Virus Hunting: Aids, Cancer, And The Human Retrovirus: A Story Of Scientific Discovery [Paperback]

Robert C. Gallo (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: August 18, 1993

The renowned AIDS researcher Robert Gallo tells his story of scientific breakthrough in a riveting portrait of the people, the politics, and the pace of modern scientific discovery.

Editorial Reviews

From Library Journal

This book by the scientist whose name is synonymous with the identification of the AIDS virus takes the reader through his interpretation of the events leading up to his announcement in 1984 that his lab had discovered the cause of AIDS. Gallo, who has been stung by charges of unethical behavior (including a National Institute of Health inquiry), goes to great lengths to respond to every criticism made about him and strongly defends his role in the legal and ethical disputes that he sees as caused by outside meddling, inside rivalries, the politics of hysteria, and, most prominently, mendacious journalists. The book is vintage Gallo: he knows who he thinks is right, and says so, and thus will add more heat, but little light, to the controversy. Collections whose patrons have an interest in the social and political aspects of AIDS should expect heavy demand as Gallo is a light ning rod for much acclaim--and criticism. See also Dominique Lapierre's Beyond Love and Robert M. Wachter's The Fragile Coalition: Scientists, Activists, and AIDS, reviewed below.-- Ed.
- Mark L. Shelton, Athens, Ohio
Copyright 1991 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

About the Author

Robert Gallo is chief of the Laboratory of Tumor Cell Biology at the National Institutes of Health in Bethesda, Maryland, and a two-time winner of the coveted Albert Lasker prize, the highest honor in U.S. biomedical research. Dr. Gallo was, as reported in Science, the most-cited author of scientific literature in the world during the 1980s.

Product Details

• Paperback: 368 pages
• Publisher: Basic Books (August 18, 1993)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0465098150
• ISBN-13: 978-0465098156
• Product Dimensions: 9.2 x 6 x 2.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (10 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,227,908 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #12 in Books > Medical Books > Basic Sciences > Virology

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Mars, December 1, 2005

By 

Chetah33 (Swaziland) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Virus Hunting: Aids, Cancer, And The Human Retrovirus: A Story Of Scientific Discovery (Paperback)

Virus Hunting provides an interesting understanding into the scientific quest in the study of tumor cell biology. It lays the foundation of the most complex of viral, epidemiological parthenogenesis, that of Human Retro virology, HIV-AIDS. The lab tech procedures used at NCI at the time: mass tissue cell growth cultures, assay developments, etc., continue to hold significant disease applicability, and contributes to future disease models investigations and research and development.

Since, virology is an esoteric discipline; the book was designed to reach wide audiences, presenting a more personal account. For HIV-AIDS research purposes, a plethora of academic references can be found in reknown science journals.


The book describes, in addition, an extraordinary life story, tragedy as the source of creative scientific inspiration, culminating ultimately to discovery. Some readers may miss these subtle nuances.

Great ideas originate from contentious, unorthodox individuals who defy and cut across the grain, remembering and giving gratitude to the critics and pretenders; however, vapid for they are as modern muses. When I read the book, I think of that rambunctious ass, Amadeaus and those scowling would be, Scalieries epitomizing those less accomplished.

The rating was lowered solely on the grounds of poor mechanics.

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Interesting reading but very poor science - no references!, July 19, 2004

By 

A Common Man (Austin, TX) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Virus Hunting: Aids, Cancer, & The Human Retrovirus: A Story Of Scientific Discovery (Hardcover)

Dr. Robert Gallo has written a very interesting and informative book describing his career and how the HIV virus was discovered. In the final chapter he refutes the criticisms of Dr. Duesberg, who later wrote "Inventing the AIDS Virus". Dr. Gallo's arguments sound very convincing; however he does not provide a single reference. He makes many statements such as "this has been found", "studies have shown", etc. but never provides references. This makes it impossible to verify his claims or read the original source data. It is suspicious that Dr. Gallo does not disclose his scientific sources. Dr. Duesberg on the other hand, in his book refuting Gallo's arguments, provides 856 footnotes referring to publications in the most highly respected scientific and medical journals. In conclusion, it is a very difficult scientific problem to understand HIV, AIDS, and if there is a relationship or not. By not providing footnotes Dr. Gallo has made it more difficult for the serious inquirer.

6 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Greatest Biolologist since Sabin and Salk, January 27, 2006

By 

George Tenet (USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Virus Hunting: Aids, Cancer, And The Human Retrovirus: A Story Of Scientific Discovery (Paperback)

This is a must read for anyone interested in science, and is especially inspiring towards anyone interested in pursuing biomedical research. Only a scientist like Robert Gallo could have been resilent enough to continue great discoveries (eg. IL2( , inspite of being relentlessly besieged by nay sayers, a zealous journalist, and one politician. Gallo shows that despite all odds ,one may still rise like a phoenix from ashes. Bravo! Ex Libris!