Virus That Ate Cannibals: Six Great Medical Detective Stories

This is an wonderful book for students of science or anyone interested in the recent history of virology. Carol Eron is an excellent writer and provides a wonderful view into how viruses (and unconventional agents now known to cause Kuru and CJD) were studied in the last century. Too bad the book is out of print. I highly recommend getting your hands on this one!

This book consists of a series of 7 stories behind advances in virology, from yellow fever to the discovery and development of the virus-fighting drug adenine arabinoside. The title of the book refers to a chapter that is quite interesting today in the age of Mad Cow Disease, where she describes early research on kuru in Papua New Guinea. The writing is easily accessible and highly engaging. Although the book was written in 1981, because its historical reporting will continue to be relevant for years to come.