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Trade Paperback
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9780143123576
Overview
Overview
The most fatal virus known to science, rabies-a disease that spreads avidly from animals to humans-kills nearly one hundred percent of its victims once the infection takes root in the brain. In this critically acclaimed exploration, journalist Bill Wasik and veterinarian Monica Murphy chart four thousand years of the history, science, and cultural mythology of rabies. From Greek myths to zombie flicks, from the laboratory heroics of Louis Pasteur to the contemporary search for a lifesaving treatment, Rabid is a fresh and often wildly entertaining look at one of humankind's oldest and most fearsome foes. "A searing narrative." -The New York Times "In this keen and exceptionally well-written book, rife with surprises, narrative suspense and a steady flow of expansive insights, 'the world's most diabolical virus' conquers the unsuspecting reader's imaginative nervous system. . . . A smart, unsettling, and strangely stirring piece of work." -San Francisco Chronicle "Fascinating. . . . Wasik and Murphy chronicle more than two millennia of myths and discoveries about rabies and the animals that transmit it, including dogs, bats and raccoons." -The Wall Street Journal
- Format: TradePaperback
- Author: Wasik, Bill
- ISBN: 9780143123576
- Condition: Used
- Dimensions: 7.90 x 0.80
- Number Of Pages: 288
- Publication Year: 2013
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Solid popular history about a terrifying disease.
George C. - 1 year agoRabid is a straightforward exploration of rabies' place in the cultural context of the West. It traces depictions of the disease from ancient Babylonian cuneiform through modern fiction like Old Yeller and I Am Legend, while also discussing how medical treatments developed through history. Husband-and-wife duo Bill Wasik and Monica Murphy present the subject matter in an engaging readable style that will appeal to fans of popular history. If anything, Rabid is too brief. It touches on a variety of topics, but the best chapters are the ones that delve deeply into their subject matter, such as Louis Pasteur or a recent rabies crisis on the island of Bali. As a survey of rabies's historical impact and as a piece of popular history, it is a good, approachable read. The writing is clear, with little jargon, and brisk. For anyone interested in a bit of medical history, it is worth the time.
HPB Staff Review -
Deeply informative for the immunology beginner
Kristine L. - 4 years 5 months agoThis is a fantastic book for someone who is interested but uninformed about zoonosis or the history of immunology. "Rabid" shows the history and folklore of rabies as it moves through history. The viral disease can be devastating. It basically overheats your brain to an extreme even forcing your brain to become hydrophobic so you can't cool yourself off with a glass of water. Even now, this disease is relatively incurable once you start showing symptoms. Louis Pasteur, that man who created pasteurization, was one of the leaders in discovering the rabies vaccine. The rare symptomatic survivors only survived because of a highly experimental and seemingly simplistic treatment. There are a handful of dull parts to dredge through, but the rabies facts you'll be able to impress your friends with more than make up for it.
HPB Staff Review