The Hot Zone

Rating:
Summary: A Nonfiction Thriller
Review: In THE HOT ZONE, Richard Preston has woven epidemiological fact with the terrifying true story of how a strain of the Ebola virus came to the United States. He details various outbreaks of hemorrhagic fevers, traces them to their possible origins, and provides a basic education about viral evolution and forensics, all couched in narratives that will keep you turning page after page. After you have read his graphic descriptions of what happens to people who contract the deadlier strains of Ebola, you will understand fully just how dangerous the Reston, Virginia incident could have been.

With its crisp language and pacing, THE HOT ZONE reads like an expert thriller novel, making its reality that much more horrifying. Not for the faint-hearted, this book will likely alter the way you view viruses and epidemics.

I highly recommend this book for a general adult readership. (Teenagers under 16 may not be able to handle the highly disturbing descriptions Preston provides.) If you haven't read this book before, you should, especially now in this time of bioterrorism and global travel.

Rating:
Summary: Sensationalist, manipulative science fact
Review: Of all the sins that Richard Preston committed in his dramatic account of the Ebola outbreak at the quarantine facilities in Reston, Va., the most unacceptable was his seeming unwillingness to emphasize that that particular strain of Ebola posed no harm to people. While I agree that the people going into the 'hot zone' did not know that at the time, he knew when writing the book that the strain was not dangerous to humans. To me, this is rampant sensationalism, not befitting a book which is placed in the science section.
Addtionally, the public health officials assigned to Reston did an excellent job of containment, and even if the strain had been lethal to humans, there should not be a distraction from that fact. It is unfortunate to me that most people's understanding of the Ebola virus will come from books like this and movies like 'Outbreak.' While Ebola is certainly a lethal and fearful virus, it has thus far been limited in its spread.
Preston's book does not showcase the excellent steps made by public health officials, does not highlight the true nature of the viral strain in Reston, and most of all, attempts to strike up fear as a means to increase sales.
People should not be comparing a true medical story to Stephen King. That comparison alone should be sufficient to illustrate that the book is not balanced and has one goal: to frighten. In a world that is already frightening enough, a balanced, fair perspective is owed to the public on issues as horrifying as hemorrhagic fevers.
It is what Richard Preston owed his readers; it is what he failed to deliver.

Rating:
Summary: An intense reality check!
Review: Have you ever pondered the many kinds of microscopic particles that live on this earth? I do even more now that I've read Richard Preston's true story, The Hot Zone. This book takes an extremely graphic dive into the facts within the first three pages. It all begins in Kitum cave deep in the heart of Kenya's wild jungles, where a deadly, unknown virus thrives. Scientific testing on monkeys then brings it to America, relating it to the fast killing Ebola virus, scaring the daylights out of our military. Their suspicions grow even more when they see the flesh eating symptoms of blood coming out of every orifice of the victims bodies. Many individuals get involved throughout this book, revealing their personalities and fears.
This exciting scientific thriller will keep you on edge for the whole read. With The Hot Zone being a true story, Richard Preston puts you in the level 4 biohazard zone easily, sharing the emotions of someone about to enter.
This book is definitely for you if you thrive on the life threatening facts of Ebola, Marburg, and other deadly viruses. With the first electron microscopy photographs ever taken of the virus alone, you won't be able to put it down!

Rating:
Summary: A horrific true story!
Review: The Hot Zone by Richard Preston tells the story of a malicious killer. It isn't just a dark figure with a gun, though, but a virus - the Ebola virus. When a man innocently visits Kitum Cave in Kenya on a camping trip, he comes out with more than he bargained for. This was the first known case of the virus in a human. As research began, more people came down with one of Ebola's three strains. The virus remained very mysterious as no one knew how it traveled from host to host. After tearing its way through Africa, Ebola eventually makes its way to America in a shipment of contaminated monkeys sent to a Virginia monkey house.
Richard Preston is very descriptive in his work as he experienced the tragedy in person. Preston tells the true story from his point of view as he researched the Ebola virus. The Hot Zone is one of those books that you just can't put down. It is an easy read that grabs your attention right off the bat and doesn't let go. It will leave you wondering what will happen next.
I recommend purchasing this book if you enjoy detailed, graphic literature. Keep in mind, though, that it is not for those with a weak and sensitive stomach. Some of Preston's descriptions get into the gruesome details of the havoc that this murderer wreaks.

Rating:
Summary: The Hot Zone - Truly Terrifying
Review: The Hot Zone is one of the most fansastic books I have ever read. Richard Preston goes deep into detail about how the Ebola virus had its first beginnings and how it spread into civilization. From deep in the Kenyan jungle on Mount Elgon to Reston, Virginia, outside of Washington D.C., Preston follows the virus in excellent, sometimes gruesome, detail. A masterpiece. All should read it.

Rating:
Summary: Hard to put down!
Review: ***** The dramatic and chilling story of an Ebola virus outbreak in a surburban Washington, D.C. laboratory, with descriptions of frightening historical epidemics of rare and lethal viruses. More hair-raising than anything Hollywood could think of, because it's all true .

In the late 1980's at the Reston Primate Lab in Reston Va, Researchers suddenly realised that they had cases of Ebola infecting monkeys with a 90+% mortality rate. Then the virus did the impossible, It infected Monkeys in other parts of the lab... meaning it had gone airborne! An infectious disease "Swat team" rushed to the scene to try to contain the outbreak, but Suddenly, Lab workers began coming down with flu like symptoms!

Our Government thought that the "Slate wiper Virus", the killer of all humanity, was about to be turned loose on the world... And they decided not to tell us! All True, written by a master of non-fiction. *****

Rating:
Summary: Addicting, Informative and Terrifying!
Review: A novel about real people, in real situations. A deadly hot virus that has the potential to wipe out an entire town in a matter of days. A perfect blend of science and horror to keep the reader hooked, page after page. Preston terrifies the reader using vivid descriptions such as, " He leans over onto his knees, and brings up an incredible quantity of blood from his stomach and spills it onto the floor with a gasping groan." Every chapter leaves the reader wondering, "What next?" so that they have to keep reading. The best part of the book is the chapter, " A Bad Day." The only thing I didn't like about The Hot Zone was that at times Preston got a bit "too descriptive" and began to repeat himself. This is a great book for all ages t hat keeps the reader entertained, as well as teaches them important information about viruses.If you don't read this chilling novel you're missing out!

Rating:
Summary: The chilling truth can be scarier than fiction...
Review: Richard Preston's The Hot Zone proves it with his, somewhat terrifying, blend of science and horror. A real virus has come out of hiding from somewhere deep in the rainforest, and real professions have no choice but to chase it. Preston's good descriptions show just how devastating a killer virus really is. "No one who has seen the effects of a Biosafety Level 4 hot agent on a human being can forget them, but the effects pile up, one after the other, until they obliterate the person beneath them." The true story of real people, such as Nancy Jaax, handling death in their very palms will leave you shocked. Although Preston has a tendency to repeat himself, the story will get you hooked. If you love a great mystery, science, or the biting truth, you won't want to miss The Hot Zone.

Rating:
Summary: A great account of close calls and tense trials with viruses
Review: I think that Richard Preston deserves all five stars for this thrilling book on real life experiences with deadly Ebola Viruses. He took an accumulation of true stories and turned it into an interesting and spellbinding book that hardly seems true. This book is easy to follow, even though the whole is scientific. Preston balanced the scientific language and factuality with an interesting plot and rounded characters as in a fictional book. Preston went into painstaking details to turn the Reston operation and other experiments into lament terms that all readers might comprehend. His magnificent writing style also came through in his account of nurse Mayinga's journey through the city and how catastrophic the event actually might have been. I really enjoyed the amount of effort Preston put forth in describing what Ebola and Marburg actually do to the body, prior to and during death. Although the book was very good, I do think that Richard Preston might have left out the entire fourth part. It had no real influence on the situation at Kitum Cave or what the reader thought of Africa. With all things considered, I strongly advise this book be read by everyone and I will certainly recommend this book to everybody I know.

Rating:
Summary: A Scary Reality
Review: ... I read a lot of books but NEVER this type of book -- I usually go for books that are fun or mysterious but not terrifying. This book is extremely well written. Reading this book will change the way you look at things sometimes.This book scared me to death because it is true. I couldn't put it down.It's very graphic and the images pop in your head. I still didn't believe how deadly and scary these viruses are. Richard Preston did a good job of describing every little detail of the virus.