The Hot Zone: A Terrifying True Story

Non-fiction that reads like a sci-fi story

This book was recommended to me after I had commented about non-fiction books that weren't dry and dull. I picked the book up and read it straight through. Parts of the book actually creeped me out thinking about what is actually out there around us and how fragile human life really is. Unlike some books this title reels you within the first 10 pages. I would recommend this book to anyone who needs information on the Ebola virus or just wants a, 'different read'.

4 out of 5 people found this review helpful.

I really recommend this novel

I would recommend the novel, The Hot Zone, because it shows how easily an unknown virus could harm the human race. The Hot Zone also makes one realize the fragility of humanity
I chose to read and do the assignment on a novel because I love to read anything I can get my hands on and I enjoy writing. I chose this book particularly because I find learning about viruses, the food chain and the science of biology interesting. It is fascinating to learn that humans are still prey to some organisms and humans are not the most dangerous species to other life on Earth. I learned a great deal from this novel about Bio-safety containment. For example the fact that hot agents are kept in negative air pressure so if there is a breach in security they will go into the other zones instead of the outside world. (Page 57) and I also learned how viruses manifest in organisms. There are only two negative aspects about this novel: the first is that it needs to be read in a short period of time or you risk forgetting characters and their relationship to the virus and other characters. "Her immediate superior was Lieutenant Colonel Anthony Johnson (he is not related to Gene Johnson, the civilian who was the head of the Ebola project." (Page 65). The second negative component is the author's detailed description about what the virus will do to the victim's body. "The muscles of his face droop. The connective tissue in his face is dissolving, and his face appears to hang from the underlying bone, as if the face is detaching itself from the skull."(Page 17).
The Hot Zone it is a great reading experience and assisted me in understanding viruses. It also makes me ponder what other virus are out there undiscovered waiting to make the leap into infecting the human race.

1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

Enlightening. Gripping. Terrifying.

Typically, it takes me multiple attempts to finish a book because I don't have the time, so put it aside, forget about it for a while, then rediscover it and have to start from the beginning again. Not the case with the Hot Zone. I got sucked in. I must have read it in a day! This was, of course, due to the suspenseful series of events - but also because Preston has a great efficiency with words, descriptive enough to place you IN the terrifying event, and not a lot of the excess fluff that could have ruined a story this intense. If you already fear and respect the devastating power of a tiny microbe, you will love this book. If you don't know much about the havoc a little "germ" can wreak, you need to read this book.

Highly, Highly Recommend

One of my favorite books/authors of all time...

Highly Recommended - an exciting read!

The Hot Zone by Richard Preston was an amazing read that keeps you enthralled throughout the whole book. It starts off with the introduction of the Ebola virus into the world of the human beings. It describes the virus in such a vivid and descriptive way that even through all of the gore I was amazed by how the author could put such vivid descriptions in my head. There is no real storyline throughout Part 1 of this book but, with such detail it kept me wanting to read more every time I picked it up.

The plot begins in Part 2 where we meet military microbiologists that research deadly diseases. Part 2 felt like a slow area to me where the setting and characters are introduced while the tension builds to a turning point. Each page of Part 2 leads the reader into a deeper part of the character's lives especially the Jaaxes.

Then once at Part 3 the book explodes into a scene of chaos with the characters introduced in Part 2 being the main characters. I felt that Part 3 was the best part of this book because it had all the detail of Part 1, exciting and exhilarating action scenes, while keeping the plot going and still keeping the focus on the characters. Part 3 had a certain feel to it that conveyed emotions to me. When the action picked up and the characters were in a tense state, I could feel the tension from just reading. Richard Preston is a great writer in that he could make me feel those emotions with words. Overall, just the readability of this book is what got me. When I first picked up this book, I thought, "Oh, it's a science book, it's going to be boring." But, it was not. With the plot and detail, it hooked me instantly. I one hundred percent recommend for you to read this book, you will not regret it.

Terrifyingly Excellent!

A true Sci-Fi story, that will creep anyone out. Shows how Real-Life events are much more frightening than fiction. I read this book when I was back in high school and finished it in only 2 days. All these years later and I still haven't read anything quite so terrifying.

It will be back!

The Hot Zone is a thrilling read that will keep you on the edge of your seat. It is a chilling tale of an Ebola virus that threatens to break into the population surrounding Washington D.C. The events and people are real, follow the actions of an elite army branch as they try and contain nature's most effective killer. It comes from the jungles, massacres, and then recedes again; however, one thing is for sure it will be back .
The Hot Zone is a great read for anyone interested in science; it is a good blend between fiction and a Sci-Fi feel. While the overall plot does not stick strictly to the incident near D.C., it is rather a collection of smaller stories detailing Marburg and Marburg like viruses, it flows together seamlessly.

best book I ever read

best book I ever read

0 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

A great book

I just finished this book, and I enjoyed reading it, I couldn't put it down. Biology has always been an interest of mine, so if you're like me, you will enjoy it too. From the begining of Marburg/Ebola to the present day, it is a well chronicled, thrilling, frightening piece of literature

Excellent Read!

Although not what I'd usually choose to read, this remains one of my all time favorite books. Terrifyingly true, it does an amazing job of bringing home just how narrowly we escaped an Ebola disaster. Despite what could be a challenging subject, it's written in such a way that it's easy to understand and follow. Tight, clear, and completely engrossing. I just couldn't put it down. A must read!

Very informative most people probably didn't know about this horrible disease it'll really engross you quite descriptive.

The author really did his work on this book. Very in depth and quite graphic
in the story telling.Very engrossing book not for the squeamish though.

A good and scary read for all ages

I liked this book the most because It is true. If it weren't for that than it would not be nearly as good.

A terrifying story

This book is great! For days, I couldn't put it down, it was that absorbing. It details the Ebola virus throughout history. The writing style is great, it is extremely thrilling, and I would recommend it highly. It was, however, not a book for hypochondriacs. I really liked The Hot Zone.

A frightening true story

I am currently reading The Hot Zone and so far, I've found it absolutely frightening, more-so because it's a true story. The detail that the author goes into is incredible and it's obvious that he's done his research well. The story itself is incredible, but I find the writing to be downright annoying at times. The author isn't the best writer ever and has a tendency to repeat the same word over and over throughout a single paragraph. This, however, doesn't detract from the story much. It is definitely a must-have book.

Micro life forms that kill humans, and it's non-fiction.

The Hot Zone is a very well writtin book about deadly viruses and cases of the humans that get infected with them. This book mainly describes the Ebola virus, which is the most deadly of them all, and its sister virus, Marburg. And all sorts of different senarios in wich people from all corners of the world somehow get infected with this deadly virus and their enevidable journy towards death where they "crash out". The author also talks about the life of being a scientist in the military who spend their whole life studing or chacing down where these viruses came from. And about labs where truck loads of infected monkeys are carrying the disease into america and how the virus almost sneeks its way into Washington D.C.
A major theme in the book is how delicate human life is and how violent, brutal, and unforgiving nature can really be. What i liked alot about this book was how it was writtin. Richard Preston has a characteristic in his wtriting and it shows throughout this book. Also what i loved about this book is the imagry, even though it is rather crude, the truth is is that it is all natural and true, and VERY graphic. When reading this book, my eyes widened, my jaw droped, and my spine tingled. The only thing i disliked was the amount of characters the author kept referring to, it was just a little confusing at times because it was difficult to remember all of the people, but all of the people didn't really matter too much for the plot's sake.
If someone is looking for something "different", expecially for a non-fiction, they should read this book. Its one of those books that once you start reading, you wont stop, its a great book to get lost in.

The Hotzone

The Hotzone is a very peculiar book. I have to admit that it is not what i expected when i started reading it. I was looking forward to reading about a deadly virus that breaks out in Washington and kills almost all of the people there. However, since it is a true story, it does not have a perfect ending. The story seems logical but the author could have tweaked the storyline a bit to make it more dramatic and put on the cover "Based on a Terrifying True Story" instead of just "A Terrifying True Story." This would improve the plot alot. I was also suprised because it is not just one big story about Ebola in Reston, but a bunch of small, VERY detailed exerpts of tales concerning Ebola and it's sister Marburg. This is not a book to read as you are eating because it is somewhat graphic. I would advise reading it on a rainy day because it is so terrifyingly good and i could not put me down. It is a very very very good read and is a great book for anyone interested in what bad things can happen to you if you catch one of these Biohazard level 4 viruses.

Scientifically Interesting

I only began reading this because my daughter needed it as reference for a project in science. We were heading on vacation and thought it sounded interesting - about deadly viruses. The author intrigues you with his first hand experiences, stories, interviews, etc. I read this book within a month, which for me is good. I am not an avid reader but I know when a book is good if I can't wait to get back to reading it. This was one of those books - leaves you thinking about what is coming next.

0 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

Reads like fiction

This was a great book. My 9th grader had to read it for Geography, but I was interested, so I read it too. Ended up devouring it in 3 days. My son liked it a lot, too. A great book to discuss after reading.

0 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

A FANTASTIC MYSTERY

I liked this book because it is true and it deals with real life

0 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

''First Non-fictional book that I read''

I just recently checked this book out of the libary a two months ago. I must say this is the best ''non-fictional'' book ever. Makes me never to get close to a monkey or cave ever. Especially when the French- scientist died in ICU then infected the doctor and recovered. Give this an 10/10 for offbeat and thrilling.