Germs : Biological Weapons and America's Secret War

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Summary: By the time you read this....
Review: ...it's quite possible that this book's worst fears will have been proven justified. The authors are extremely well-informed, and have mapped out the recent history of biological warfare developments in some depth, based on three years of careful research for the New York Times. The problem is, despite ample warning, the US government has not treated this topic with the seriousness it deserves, relegating it to the back seat in concerns over nuclear proliferation and conventional chemical warfare (which is a second-best alternative, as all experts have realized for some time). The bugs are out there: The Soviets made enough to kill everyone on earth several times over. The Iraqis have plenty, too, thanks to the inefficiency of the UNSCOM's work after the Gulf War. Some 'favorite' bugs like anthrax and the extracted botulinum toxin only kill those they hit. Others, like smallpox, Ebola or Marburg Fever, will make the predictive powers of Stephen King's "The Stand" seem uncanny. They're "the gift that keeps on giving."
This book will give you a new respect for Bill Clinton, who was at least awake to the threat. And new contempt for the pork barrel politics of the USA, since much of the money (billions of dollars) allocated to counterterrorism -- and biological warfare in particular -- has been frittered away on technology that doesn't work, and the high-priced but fatuous work of 'beltway bandits.' There's not enough antibiotics, there aren't enough trained staff, and there are few (or no) doses of vaccines for the threats.
Read it and weep, is all I can say. If you can get a copy, that is. It's sold out everywhere I went, and I finally got one by bribing someone at Borders to give up his own copy

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Summary: Bio Terrorism becomes a Nightmare, Indeed!
Review: A frightening and unforgettable narrative of cutting-edge science and spy craft. In the groundbreaking investigation journalism, Judith Miller, Stephen Engelberg, and William Broad of The New York Times uncover the truth about biological weapons and show why bio-warfare and bio-terrorism are fast becoming our worst national nightmare. Germs shows why advances in biology and the spread of germ weapons expertise to such countries as Iran, Iraq, and North Korea could make germs the weapon of the twenty-first century. Germs sprayed in shopping malls, bombs that let scars in battlefields, plague spread in Times Square and all is a common man's hydrogen bombs, hideous weapons of mass destruction that can be made in a simple laboratory.  
There are some startling revelations found in the Book Germs and these shows bio-warriors, past and present at their trade. There is the American scientist who devoted his professional life to perfecting biological weapons, and the Nobel laureate who helped pioneer the new biology of genetically modified germs and is now trying to stop its misuse. The Germs focus on former Soviet scientists who made enough plague, smallpox, and anthrax to kill everyone on Earth and whose expertise is now in great demand by terrorists, rogue states, and legitimate research labs alike. Germs shows how a small group of scientists and senior officials persuaded President Bill Clinton to launch a controversial multibillion-dollar program to detect a germ attack on U.S. soil and to aid its victims, a program that, so far, is struggling to provide real protection. Its Terrorism everywhere! The world combats to fight the fury of man man weapons leading to endless destruction and violence.

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Summary: Real, nuts and bolts information about potential dangers
Review: After watching the World Trade Center attacks, trying frantically to reach friends in New York and then watching the day's events unfold (with an increasing feeling of horror and disbelief) while worrying about possible biological and chemical agents that might have been released (thank goodness, a false alarm in this case) I knew that I wanted more information about the potential dangers that face our country. This book provides that information, from accounts of experiments with various biological weapons and agents, interviews with workers in the field and more. Highly recommended for anyone who wants to be as informed as possible and who wants to make whatever decisions are possible to protect their families and friends. I won't kid you- the book doesn't purport to say that we are in control of the future or that all dangers can be avoided. But it does provide the type of information that you may be seeking about what has been done to provide national security against germ warfare - and what still needs to be done - in our country and in other countries.

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Summary: GERMS--America's Next War?
Review: As a crime fiction writer with my debut novel in initial release, I found GERMS fascinating. Within minutes of the shameful attack on our twin towers, I mentioned to my wife the possibility that truly determined terrorists could have planted biological weapons within their luggage as they boarded those airliners they planned to turn into bombs. GERMS confirmed, to this reader, that such a possibility was at the very least possible. Fortunately, it appears now that our nation has dodged that bullet on this occasion, but this book is a must-read work. The journalists who collaborated on GERMS present frightening details involving the possibilitiy of biological warfare in our modern age. They also report on our government's attempts to prepare for and, we hope, prevent such an attack. We are living a new age. Warfare will not be what we have witnessed in the past. GERMS makes that fact clear. Anyone who wants to be an informed citizen, ought to read this bok.

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Summary: A detailed and shocking look at biowarfare
Review: Germs is a shocking book. Written by writers from the New York Times, it provides an interesting look at how America and the rest of the world researched biological weapons, and discusses the possible threat to the US.
Starting off with a little known incident in the western United States, the book details how easily a cult was able to poison an entire town and how little the incident got out into the media.
From there, the information goes chronologically, starting with World War II and going through the cold war to present time. There, the workings of the biological programs are shown, and it's shocking. It explains the weapons that we made, such as Anthrax, Plague, Botulinum Toxin and others. The authors write as if it's actually happening as you read, and don't reveal things until they happened in 'time'. Much of the information about the Russian bioweapons research doesn't come in until a defector explains everything to the army in the early 90s.
From everything in the book, it is startling how un prepared we are for this new kind of war. Paticularly interesting was the Army's lack of interest in vaccines until it was almost too late. From the book, the US is unprepared for a biological weapons attack. That is changing, and those changes are shown at the end.
This is a quick read, and very easy to get into. It's a great read for anyone who is interested in this subject, but not if you're too worried about the possibilities that the book presents.

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Summary: A chilling, reality check !
Review: Germs: Biological Weapons and American's Secret War.
Three journalists/authors Judith Miller, Stephen Engelberg, and William Broad have created an eye opening, heart pounding and a thought-provoking book. Using information collected from declassified government materials and interviews ranging from Russian scientists to top United States officials like President Clinton, it tells how American is/was involved in Biological warfare and how prepared is the United States for a Biological attack. Starting with the 1st Biological attack on American in 1988 on the town of Dalles, Oregon and how easily it was for a cult to spread Biological germs infecting nearly 1000 people of that community. In the after math of the destruction of the Twin Towers and the Anthrax scare here on American soil makes the words in this book take on a whole new meaning. The book conveys that this question as been kick around for many years "Should the United States protect its self from a Biological attack?"
GREMS sheds light on events that began in the 50's and 60's of the United States experimenting with Germ warfare and the development of devices to spread these agents to the present giving explanations on how and why we arrived at September 11, 2001 and the present day war in Iraq. How the United States Government reacted to other countries involved in making these Biological weapons. GERMS uses the combination of declassified government papers and interviews to place one in real timeline sequence events as though standing in the room being part of the conversation. Explaining the information in full compared to the bits and pieces that we as Americans are accustomed to get from the government. With the extensive research and the knowledge of government and politics, the writers of GERMS allow one to physically feel emotions as one learns the truth behind events publicly known and some not so publicly known. Finding out why the vaccination supplies in the United States are low due to the cost of production. Cut backs would had to take place but no one was willing to give. Instead they changed there thinking to "They would not use biological weapons because bomb do more damage". The information presented is mind-boggling.
The book is easy to understand; knowing that the government and scientists uses words that the common public does not understand, the authors using these technical terms goes one step farther, explaining what it means. Although the authors are journalist they have not pre-formed ones opinion, but have stated facts in a logical order so one can come to their own opinion/conclusion. GERMS does however as a whole, points out that Biological warfare in a "war" sense might never happen, but the danger is true and present. After reading this book one will know the facts, the reasoning behind and understand why, we as Americans should be concerned with Biological Weapons. Above all poses the knowledge and understanding why things are happening today.
To gain the insight into the world we live in today and the real thinking behind the government officials, GREMS must be on top of one's "to read list". One will understand where America's future might be headed. Are we really safe?

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