Product Description
A highly infectious, deadly virus from the central African rain forest suddenly appears in the suburbs of Washington, D.C. There is no cure. In a few days 90 percent of its victims are dead. A secret military SWAT team of soldiers and scientists is mobilized to stop the outbreak of this exotic "hot" virus. The Hot Zone tells this dramatic story, giving a hair-raising account of the
appearance of rare and lethal viruses and their "crashes" into the human race. Shocking, frightening, and impossible to ignore, The Hot Zone proves that truth really is scarier than fiction.

Amazon.com Review
The dramatic and chilling story of an Ebola virus outbreak in a surburban Washington, D.C. laboratory, with descriptions of frightening historical epidemics of rare and lethal viruses. More hair-raising than anything Hollywood could think of, because it's all true.

CUSTOMER REVIEWS (Average Customer Rating: 4.5 based on 482 reviews)

Fantastic!

Hot Zone is one of my most favorite books ever. I read this a few years ago, and made my husband read it only recently. He loved it as much as I did. It's such a compelling read and I was fascinated from the first to the last page. You won't regret picking up this book.
September 25, 2008

Most Repugnant Book Ever

This book is excellent, on my top 10 list for sure, but it is an unflinching look at subject matter which is far past revolting.

Something tells me filoviruses aren't quite finished with the human species.
September 17, 2008

Scary

The Hot Zone explains the Ebola Virus, it's history and the effects of the virus on the human and Simian body. It tells the story of a near outbreak in the U.S.

This was a quick read for me over the summer and gave me a fairly decent education regarding this deadly, and scary virus and how it likely jumped species from monkey to human by (spoiler) monkey markets and the greedy mishandling of the animals in the research market. There have been areas in Africa where villages have been devastated by Ebola and it's three different strains.

This book is creepy as it explains how the military handles the research of such virus's in it's Level Four research labs, where the handlers need no vaccinations when studying, because there are no vaccines. The researchers wear spacesuits and go through different levels before they can enter the area for researching such viruses as Ebola-a hole in your glove could mean certain death; you'd also be sent to a hospital where you'd have no chance to infect others - you'd die alone, a most grisly death too, as you'll read in the descriptions of people who died of Ebola.

Of special interest is the story of the spread of Ebola in Africa before it became a known virus.

Scary Non-fiction told in the author's usual riveting style.
September 15, 2008

Ebola

I've had this book on my shelf for at least the past 10 or so years and decided to pick it up. I thought the topic was pretty interesting and I liked the back history of Ebola and it's initial outbreaks but when it got to the story of how Ebola got to the U.S. it just got a little dull. Once the story focuses on the Ebola outbreak in Reston nothing really happens. They don't really solve or find anything and it's just really a description of how they cleansed the building. There are some interesting things that occur that when you read it you just think there is no way that that is how the military or government would handle that situation in this day in age. Hey there's Ebola in that building but lets not tell the daycare place across the street. Now the area would be clear for miles and anyone that was in contact would be locked up in isolation. But hey what can they say it was the 80s. It was an interesting book but just didn't really have enough going for me to keep me interested for extended periods of time and sometimes felt like I was reading the same thing over and over.
September 14, 2008

Nerve Shattering Story

I read this book in two days. The first few chapters keep you reading with mixed fascination and terror as you try to picture a human being melting from the inside out. Great writing. The book slows in the last half and gets a little more technical, but non-fiction does that because all life is not lived like a novel. I think the author does his best to satisfy (not offend) animal rights people. Overall, the book is an intense look at some scary life forms that will sure keep me from poking around in strange caves.
August 23, 2008

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