Title: Rabid: A Cultural History of the World’s Most Diabolical Virus
Author: Bill Wasik and Monica Murphy
Publisher: Penguin Books 2013
Genre: Nonfiction
Pages: 288
Rating: 3/5 stars
Reading Challenges: Nonfiction Bingo - Medical Condition
The most fatal virus known to science, rabies-a disease that spreads avidly from animals to humans-kills nearly one hundred percent of its victims once the infection takes root in the brain. In this critically acclaimed exploration, journalist Bill Wasik and veterinarian Monica Murphy chart four thousand years of the history, science, and cultural mythology of rabies. From Greek myths to zombie flicks, from the laboratory heroics of Louis Pasteur to the contemporary search for a lifesaving treatment, Rabid is a fresh and often wildly entertaining look at one of humankind's oldest and most fearsome foes.
I feel very conflicted about this book. I love the premise and the a majority of the pages. I loved learning more about the history of rabies and connections to a shared history. I loved diving into some specific examples throughout history. And yet, I felt like the book took too many long tangents. I don’t think I needed to hear Louis Pasteur’s entire life story leading up to the rabies vaccine. And yet, that’s what we got. As the book went on, I got more and more disappointed in the tangents.
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