The Viral Storm by Nathan Wolfe

The Viral Storm: The Dawn of a New Pandemic Age by Nathan Wolfe
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

It's a bit disorganized for me, and considering how interested (read: worried) I am in this topic, I found it a bit dull. However, the tidbits I learned here and there about pandemic viruses in general and specific viruses in particular, I think it was well worth my time to read. The book had some particularly interesting facts regarding the AIDS virus and the Nipah virus (from bats to pigs to people). The connection between pandemics and eating meat, in general, is interesting. I've read before about Toxoplasma Gondii, but it's so crazy, it never disappoints, and I was interested in the new hypothesis about cat hoarders potentially being infected- why is that so hard to find out for sure though? I've read before about helpful bacteria, particularly gut bacteria, but this is the first I've heard of potentially helpful viruses. Finally, I thought it was interesting that Nathan Wolfe's data collection dreams (for preventing pandemics) are precisely Edward Snowden's nightmares. There seem to be many sides to the data debate, not just two.

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