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Breathless

The Scientific Race to Defeat a Deadly Virus
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( 2,031 ratings, 299 reviews)
Book Hero Magic crafted this summary to help describe this book. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! Summary
i>Breathless by David Quammen dives into the complex world of disease and pandemics, exploring the intricate web of human and natural interactions that give rise to them. It provides a gripping narrative on the origins and impacts of infectious diseases, enriched by Quammen's in-depth research and storytelling. This book offers insight into how modern society grapples with these biological challenges in the context of science and history.
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Format: Paperback / softback
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Book Hero Magic created this recommendation. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! IS THIS YOUR NEXT READ?

You might enjoy this book if you're fascinated by the intricacies of scientific discovery, particularly in the field of infectious diseases. The author's exploration of the COVID-19 pandemic offers unique insights and narratives from researchers, providing a gripping look at the complexities and challenges faced in understanding and combating global health threats.

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Book Hero Magic formatted this description to make it easier to read. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! Description

The definitive story of the worldwide scientific quest to decipher the coronavirus SARS-CoV-2, trace its source, and make possible the vaccines to fight the Covid-19 pandemic.

'A luminous, passionate account of the defining crisis of our time' - New York Times

From the bestselling author of Spillover, the book that predicted the pandemic, this is the story of Covid-19 and its fierce journey through the human population, as seen by the scientists tasked with fighting it.

David Quammen draws on countless interviews with experts, including leading virologists, to take us inside the global race to understand SARS-CoV-2, its ever-changing nature and capacity to kill. In doing so, he explains how new viruses emerge when we disrupt ecosystems and suggests why the coronavirus may be here to stay.

By peering over the shoulders of the brilliant scientists leading the chase, Breathless uncovers the warnings from infectious diseases experts that went unheeded; and which clues are the most compelling in the hunt for the virus' origin.

'A classic...a masterpiece' - Stanley Prusiner, Nobel Prize Winner

'A viral howdunnit that is pacy and unafraid to educate readers' - Observer

'As close to authoritative history as we have... It reads like a real-time thriller' - Chicago Tribune

Book Hero Magic summarised reviews for this book. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! HOW HAS THIS BEEN REVIEWED?

David Quammen's Breathless is highly praised for its compelling narrative on COVID-19, blending expert insights with a dramatic, real-time thriller feel. Reviews highlight the author's ability to deliver a luminous, passionate account of the pandemic, tracing the virus's origins, vaccines, and variants. The book is noted for its engaging storytelling, likened to a detective story, while offering a profound and authoritative take on the defining crisis of our time.

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Book Details

INFORMATION

ISBN: 9781529114188

Publisher: Vintage Publishing

Format: Paperback / softback

Date Published: 19 October 2023

Country: United Kingdom

Imprint: Vintage

Audience: General / adult, Tertiary education, Professional and scholarly

DIMENSIONS

Spine width: 29.0mm

Width: 129.0mm

Height: 198.0mm

Weight: 356g

Pages: 448

About the Author

David Quammen's sixteen previous books include The Tangled Tree, The Song of the Dodo, The Reluctant Mr. Darwin, and Spillover, a finalist for the National Book Critics Circle Award and recipient of the Premio Letterario Merck. He has written for the New Yorker, Harper's Magazine, the Atlantic, National Geographic and Outside, among other publications, and is a three-time winner of the National Magazine Award. Quammen shares a home in Bozeman, Montana, with his wife, Betsy Gaines Quammen, author of American Zion, and with two Russian wolfhounds, a cross-eyed cat, and a rescue python. Visit him at DavidQuammen.com

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