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Summary: This Book Grabbed Me--Like Ebola Attacks "Any" Living Cell
Review: Cruel and sickening acts of violence committed by humans against humans, lead me to believe in like punishment for the proven guilty. However, I would never, ever, wish anyone to come in contact with this 100% letal virus (Ebola Zaire). I had never heard of the term Ebola--until a friend told me about the book. The book even drove me to discuss the virus with a Disease Prevention professional who studied the disease in Zaire (not to be named). With a global economy--many modes of travel--quick travel--ebola having a 14-day incubation period--one drop of Ebola Zaire could wipe out "many" major cities in just days. What a weapon. This book will grab you like the ebola virus attacks every cell (human or animal), with relentless disregard for anything!
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Summary: A novel that every medical student should read
Review: Preston did a wonderful and extremely serious investigation about Ebola, giving birth to an excellent book that you cannot miss!
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Summary: Preston Ebola's you over!
Review: Amazing! Read the book. I didn't realize it was real until after I read it. I still didn't believe how deadly and scarey these viruses are, and the number of near epidemics we've had until I checked out the Center for Desease controls' websight. Arggghh. This book is scarey, captivating, Educational, and worst of all TRUE....
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Summary: An informative rollercoaster
Review: I adored this book. Some reviews I've read have commented on the fact that the book is rich with description, sometimes more so than information and I do not find that a fault. I read books to entertain myself, if this book was simply a cut-and-dried medical text (and I've read my share of those) then I would've simply read it, processed it and discarded it. Because Mr. Preston gave us more than dry scientific information, this book became one of my all-time favorites. This book, to me, marries the art of masterful storytelling and conveying information. A must-read for anyone interested in the sciences or in a good thriller.
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Summary: Hot Zone the Invisable Killer
Review: Hot Zone is a great book. But is it true, Yes most of it is to my surprise. I'am a 9th Grader and had to read the book for English. After reading the book I asked my Biology teacher's about the subject, and yes it could very well happen. The book is well written with information and thrill and the same time. If you like to read a good biik I strongly reccomend it. The book it's self is about Ebola and Marburg and other virusus. Monkey's frome Africa come to a suburb of D.C. but will the virus break out and cause a world wide epidemic?
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Summary: Horror, but without chainsaws and hockey masks!
Review: I started reading this on a train, and I couldn't put it down even as it filled me with dread and horror. Every time a fellow passenger coughed or sneezed next to me, I became a little nervous. The book describes the worst fear - the fear of the unknown and unseen killer. The author uses descriptive language to describe the progress of Ebola virus through a victim's body. He also uses humor like when describing how a technician stuck a virus-filled flask under his nostril and snorted, then went into denial. Preston allows the reader to see into the minds of various characters as they react to the fear. Stephen King's The Stand = Michael Crichton's The Andromeda Strain = Richard Preston's The Hot Zone.
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Summary: A terrifying scenario
Review: The Hot Zone was a gripping read for the most part, describing in frightening detail the devasting effects of Ebola and the filoviruses on human victims. I found the early case studies in Africa especially interesting, along with the forensic detection efforts to pinpoint the source of the infection. The story of the Reston outbreak was far less satisfying, bogged down with too many points of view and too much personal detail about the players involved.
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Summary: Beware Earth
Review: When i began to read this book i felt as if i couldnt put it down. Maybe because i work in a lab but even if i didnt, the mere thought of a killer virus roaming the US scares me. And for this to be a true story, well makes me wonder if this is just the beginning for emerging retroviruses.
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Summary: Half nonfiction, half fiction
Review: Preston, as has been stated elsewhere, writes to scare. With that as a given, the sensationalism of this book seriously undermines any scientific credibility to which it may pretend. The fact that he goes to such lengths to personalize his scientific protagonists and the fact that his later book, The Cobra Effect, is a novel about a similar subject supports the idea that fiction is where his heart was at when he wrote The Hot Zone. With ebola, he had a subject that of itself is about as frightening as you can imagine. Maybe that's what hijacked this project: he let the delicious thrill of fear run away with whatever objectivity he might have begun with. As an information-seeking reader, I don't like to be so grossly and obviously aware of how an author is trying to manipulate my emotions. I don't like to be herded into a corner with controlled hysteria, as here. That said, The Hot Zone does do a service by educating readers like me who might not otherwise learn about ebola and similar viruses. We learn how biohazard investigation is conducted and what those big safety suits look like and how they work. We learn about the theory of a simian origin of these deadly viruses. And we get a calculated, entertaining warning about the potential consequences to public health the viruses present. But please, don't take this book as the authority on the subject. Consult the CDC or other more responsible sources. Read The Hot Zone as the potboiler it is, and don't panic.
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Summary: A Students perspective on The Hot Zone
Review: I am a 9th grade student in Texas. I had to read this for my Biology class. I don't enjoy reading but this book changed my perspective. I learned something new in every page I turned. I really enjoyed the book and would recommend it even if you don't have to read it for a class!
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