The Viral Storm

The Dawn of a New Pandemic Age

By: Nathan Wolfe

Narrated by: Robertson Dean

Length: 7 hrs and 55 mins

Publisher's summary

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

Critic reviews

"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

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.

excellent and informative.

Well written and I informative. the author really knows his stuff and brings to life the true horrors and heroics of the world that is microbiology. from viruses to prions it us astounding to discover the forces of nature arrayed against or surprisingly beside us. fun read.

Okay

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

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.

Timely. Terrifying. True.

I scanned my bookshelf before I wrote this review. Carl Zimmer's "Parasite Rex: Inside the Bizarre World of Nature's Most Dangerous Creatures" (2001), has a top shelf place that belies it's origins: I "borrowed" it from a JPL scientist who was more interested in his own biceps than the universe. Dr Nicholas P. Money's "Mr. Bloomfield's Orchard: The mysterious world of mushrooms, molds and mycologists" (2002) and "Carpet Monsters and Killer Spores: A Natural History of Toxic Mold" (2004) have truly honored places - Dr. Money loves mold like I love my kids, and he's got that dry, Monty Python wit to go with it.

Nathan Wolfe PhD's "The Viral Storm: The Dawn of a New Pandemic Age" (2012) was a natural fit. if it weren't for the current Ebola outbreak making everyone interested in pandemics, I would wondered just how well Audible knew me. Wolfe isn't as amusing as Money, but I don't think Wolfe aims to be, and I don't think Money can play the serious guy, no matter how deadly on point he is.

Wolfe discusses HIV/AIDS at length. As a virus, it's intriguing and horrifying. It's mutable and recombinant - but it's transmitted by intimate contact and blood, so it's a relatively contained epidemic. So is HPV, a sexually transmitted virus that causes genital warts in some variations - and cervical cancer in others.

Wolfe presciently addresses the current Ebola outbreak two years before it happened. Some might say that Wolfe was making a lucky guess in "The Viral Storm," but Wolfe wasn't guessing. He knew what was coming, period; and he got the who, what, where and why pretty much right, too. Well, Wolfe didn't have actual names for the "who" but he got the professions/jobs/work of those who first contracted Ebola right, and he definitely has the "how" down. Ebola will burn itself out eventually - it's an inefficient transmitter but lethal, burning through its hosts fairly quickly and killing more than half of those it infects. The question is how many will it kill this time?

What makes Wolfe's book truly scary is the cleverness of the viruses. HIV/AIDS hid its hosts, and it took years to develop a diagnostic test. At the beginning of the epidemic, an HIV+ person could unknowingly infect those he or she loved, not discovering the illness for years. And Ebola - it doesn't just kill, it takes the loved ones who care for the infected, too. Viruses are small, with very little genetic material - and some can combine with other viruses to make a lethal new microbe. It's as if viruses are sentient and bent on taking over the world.

It's a fascinating, challenging, and so very frightening listen.

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.....Global Viral Forecasting.....

Will mankind succumb to the ever increasing onrush of deadly pathogens? Not if Nathan Wolfe can help it. He has been busy behind the scenes actively delivering preemptive strikes against the microbes that regularly surface and begin to ravage the population. In this fascinating glimpse into the world of the viral experts Wolfe teaches us not only about the serious dangers of the diseases that threaten to break out into global pandemics, but also that there is hope of detecting them early and halting them before they show up on the evening news. Along the way he teaches us about the inner workings of viral variability and even helps dispel a few urban legends concerning HIV and Ebola. I recommend this book for those who enjoy learning about the way the world works.

Robertson Dean has a wonderful sonorous voice that lends a calming effect when Wolfe is explaining of the mortality rate of Cholera or the Hanta virus.

Good Primer on Viruses

Fans of Richard Preston will like this book. It's a very comprehensive primer on viruses and pandemics.

It has a bit of an academic tone and can be fairly heavy going, but it's very interesting and thought-provoking.

It's probably not too simplistic for scientists, and it's not too complex for the rest of us. Nathan Wolfe gets it just right.

It's thought-provoking and fascinating and has a good blend of the historical and the current.

I don't think I'll look at chimpanzees the same way again. Or hunting, for that matter.

Unbelievable!

Would you consider the audio edition of The Viral Storm to be better than the print version?

Never read the book, but the information gathered from the audiobook is both informative and eye opening