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Panic in Level 4: Cannibals, Killer Viruses, and Other Journeys to the Edge of Science
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Binding: Hardcover
Dewey Decimal Number: 616.024
EAN: 9781400064908
ISBN: 1400064902
Label: Random House
Manufacturer: Random House
Number Of Items: 1
Number Of Pages: 240
Publication Date: May 27, 2008
Publisher: Random House
Release Date: May 27, 2008
Studio: Random House
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Editorial Review:
Bizarre illnesses and plagues that kill people in the most unspeakable ways. Obsessive and inspired efforts by scientists to solve mysteries and save lives. From The Hot Zone to The Demon in the Freezer and beyond, Richard Preston’s bestselling works have mesmerized readers everywhere by showing them strange worlds of nature they never dreamed of.Panic in Level 4 is a grand tour through the eerie and unforgettable universe of Richard Preston, filled with incredible characters and mysteries that refuse to leave one’s mind. Here are dramatic true stories from this acclaimed and award-winning author, including:• The phenomenon of “self-cannibals,” who suffer from a rare genetic condition caused by one wrong letter in their DNA that forces them to compulsively chew their own flesh–and why everyone may have a touch of this disease.
• The search for the unknown host of Ebola virus, an organism hidden somewhere in African rain forests, where the disease finds its way into the human species, causing outbreaks of unparalleled horror.
• The brilliant Russian brothers–“one mathematician divided between two bodies”–who built a supercomputer in their apartment from mail-order parts in an attempt to find hidden order in the number pi (π).In fascinating, intimate, and exhilarating detail, Richard Preston portrays the frightening forces and constructive discoveries that are currently roiling and reordering our world, once again proving himself a master of the nonfiction narrative and, as noted in The Washington Post, “a science writer with an uncommon gift for turning complex biology into riveting page-turners.”
Customer Reviews
Average Rating: 
Rating:  - Panic in Level 4
I was pretty disapointed with this book. I really enjoyed some of Preston's novels however this one jumped around to much. I did not like the fact that this book was made up of 6 stories. Though each story was interesting, the book skipped around to much and was at times too repetitive.
Rating:  - panic in level 4
Mr preston always delivers. The book is informative and scary. His books alway make you think. Enjoyed it.
carol
Rating: - If you read the essays in a magazine, skip this book
This is a collection of essays, of varying caliber. There isn't much to tie them together: one is about trees being destroyed by an Asian beetle, one is about a hideous genetic disease, another is about medieval tapestries. Any one of the essays could probably have been turned into an interesting book, but, somehow, this motley collection is more distracting than riveting.
Preston's writing can be a bit stilted, but when the subject matter is good enough, I don't mind reading on.
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Rating: - Felt like bait-and-switch given the title of the book...
This sounded like a great idea when I found it on the shelf at the library... Panic in Level 4: Cannibals, Killer Viruses, and Other Journeys to the Edge of Science by Richard Preston. I opened the book, expecting to have around 200 pages of talk about killer viruses and the war against them. Instead, I got a seemly random assortment of stories that mostly bore little resemblance to the "Panic in Level 4" title. I almost felt like a victim of bait-and-switch.
Contents:
Introduction ... Read More
Rating:  - extremely disappointing
Do not buy this book because of the title. The book has nothing to do with Level 4 containment. And that was the disappointment. The book consists of several short stories that were originally published in a newspaper. A vast majority of the book deals with two mathematician brothers who really lead a very boring life trying to determine pi to umpteen decimals. And Preston goes on and on about their life. The Ebola chapter is an interesting chapter, but still has nothing to do with Level 4. The chapter ... Read More
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