Product Description
Here is a compelling scientific account of viruses, their history, and the dangers they pose--now and in the future. Viruses are disarmingly small and simple. Nevertheless, the smallpox virus killed over 300 million people in the twentieth century before it was eradicated in 1980. The AIDS virus, HIV, is now the world's biggest killer infection and the single most common cause of death in Africa. In recent years, the outbreaks of several lethal viruses such as Ebola and Hantavirus have caused great public concern--yet most people remain woefully ill-informed. In this fascinating new book, Dorothy Crawford explains lucidly and accessibly all aspects of the natural history of these deadly parasites and discusses controversial subjects such as CFS and Gulf War Syndrome. The book considers issues such as how man has coped with viruses in the past, where new viruses come from, and whether it would be possible for a new virus to wipe out the human race. Professor Crawford illustrates her arguments with vivid and wide-ranging examples. The result is an informative and highly readable book, which will be read by all those who seek a deeper understanding of these minute but remarkably efficient killers.

Amazon.com Review
Though the Berlin Wall has fallen, we find ourselves still struggling with an even older enemy in the eternal Common Cold War. Virologist Dorothy H. Crawford has studied the link between Epstein-Barr virus and human cancer for years, and she casts a wary eye through the electron microscope to check up on them and report on our strange and occasionally deadly symbiosis in The Invisible Enemy. This slim book, scholarly but accessible, examines these barely living (or unliving, depending on whom you ask) gene packages with a strong emphasis on their disease-causing antics and the intellectual heroics of the various campaigns of eradication and control humans have waged for centuries. Though biological relativists might cringe occasionally at Crawford's dogged humanocentrism, few of them would really pine for the days of smallpox or embrace the raging HIV pandemic if pressed. Crawford looks at the wake of devastation left by these two viruses as well as her own favorite subject, which is strongly implicated in the formation of many cancers. Going a bit farther afield, she explains the weird behavior of the nongenetic reproduction of prions that cause Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease and bovine spongiform encephalopathy; though these scary proteins aren't viruses by any definition, their behavior is similar enough to warrant inclusion. The Invisible Enemy, calmer than its title would suggest, provokes a sense of optimism in the reader. Though the war might last forever, we can hope for fewer and fewer casualties as the years go by. --Rob Lightner

CUSTOMER REVIEWS (Average Customer Rating: 5.0 based on 6 reviews)

Excellent! A book to be read by everybody by Luis Mansilla Miranda (Viña del Mar, Chile)

5 Stars
December 29, 2007
What a great book to finish this year. This is the history of viruses, those nanoparticles wrapped up in protein, a history of smallpox, polio, herpes, hepatitis, flu, Human T Leukaemia Virus, HIV and others little viruses that have made difficult our existence. But this book is more than that, a book to understand how this virus operate, their relation with cancer, how we have combated them via immunization, vaccines and antivirals, and the amazing advances in dealing with them, including the use of viruses to deal with cancer. There is much more to understand about viruses, the purpose of them, an effort that perhaps allows to understand life itself. This is a book to be read by everybody, a book that should have a spanish version and be given to high school/University students. Prevention is the first step.

Fascinating, less complicated introduction to the current issue of emerging viruses by K. L Sadler (Freedom, Pa. USA)

4 Stars
November 07, 2007
Probably the only reason I gave this a four star is because the book was a repeat basically for me of information I'd already read more completely somewhere else. That's not to say I didn't think this book was interesting. The Writer is British, and most all the books I read were from American writers. Her writing is impeccable as per usual with the British, but also there is a distinctly different point of view. I would highly recommend this book for people who want a good introduction into the area of virology. It applies to everyone, since emerging and man-made viruses are such a threat at this point. The book doesn't overdo the scientific jargon you find in textbooks, and makes the science accessible to everyone who reads the book. It addresses most of the past big problems, introduces some emerging problems like Ebola...but this is very general. That can be a good thing...I just wanted some more information than what I got. Karen Sadler

Understanding viruses by Alan Franciscus (San Francisco, CA)

5 Stars
October 17, 2007
"The Invisble Enemy" is a very good overview of the world of viruses. Virologist Dorothy H. Crawford has written a book that is scientific, but it is also interesting, enjoyable, and very readable. In fact, I became so immersed while reading the book that I felt that I was reading a historical novel and not a book on the science of viruses. But that is what is so enjoyable about this book - Ms. Crawford weaves together interesting tales, scientific data and her thoughts on viruses in a way that helped me to understand these primitive proteins and their impact on the history and evolution of the human race. Throughout the book there is information about the history of a variety of killer viruses such as yellow fever and polio and the vaccines that were developed to eradicate them. There is also information about the origins of HIV - how HIV infects a cell and the ways that HIV drugs interfere with the replication process. Also information is included on hepatitis A, hepatitis B and a little information on hepatitis C. There is also an overview of the emerging killer viruses such as ebola, hanta virus, and the bird flu. After reading this book I came away with a better understanding of viruses and their remarkable ability to survive.

Nice book by pkkmres (Ames, IA)

5 Stars
March 07, 2006
This is a nice book about viruses. The book is slightly technical, but reading it while able to access wikipedia should do it, if you want to understand each detail. Recently I came across a theory came which says that viruses played a crucial role in the evolution of humans. After reading this book the above theory made sense to me.

amazing by sci girl (Phx, Az)

5 Stars
June 22, 2005
I assumed this would be another text book style read consisting of sterile,bare bones info. I was very pleasantly surprised. This book is increadible. It reads like a novel and yet the info is present in every sentence. The author is clearly beyond knowledgable about the topic. I would recommend this book to anyone . Truely amazing!

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