Author(s): Nathan D. Wolfe

Science

Do you think you know all about the risk of a global pandemic? The threat could be far greater than we had ever imagined. In this important new book, award-winning biologist Nathan Wolfe examines the world of viruses and points the way forward, examining how new technologies can be brought to bear in the most remote areas of the world to neutralize these viruses and even harness their power for the good of humanity. Wolfe's research missions to the jungles of Africa and the rain forests of Borneo have earned him the nickname 'the Indiana Jones of virus hunters', and here he takes readers along on his groundbreaking and often dangerous research trips to reveal the surprising origins of the most deadly diseases and to explain the role that viruses have played in human evolution. In "The Viral Storm", Wolfe tells the story of how viruses and human beings have evolved side by side through history; how deadly viruses like HIV, swine flu, and bird flu almost wiped us out in the past; and, why modern life has made our species vulnerable to the threat of a global pandemic. His provocative vision of the future will change the way we think about viruses, and may even remove a potential threat to the survival of humanity itself.