Customer Reviews

The Invisible Invaders: Viruses and the Scientists Who Pursue Them

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With the increased interest in viruses in the popular culture, this book should be at the top of anyone's virus reading list. It is a wonderful introduction to the history of virus research and provides useful information about viruses themselves. Even if you took biology or genetics courses in school, this book is a handy reminder of how viruses work. I recommend this to anyone interested in emerging diseases.

As a 36-year old, I am a grown up. But now and then I long for the days that I was 8 years old and could be absolutely mesmerized by a book.I read a book about archeology and, although it was not very well-written, for years I wanted to cross deserts and jungles in search of treasures. This feeling of discovery of something new, something a bit eerie but exciting was back when I read this terrific book about the battle against viruses.It is highly informative but still makes you long for being a man in a laboratory yourself. Radetsky should also try to write fiction. He will be goood at it !

When we hear talk about viruses "emerging", we have to step back and realize that these viruses are mostly emerging in our own consciousness of them. Smallpox was around for centuries, before we developed the technology to "see" the virus with a high-powered microscope. This book chronicles the history of mankind's "discovery" of the world of viruses, from the time Edward Jenner developed the smallpox vaccine till the present. The drama unfolds as we get to know the scientists responsible for the discoveries, and their efforts to produce successful vaccines against some of the plagues of the day: Tobacco Mosaic Virus, Smallpox, Rabies, Polio, the Common Cold, AIDS, Epstein-Barr, Influenza, Hepatitis, Herpes, and Cancer are the featured performers here. One of the most interesting things I learned was how a person who gets hepatitis, is at an increased risk for developing other liver problems, like cirrhosis and liver cancer. The recent death of Allen Ginsberg is a poignant demonstration of this. Equally intreguing are the connections between Epstein-Barr, CFS, Burkitt's lymphoma, mononucleosis, and nasopharyngeal carcinoma; according to researchers: "the Epstein-Barr virus is the foremost candidate for being the first known human cancer virus." It is a fascinating and educational story.

Viruses, until the introduction of AIDS in the late '80's have mostly been taken for granted by the Generation X'ers. Who would have guessed the scientist responsible for vaccines such as Polio, Smallpox, Rabies and Herpes along with several others, all lived extremely close to our lifetime and several of them are still alive today. These scientists, and their fight with society, has been a struggle anyone could appreciate. The intelligence and the luck of these men are truly amazing. This book is an excellent reference for anyone who is curious as to how a virus works and overcomes the cells in one's body. I would recommend this book to anyone.