Rabid: A Cultural History of the World's Most Diabolical Virus
Jul 2012 · Sold by Penguin
4.3star
15 reviews
Ebook
288
Pages
family_home
Eligible
info
About this ebook
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 from the authors of Our Kindred Creatures, 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
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
Ratings and reviews
4.3
15 reviews
Shannon Scheidell
- Flag inappropriate
March 22, 2013
I can visualize the chain of events that lead to one's incipient demise as a resukt of being infected with the rabies virus. It's a good one. Almost as good as The Hot Zone, which chronicled the origin of the Marburg and E. Bola strains. Might consider buying it in paperback.
A Google user
- Flag inappropriate
July 30, 2012
Loved the book and viruses can destroy populations we just need to get sick once and a while to strengthen our immune system instead of pumping antibiotics in us every time were sick
Jeremy Noey
- Flag inappropriate
June 13, 2017
Perfect bite.
1 person found this review helpful
About the author
Bill Wasik is the editorial director of The New York Times Magazine. He has written multiple books, including And Then There's This, Rabid, and Our Kindred Creatures: How Americans Came to Feel the Way They Do About Animals.
Rate this ebook
Tell us what you think.
Reading information
Smartphones and tablets
Install the Google Play Books app for Android and iPad/iPhone. It syncs automatically with your account and allows you to read online or offline wherever you are.
Laptops and computers
You can listen to audiobooks purchased on Google Play using your computer's web browser.
eReaders and other devices
To read on e-ink devices like Kobo eReaders, you'll need to download a file and transfer it to your device. Follow the detailed Help Center instructions to transfer the files to supported eReaders.
