| In recent times, the world has grown more and more familiar with the highly-destructive AIDS virus. All the while though, a greater threat with catastrophic implications has been looming over the world, waiting to strike. This new killing force, named the Ebola virus from the river in Africa in which it is believed to have originated, has consumed entire villages and with an outbreak in a more affluent location could thrust us into international crisis. With a mortality rate of more than 50% and the ability to spread quickly and efficiently, the novel The Hot Zone grips its readers allows us to look at a terrifying scenario that could lash out at any time. Using vivid imagery of the graphic and unsettling effects of the virus, Richard Preston introduces us to what could become the black plague of the modern day and age. The non-fiction story traces the roots of the Ebola virus, telling factual and detailed stories about people and villages contributing to the spreading and understanding of the virus. Although, very little is still known about it right now. This book is really an eye-opener about what's happening outside of our comfortable lives. It provides a riveting and sometimes disturbing look that a wide audience can enjoy and leave with a new perspective on the world we live in. |
