Panic in Level 4: Cannibals, Killer Viruses, and Other Journeys to the Edge of Science

I finished reading this last night, and out or curiosity came here to find what others were saying and see what other books Mr. Preston has written. I was absolutely shocked to see the negative reviews! Do people actually give a product a negative review because they don't like the *title* of the book? Seriously folks. While the book is a collection of short essays, I felt the author did a brilliant job of weaving them together. In reading some of the reviews here, I think this fact went way over some readers' heads. The whole point is that these stories aren't as 'fringe' as they might first appear to be. The science and issues are interrelated and have dramatic effects on all our lives. Mathematics, genetics and microbiology are topics at the very core of modern science. This book does a fantastic job of introducing these fields to the non-scientific masses via interesting stories. This was one of the most fun reads I've had in a long time. Highly recommended. Despite the title!

This is a really great book. It is true that much of the book is not related to 'level 4' though it is still a great book. I highly recommend this book for anyone who is interested in strange or rarely-seen facets of America.

I don't understand why people are getting so up in arms about the title. It's an attention grabber, which is what titles are supposed to do. The book is a collection of short pieces about non-fiction subjects. To those who are complaining that the book isn't as exciting as Preston's other work, please take note: this is not fiction, and is therefore doesn't have as much of an excitement factor. If you take the book for what it is, I strongly believe that you will be pleased. Each piece within the book was fascinating (except maybe the bit about the Unicorn Tapestries, but that's just personal bias). I found this book to be easy to read, highly informative, and very enjoyable overall. I especially enjoyed reading about the Chudnovskys and the rivals in the Human Genome Project. Happy reading to all!

Mr preston always delivers. The book is informative and scary. His books alway make you think. Enjoyed it. carol

About: Preston, author of The Hot Zone (a book I loved) presents a collection of expanded essays that were originally published in the New Yorker. He describes his writing and interviewing methods in the introduction and describes his visit to a Level 4 lab (where the deadliest viruses are). A sentence I thought was particularly choice: "A cold virus particle on the base of an eyelash hair would be like a peanut sitting by the Washington Monument." (pg xxxvi) Mountains of Pi describes 2 number theorist brothers, David and Gregory Chudnovsky and their quest to calculate pi using a supercomputer they built themselves in their apartment. Gives a great look at how intricate and fascinating pi is. A Death in the Forest tells the tale of the decimation of hemlock trees due to a pest known as the woody adelgid. The Search for Ebola covers territory familiar to those who have read The Hot Zone, and details the search for the original animal host of the Ebola virus. The Human Kabbalah profiles J. Craig Venter , the founder of the biotechnology company Celera and the battle with the National Institutes of Health in decoding the human genome. The Lost Unicorn takes us to the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City, where they are having trouble digitizing a large tapestry from circa 1600, enter the Chudnovsky brothers from the Mountains of Pi chapter. The Self-Cannibals is an engaging chapter introduces us to several suffers of Lesch-Nyhan Syndrome, a genetic disease that causes compulsive self-harming behaviors like chewing off lips or fingers. Pros: Very well written. Even with the varied topics, all are interesting. Cons: The chapter on Ebola is rather short considering that the book's title and cover artwork seem to make it out as a large portion of the book, which may put off those wanting a Hot Zone like tale.