The Hot Zone by Richard Preston

Being a new reviewer, so to speak, I am a bit nervous about writing my second non fiction review. The Hot Zone was an amazingly terrifying read. My husband I bought a copy for each of our Kindles so we could read it together and discuss as we go. I guess you can call that a "read-date." Very good for your relationship!  And you must not read this alone.

First, I want to say this to Mr. Preston publicly,  I am sorry,  Mr. Preston,  for thinking your book was about hot flashes.  I never even had the decency to look at your cover. I do hope you forgive one of your newest fans, as I will promote the beans out of this book for my blatant ignorance and for the fact it is one hell of a read.

Sincerely, 

Cheryl

Richard Preston is very similar to Micheal Crichton in how he approaches a story for the reader. It's daring, it's concise,  it's detailed and it's very powerful in keeping you from exhaling very often. One of the best qualities in a writer.

This story is about Ebola, it is a non fiction book, of course, and he weaves the magic and terror of Ebola (we call it The Alien here at home) form Africa to America. 

Preston starts out with a French man who visits Kitum Cave, Mt Elgon, Kenya. This man ends up with Ebola and the story kicks into high gear from there. The author centers the story around the protagonist, the deadly virus, and what it does to a human down to a cellular level without causing a medical terminology  induced coma on the reader. He interviews a vast number of people involved and magically places them into a story based book. 

Leaving Africa we end up in a town near Washington D.C. where a monkey containment center starts to experience monkeys dying off rather quickly. What happens there is the heart of the book and I don't want to spoil it. By the time the reader is finished they will see how well the author infuses himself into the story. It is truly like he is a part of it and that takes the reader right into the monkey containment center with a feeling of all of your senses being assaulted without YOU being there.

So love that.

There is a character list in the back of all the scientists, US Army and CDC personnel and other people who were involved in this story. 

It's a book I will not forget as the Ebola threat at this current time is real. It may be at a small percentage but with the lack of information they can't seem to acquire from this alien virus that has four proteins they cannot figure out, a potentially shape-shifting mode of transmission issue as well as no point of origin I fear it can be a world wide issue if things change. And like most viruses, they are alien enough to change quite dramatically.

Rating: Buy it

Published: 1995