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 (Ï€).
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:

Avg. Customer Rating: 3.0 / 5.0

Interesting, and Sometimes Terrifying!:

Preston begins by taking a "tour" into the Level 4 labs at the Army Research Institute for Infectious Diseases. Readers learn both of the incredibly dangers posed by some of the diseases being researched there, and the precautions taken to prevent their infecting anyone.
The first chapter tells the rather frustrating story of two Russian mathematics PhDs who built their own supercomputer for $70,000 in one of their N.Y.C. apartments. They are determined to calculate pi to a detail level greater than... more info

Wasn't fond of it:

The Hot Zone' was an exceptional book and so 'Panic in Level 4' sounded very promising at first. The book is a collection of writings Mr. Preston did over a period of a few years. Only a couple of them refer to the terrible viral outbreaks, such as the African Ebola. I wasn't to fond of reading about the self-cannibalization disorder, it seemed to depressing. I recommend 'Demon In The Freezer', much more engaging read.

Not Quite the "Edge of Science":

Because I was totally enamored with Richard Preston's earlier book, The Wild Trees, and listed it as one of the best books I read in 2007, I was looking forward to his latest effort, Panic in Level 4: Cannibals, Killer Viruses, and Other Journeys to the Edge of Science. The title comes from Preston's experience in a Biosafety Level 4, the highest and tightest level of biosecurity in a laboratory, where exposure to viruses present will kill you 100% of the time. Through some "luck," he was able to work in a... more info

Panic in Level 4:

PANIC IN LEVEL 4: CANNIBALS, KILLER VIRUSES, AND OTHER JOURNEYS TO THE EDGE OF SCIENCE BY RICAHRD PRESTON: Richard Preston, author of The Hot Zone and The Wild Trees returns with Panic in Level 4 featuring six of his articles which have appeared over the recent years, in some form, in the New Yorker. While the title refers to the highest level, Bio Safety Level 4 (BL-4), of biosecurity in the laboratory, the articles run the gamut of subjects from the number , to the search for the origin of Ebola, to a... more info

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