The most fatal virus known to science, rabies-a disease that
spreads avidly from animals to humans-kills nearly one hundred
percent of its victims once the infection takes root in the brain.
In this critically acclaimed exploration, journalist Bill Wasik and
veterinarian Monica Murphy chart four thousand years of the
history, science, and cultural mythology of rabies. From Greek
myths to zombie flicks, from the laboratory heroics of Louis
Pasteur to the contemporary search for a lifesaving treatment,
Rabid is a fresh and often wildly entertaining look at one of
humankind's oldest and most fearsome foes. "A searing narrative."
-The New York Times "In this keen and exceptionally well-written
book, rife with surprises, narrative suspense and a steady flow of
expansive insights, 'the world's most diabolical virus' conquers
the unsuspecting reader's imaginative nervous system. . . . A
smart, unsettling, and strangely stirring piece of work." -San
Francisco Chronicle "Fascinating. . . . Wasik and Murphy chronicle
more than two millennia of myths and discoveries about rabies and
the animals that transmit it, including dogs, bats and raccoons."
-The Wall Street Journal
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Review This Product
Interesting
Tue, 5 Nov 2013 | Review
by: Tanya K.
Rabies is apparently the most fatal virus known to science. It is a disease that is transmitted to humans from another species (such as dogs and bats), usually by a bite from an infected animal. The rabies virus infects the central nervous system, ultimately causing disease in the brain and death. For a human, rabies is almost 100% fatal if postexposure vaccines are not administered prior to the onset of severe symptoms.
This book is literally a cultural history of rabies, spanning the last 4000 or so years of history, including anything from Homer's epics, cultural myths, zombies, vampires, werewolves, literature (both pulp fiction and the classics), movies, "causes and cures" as described by ancient philosophers and physicians, and some science. A great deal of emphasis is placed on the relationships between man and his dogs. The book contains a great deal of "cultural history", quite often of subjects only vaguely related to rabies, e.g. the 23+ pages that summarize various vampire and werewolf novelizations and the 3 pages describing the life of Saint Hubert. I got the impression that the authors couldn't find enough information to write about rabies, so had to look for vaguely related material to add.
While having a great deal of information on the cultural aspects of rabies, I felt the book was lacking in the science section. I would have preferred more science and less rambling about Saint Hubert, vampires and werewolves. That said, the last third of the book that concentrated on developing a rabies vaccine, the possible methods to help those infected with the disease and the measures implemented in Bali to fight the disease, was rather interesting.
NOTE: This book is not for the squeamish or overly sensitive readers. Rabies "control" methods are often not very pleasant or good for the dogs involved.
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