A Planet of Viruses

Viruses are the smallest living things known to science, yet they hold the entire planet in their sway. They helped give rise to the first life-forms, are responsible for many of our most devastating diseases, and will continue to control our fate for centuries. Carl Zimmer, the popular science writer and New York Times columnist, takes us from the first record of the common cold to the latest frontiers of biology, where scientists are expanding our understanding of life as we know it. This revised edition includes stories of new outbreaks, such as Ebola, MERS, and chikungunya virus; new scientific discoveries, such as a hundred-million-year-old virus that infected the common ancestor of armadillos, elephants, and humans; and new findings that show why climate change may lead to even deadlier outbreaks. Zimmer's lucid explanations and intriguing stories demonstrate how deeply humans and viruses are intertwined. As reassuring as it is frightening, Planet of Viruses is a fascinating tour of a formidable hidden world. -- from back cover.