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Panic in Level 4: Cannibals, Killer Viruses, and Other Journeys to the Edge of Science | 
 enlarge | Author: Richard Preston
Publisher: Random House
Category: Book
List Price: $26.00
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Avg. Customer Rating:  15 reviews
Sales Rank: 17242
Media: Hardcover
Number Of Items: 1
Pages: 240
Shipping Weight (lbs): 1.2
Dimensions (in): 9.4 x 6.3 x 1
ISBN: 1400064902
Dewey Decimal Number: 616.024
EAN: 9781400064908
ASIN: 1400064902
Publication Date: May 27, 2008
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Product Description
Bizarre illnesses and plagues that kill people in the most unspeakable ways. Obsessive and inspired efforts by scientists to solve mysteries and save lives. From The Hot Zone to The Demon in the Freezer and beyond, Richard Preston’s bestselling works have mesmerized readers everywhere by showing them strange worlds of nature they never dreamed of.
Panic in Level 4 is a grand tour through the eerie and unforgettable universe of Richard Preston, filled with incredible characters and mysteries that refuse to leave one’s mind. Here are dramatic true stories from this acclaimed and award-winning author, including:
• The phenomenon of “self-cannibals,” who suffer from a rare genetic condition caused by one wrong letter in their DNA that forces them to compulsively chew their own flesh–and why everyone may have a touch of this disease.
• The search for the unknown host of Ebola virus, an organism hidden somewhere in African rain forests, where the disease finds its way into the human species, causing outbreaks of unparalleled horror.
• The brilliant Russian brothers–“one mathematician divided between two bodies”–who built a supercomputer in their apartment from mail-order parts in an attempt to find hidden order in the number pi (π).
In fascinating, intimate, and exhilarating detail, Richard Preston portrays the frightening forces and constructive discoveries that are currently roiling and reordering our world, once again proving himself a master of the nonfiction narrative and, as noted in The Washington Post, “a science writer with an uncommon gift for turning complex biology into riveting page-turners.”
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| Customer Reviews: Read 10 more reviews...
Wasn't fond of it August 1, 2008
The Hot Zone' was an exceptional book and so 'Panic in Level 4' sounded very promising at first. The book is a collection of writings Mr. Preston did over a period of a few years. Only a couple of them refer to the terrible viral outbreaks, such as the African Ebola. I wasn't to fond of reading about the self-cannibalization disorder, it seemed to depressing. I recommend 'Demon In The Freezer', much more engaging read.
Not Quite the "Edge of Science" July 28, 2008
Because I was totally enamored with Richard Preston's earlier book, The Wild Trees, and listed it as one of the best books I read in 2007, I was looking forward to his latest effort, Panic in Level 4: Cannibals, Killer Viruses, and Other Journeys to the Edge of Science. The title comes from Preston's experience in a Biosafety Level 4, the highest and tightest level of biosecurity in a laboratory, where exposure to viruses present will kill you 100% of the time. Through some "luck," he was able to work in a Level 4 lab, where the technicians were working with a person that died from exposure to Marburg Ebola. Marburg is a strain of Ebola that is found in East Africa and is just as deadly as any Ebola virus.
Contents:
Introduction: Adventures in Nonfiction Writing
The Mountains of Pi
A Death in the Forest
The Search for Ebola
The Human Kabbalah
The Lost Unicorn
The Self-Cannibals
Glossary
Acknowledgments
After the introduction, where Preston explains his "Panic in Level 4," the reader is introduced to two number theorists that built their own supercomputer in their New York apartment. In "The Mountains of Pi," these mathematicians are looking for patterns in pi, trying to crack the code. While interesting to read how brilliant people are marginalized by mainstream academia when they don't fit into traditional roles, it was more a story concerning the Chudnovsky's overcoming the limits of renting time on supercomputers and building their own out of mail-order parts. "A Death in the Forest" continues Preston's work in The Wild Trees, where he writes about the death of Eastern Hemlocks, the largest trees in the eastern part of the United States due to the introduction of an invasive species, the hemlock wooly adelgid. The next chapter, "The Search for Ebola," concerns the research done to trace the host of Ebola and also tells a tale of an Ebola outbreak in Congo. From there, we learn of the two factions in the race to unlock human DNA. "The Human Kabbalah" focuses on Craig Venter, who was in direct competition with the National Institutes of Health (NIH). Not only was he trying to beat the NIH at reading the human genetic code, he was also trying to make money off it, by selling his research to the large pharmaceutical companies. Bringing the Chudnovsky brothers back for an encore, we learn about tapestries, digital photography, and supercomputers in "The Lost Unicorn." Finally, in "The Self-Cannibals," Preston writes about a genetic disease, Lesch-Nyhan syndrome, where the victims perform the most gruesome self-mutilation.
The stories in "Panic in Level 4" are very different. While the subtitle, ". . . and Other Journeys to the Edge of Science" leads one to believe that most of the chapters will deal with Ebola-like issues, the reality is that Preston seems to have created a book from his favorite personalities or projects. While I really enjoyed reading about most of the topics, they didn't live up to the introductory chapter or to "The Search for Ebola." Those are they types of stories that we have come to expect from Preston. However, as a fan of The Wild Trees, I did enjoy "A Death in the Forest." I am fascinated with large trees, and the ecosystems contained in their canopy, but it seemed out of place in this book. Also out of place was "The Last Unicorn." Using a supercomputer to piece together thousands of digital photographs of the Unicorn Tapestries does not come across as gripping science. "The Self Cannibals" was the most unsettling chapter in the book. I glanced at a picture of one of the victims and then I refused to look at it. The results of Lesch-Nyhan syndrome are disturbing. I was hoping that somehow Preston would tie in the human DNA project more tightly with the story, but there wasn't much between the two chapters. As you might tell, I had high expectations for this book after really enjoying The Wild Trees. I was disappointed with most of the chapters. But if you are liberal with your definition of "edge of science" or if you ignore that and simply look at each chapter as interesting science writing, you may enjoy it.
 Panic in Level 4 July 27, 2008
PANIC IN LEVEL 4: CANNIBALS, KILLER VIRUSES, AND OTHER JOURNEYS TO THE EDGE OF SCIENCE BY RICAHRD PRESTON: Richard Preston, author of The Hot Zone and The Wild Trees returns with Panic in Level 4 featuring six of his articles which have appeared over the recent years, in some form, in the New Yorker. While the title refers to the highest level, Bio Safety Level 4 (BL-4), of biosecurity in the laboratory, the articles run the gamut of subjects from the number , to the search for the origin of Ebola, to a unique type of cannibal.
In Preston's introduction, "Adventures in Nonfiction Writing," he tells a story of the time when he was finally granted access to Level 4, offering description step by step as he is taken to the room where the suits are, each baring the name of its owner, and is handed a suit with no name; Preston takes this as a bad sign. Inside Level 4, Preston observes these daredevil scientists who face the risk of infection and death as their day job, watching them investigate blood samples of a possible Ebola victim. As Preston bends down to look into a microscope, the front part of his suit bursts open and Preston is rushed from the lab and checked for Ebola infection. Since Panic in Level 4 has been written and published, Preston obviously survived his brush with one of the most lethal viruses ever discovered.
In "The Mountains of Pi," we meet two brothers who live in a small apartment in New York and spend their time building supercomputers and furthering their research into and its possible pattern. In "The Search for Ebola," Preston travels to different countries in Africa, tracing the history of Ebola outbreaks to their original sources in an attempt to find the genesis of the deadly virus. In other articles, Preston discovers a treasure-trove of wondrous trees in the most unlikeliest of places; as well as the finding of an ancient tapestry at the Metropolitan Museum that when turned over for repair, reveals a back side that has rarely seen the light, still in its original breathtaking detail. In the final article, "The Self-Cannibals," Preston educates the reader about the rare disease Lesch-Nyahn syndrome, where a single altered letter in one's DNA makeup creates the occasional mental state that your limbs are out to attack you and must be stopped through self-cannibalism and self destruction. Preston meets and becomes friends with sufferers of the syndrome, revealing a human side to this devastating disease, making the reader realize that even those these people are threatened by their very own body, they are still people just like you or I.
Preston seems justifiably proud about the fact that he seeks out the humanity in the difficult subjects he writes about, and in this way it is accessible and understandable to anyone, no matter your background. Panic in Level 4 aims to not just educate the reader in some of the mysteries of this world, but also to reveal the complexity and incredible brilliance of the human species.
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 Panic in Level 4 July 21, 2008
I was pretty disapointed with this book. I really enjoyed some of Preston's novels however this one jumped around to much. I did not like the fact that this book was made up of 6 stories. Though each story was interesting, the book skipped around to much and was at times too repetitive.
panic in level 4 July 8, 2008
Mr preston always delivers. The book is informative and scary. His books alway make you think. Enjoyed it.
carol
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