The Hot Zone: The Terrifying True Story of the Origins of the Ebola Virus

Richard Preston

Mar 2012 · Sold by Anchor

About this ebook

The bestselling landmark account of the first emergence of the Ebola virus.

Now a mini-series drama starring Julianna Margulies, Topher Grace, Liam Cunningham, James D'Arcy, and Noah Emmerich on National Geographic.

A highly infectious, deadly virus from the central African rain forest suddenly appears in the suburbs of Washington, D.C. There is no cure. In a few days 90 percent of its victims are dead. A secret military SWAT team of soldiers and scientists is mobilized to stop the outbreak of this exotic "hot" virus. The Hot Zone tells this dramatic story, giving a hair-raising account of the appearance of rare and lethal viruses and their "crashes" into the human race. Shocking, frightening, and impossible to ignore, The Hot Zone proves that truth really is scarier than fiction.

Ratings and reviews

If ever there was any doubt that Ebola is one of the most terrifying and deadly diseases on the face of the Earth, this booķ will put those doubts to rest. We were very lucky the first time it reared its ugly head in the United States in 1989 when it only affected animals in a research facility in Reston, Virginia -- we may not be as blessed the next time. This is a very timely book, as Ebola HAS recently been imported into this nation and killed one man already.

I did A LOT of hand washing while reading this book. Read this about five or six years ago and I must say, it's terrifying. Trying to determine where the Ebola virus originated, this book explains the true, gruesome effects of a dangerous, life threatening illness. Stories of infected people are harrowing. Then, there are vivid scenes inside research and control centers and what one must do in order to prevent contamination. The heartbreaking story behind this is a group of monkeys infected with the virus.

I read this book for the first time over 15 years ago, and I remember reading it multiple times. All the stupid Ebola scares going around now just reminded me of how awesome this book is. I lost my old paperback version, and figured I'd get it again because of how much I'd LOVE to re-read it all over again! :)

About the author

Richard Preston is the author of several books, most recently The Cobra Event. He is a regular contribuot to The New Yorker. He has also won the AAAS-Westinghouse Award and the McDermott Award in the Arts from MIT.