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A Planet of Viruses

Third Edition

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A Planet of Viruses

By: Carl Zimmer
Narrated by: Stephen Bowlby
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About this listen

In 2020, an invisible germ - a virus - wholly upended our lives. We're most familiar with the viruses that give us colds or Covid-19. But viruses also cause a vast range of other diseases, including one disorder that makes people sprout branch-like growths as if they were trees. Viruses have been a part of our lives for so long that we are actually part virus: the human genome contains more DNA from viruses than our own genes. Meanwhile, scientists are discovering viruses everywhere they look: in the soil, in the ocean, even in deep caves miles underground.

Fully revised and updated, with a new chapter about coronaviruses and the spread of Covid-19, this third edition of Carl Zimmer's A Planet of Viruses pulls back the veil on this hidden world. It presents the latest research on how viruses hold sway over our lives and our biosphere, how viruses helped give rise to the first life-forms, how viruses are producing new diseases, how we can harness viruses for our own ends, and how viruses will continue to control our fate as long as life endures.

©2011, 2015, 2021 The Board of Regents of the University of Nebraska (P)2021 Tantor Biological Sciences Biology Contagious Diseases Physical Illness & Disease Science Sociology
All stars
Most relevant
Well pitched and informative overview of Virus and their shenanigans. With good narration helping things along. A worthy listen.

Interesting and better than expected.

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I found this to be a well balanced book, with enough detail for the scientifically minded but pace and entertainment for the general reader.
The content on the various viruses was well paced and told like a gripping story.
I certainly learned a lot and it made me want to know more.

Fascinating, timely and well composed

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As the title says - it's informative but short and easy to follow along with. Doesn't overcomplicate things at all

Informative and a quick read

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I'm a biologist and would have been a biologist had my professor not quit during my degree and not been replaced! So I'm well versed in virology and read this purely for entertainments sake. As it is, for those with less than degree-level interest - and for the few who didn't become obsessed during the Covid pandemic but who now want to know more - this is an excellent crack in the doorway to the world of virology.

The pros: well researched, fact-based, easy-to-understand, up-to-date (as of 2021) and clearly narrated.

The cons: the narrator. This is a massive 'sigh' from me. What could have been a superb listen was instead one filled with irritation at the nasal whine of this particular narrator. Why they chose someone with such an awful voice is beyond me. Truly irritating. The fact that he has an American accent doesn't help either (I find science-based books always sound better in RP English - just as Shakespeare and Sherlock Holmes productions do).

Would I recommend it? Yes. Irritation at the narration aside, it is an excellent introduction to virology which may inspire some to take up the study whilst at the very least helping to counteract the world of disinformation we live in. For teachers, learn from it, play it to your students (particularly suitable for students aged 13+), put it on the recommended reading list for GCSE/A-Level students (or the equivalents). They will absolutely gain a better understanding of biology and research from this.

A shame about the narration

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