Ebola: The Natural and Human History of a Deadly Virus

by David Quammen

Overview

“A frightening and fascinating masterpiece of science reporting that reads like a detective story.” —Walter Isaacson

In 1976 a deadly virus emerged from the Congo forest. As swiftly as it came, it disappeared, leaving no trace. Over the four decades since, Ebola has emerged sporadically, each time to devastating effect. It can kill up to 90 percent of its victims. In between these outbreaks, it is untraceable, hiding deep in the jungle. The search is on to find Ebola’s elusive host animal. And until we find it, Ebola will continue to strike. Acclaimed science writer and explorer David Quammen first came near the virus while he was traveling in the jungles of Gabon, accompanied by local men whose village had been devastated by a recent outbreak. Here he tells the story of Ebola—its past, present, and its unknowable future.

Extracted from Spillover by David Quammen, updated and with additional material.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780393351569
Publisher:	Norton, W. W. & Company, Inc.
Publication date:	10/03/2014
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
Pages:	128
Sales rank:	757,176
File size:	2 MB

About the Author

David Quammen is the author of The Song of the Dodo, among other books. He has been honored with the John Burroughs Medal for nature writing, an Academy Award in Literature from the American Academy of Arts and Letters, an award in the art of the essay from PEN, and (three times) the National Magazine Award. Quammen is also a contributing writer for National Geographic. He lives in Bozeman, Montana.

Editorial Reviews

…Mr. Quammen puts the frightening reality of Ebola—and the heightened language and hyperbole surrounding it—into perspective…Mr. Quammen combines on-the-ground reporting with research and interviews to give the reader a sharp-edge understanding of the subject at hand: what is known, what is not known and what may be in dispute. His book, like most writing about Ebola, is deeply unsettling, but it's also sober minded, and in this respect, a standout in the floodlet of Ebola books, many of them quickie scare guides and medical thrillers…which seem intended to exploit public fears.

The New York Times - Michiko Kakutani

"Quammen is not just among our best science writers but among our best writers."

New York Times

"David Quammen is a brilliant star of nature writing."

Edward O. Wilson

"This slender book …does a nimble job of situating this year’s unnerving events in historical context… [Quammen's] book, like most writing about Ebola, is deeply unsettling, but it’s also sober minded, and in this respect, a standout in the floodlet of Ebola books, many of them quickie scare guides and medical thrillers."

Michiko Kakutani

"A tidy book that explains everything we know, and everything we don't, about this terrifying disease."

Wired - Nick Stockton

"David Quammen is a master."

Bill Bryson

In this brief audiobook, prominent nature writer Quammen excerpts and adapts material from his 2012 book, SPILLOVER. That book examined the increased prominence of “zoonotic diseases”—diseases that spread from animals to people. Here Quammen focuses on the origins of Ebola in Africa. He covers the 2014 Ebola outbreak in West Africa in an epilogue. He is an engaging writer, offering solid scientific explanations and riveting human stories. Mel Foster's upbeat delivery goes well with stories from the frontiers of science but can seem insensitive when describing the heartrending tragedies in Ebola’s wake. Overall, he is easy to understand and does a good job of pronouncing both African place names and medical terms. F.C. © AudioFile 2015, Portland, Maine

APRIL 2015 - AudioFile