Breathless: The Scientific Race to Defeat a Deadly Virus
Written by David Quammen
Narrated by Jacques Roy
4.5/5
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About this audiobook
Breathless is a “gripping” (The Atlantic) but “clear-eyed analysis” (Time) of SARs-CoV-2 and its fierce journey through the human population, as seen by the scientists who study its origin, its ever-changing nature, and its capacity to kill us. David Quammen expertly shows how strange new viruses emerge from animals into humans as we disrupt wild ecosystems and how those viruses adapt to their human hosts, sometimes causing global catastrophe. He explains why this coronavirus will probably be a “forever virus,” destined to circulate among humans and bedevil us endlessly, in one variant form or another. As scientists labor to catch it, comprehend it, and control it, with their high-tech tools and methods, the virus finds ways of escape.
Based on interviews with nearly one hundred scientists, including leading virologists in China and around the world, Quammen explains that:
-Infectious disease experts saw this pandemic coming
-Some scientists, for more than two decades, warned that “the next big one” would be caused by a changeable new virus—very possibly a coronavirus—but such warnings were ignored for political or economic reasons
-The precise origins of this virus may not be known for years, but some clues are compelling, and some suppositions can be dismissed
-And much more
Written by “one of our finest explainers of the natural world for decades” (Chicago Tribune), This “compelling and terrifying” (The New York Times) account is an unparalleled look inside the frantic international race to understand and control SARS-CoV-2—and what it might mean for the next potential global health crisis.
Editor's Note
Engrossing…
The pandemic changed the world forever, but our understanding of SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19 infections, is still evolving. Quammen’s (“The Tangled Tree”) reporting is one of the most comprehensive yet, based on copious research and nearly 100 interviews with scientists and virologists. “Breathless” looks back to the virus’ start (earlier than most of us realize) and also to a future where it continues to adapt and spread (though perhaps not as virulently as the original). Free of politics, this scientific deep dive is educational and engrossing.
David Quammen
David Quammen’s books include Breathless, The Tangled Tree, The Song of the Dodo, The Reluctant Mr. Darwin, and Spillover. He has written for The New Yorker, Harper’s Magazine, The Atlantic, National Geographic, and Outside, among other magazines, 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 three Russian wolfhounds, a cross-eyed cat, and a rescue python. Visit him at DavidQuammen.com.
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Reviews for Breathless
29 ratings1 review
- Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5What a fascinating and captivates book! I love understanding the science behind events and this does a great job of providing just enough science without being too overwhelming. The story is one with so many parrallel versions about other viruses. I highly recommend for those that want to really understand the challenges and uncertainties behind the WHY and WHERE of so many diseases.
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