Spillover: Animal Infections and the Next Human Pandemic

David Quammen

Book cover for Spillover: Animal Infections and the Next Human Pandemic
Book cover for ean 9789865671860
Book cover for Spillover: Animal Infections and the Next Human Pandemic
Book cover for ean 9789865671860

Spillover: Animal Infections and the Next Human Pandemic

Spillover: Animal Infections and the Next Human Pandemic

David Quammen

View full details

Description

The next big human pandemic--the next disease cataclysm, perhaps on the scale of AIDS or the 1918 influenza--is likely to be caused by a new virus coming to humans from wildlife. Experts call such an event "spillover" and they warn us to brace ourselves. David Quammen has tracked this subject from the jungles of Central Africa, the rooftops of Bangladesh, and the caves of southern China to the laboratories where researchers work in space suits to study lethal viruses. He illuminates the dynamics of Ebola, SARS, bird flu, Lyme disease, and other emerging threats and tells the story of AIDS and its origins as it has never before been told. Spillover reads like a mystery tale, full of mayhem and clues and questions. When the Next Big One arrives, what will it look like? From which innocent host animal will it emerge? Will we be ready?

Critical Reviews

[An] ambitious and encyclopedic voyage...Mr. Quammen does a beautiful job of showing how so much of scientific knowledge is provisional, with great unknowns about infectious diseases.--Richard Preston, author of The Hot Zone

This is a frightening and fascinating masterpiece of science reporting that reads like a detective story. David Quammen takes us on a quest to understand AIDS, Ebola, and other diseases that share a frightening commonality: they all jumped from wild animals to humans. By explaining this growing trend, Quammen not only provides a warning about the diseases we will face in the future, he also causes us to reflect on our place as humans in the earth's ecosystem.--Walter Isaacson, author of Leonardo Da Vinci

David Quammen [is] one of that rare breed of science journalists who blend exploration with a talent for synthesis and storytelling.--Nathan Wolfe "Nature"

An adventure-filled page-turner...told from the front lines of pandemic prevention.--Lizzie Wade "Wired"

As page turning as Richard Preston's The Hot Zone...[Quammen is] one of the best science writers.-- "Seattle Times"

David Quammen might be my favorite living science writer: amiable, erudite, understated, incredibly funny, profoundly humane.--Kathryn Schulz "New York Magazine"

Quammen balances the technical terms with gorily gripping description and scenes from his own fearless journeys...But his real gift is his writing, with its nice balance of reverence and whimsy.--Chloë Schama "Smithsonian"

Quammen's more teacher than Jeremiah. So he calms when he can; but he's blunt when he must be.--Jeffrey Burke "Bloomberg"

The scariest book you'll read this year.-- "The Daily Beast"

David Quammen has done it again. Fascinating and terrifying, Spillover is a real-life thriller with an outcome that affects us all.--Elizabeth Kolbert, author of The Sixth Extinction

Publishing Information

Publisher: W. W. Norton & Company
Pub date: 2013-09-09
Length: 592 pages

The Allstora Membership

Membership Perks:

  • Save 30% on all online store purchases
  • Exclusive access to author's content
  • You pay less, but authors still earn double

Membership Terms:

First Month: $0.00
Monthly price: $5.00
  • To access membership discount simply log in and add to cart, discount applied automatically.
  • One month free trial, cancel anytime. Membership renews on the 15th of each month.