches, the quality of writing is essential if you want to get any kind of message across.
Then there's the adventurous part: the travel diary, alive and vivid, of a person who chased in the field - and in terms of field here we talk about the forests of Africa as well as the Australian bush, as well as the Chinese markets - the stories he tells.
Last but not least, the inclusion of the author in that enormous network of specialists in many scientific disciplines who hunt down those viruses that do something that for us humans is equivalent to the injured majesty, that is, to go from animal to man, forgetting that we are animals ourselves.
Back in vogue because of the recent coronavirus pandemic, it really is an indispensable book for the ordinary citizen to understand what happened, why it happened and the necessary steps to return to a sort of normality.
First of all, the quality of the writing is such as to make the subject matter - in itself difficult - extremely pleasant, interesting, in some places more entertaining than any novel. In scientific divulgation, Asimov teaches, the quality of writing is essential if you want to get any kind of message across.
Then there's the adventurous part: the travel diary, alive and vivid, of a person who chased in the field - and in terms of field here we talk about the forests of Africa as well as the Australian bush, as well as the Chinese markets - the stories he tells.
Last but not least, the inclusion of the author in that enormous network of specialists in many scientific disciplines who hunt down those viruses that do something that for us humans is equivalent to the injured majesty, that is, to go from animal to man, forgetting that we are animals ourselves.
Back in vogue because of the recent coronavirus pandemic, it really is an indispensable book for the ordinary citizen to understand what happened, why it happened and the necessary steps to return to a sort of normality.
Ebola, West Nile Virus, SARS, Bird Flu, Swine Flu, Lyme disease and AIDS. All are zoonotic, having crossed over from animals to infect humans. This book explores in depth, sometimes too much depth zoonotic diseases. It is interesting and scary. It's a very long, scientifically detailed book with an important message. Stay away from bats. Oh and don't eat monkeys.
Anyone that can write about science and be clear enough that I can understand it deserves high praise.
informative
slow-paced
challenging
informative
reflective
medium-paced
2020, here we go. If it's not relevant now, I dont know what is.
Original review: I really liked the writing style and the topic. However I got distracted a lot while reading it, and I'm not really sure, why.
I really like the calm, educated explanation of spillovers and the implications for future Big Ones.
All the taunting to explain AIDS was a bit weird, though. I felt like every other chapter had some sort of "Just like HIV, but I'll explain it later, just you wait" bit.
Original review: I really liked the writing style and the topic. However I got distracted a lot while reading it, and I'm not really sure, why.
I really like the calm, educated explanation of spillovers and the implications for future Big Ones.
All the taunting to explain AIDS was a bit weird, though. I felt like every other chapter had some sort of "Just like HIV, but I'll explain it later, just you wait" bit.