Availability
Loading...
Summary
Viruses are the smallest living things known to science, and yet they hold the entire planet in their sway. We are most familiar with the viruses that give us colds or the flu, but viruses also cause a vast range of other diseases. Viruses have been a part of our lives for so long, in fact, that we... Full description
Summary: |
Viruses are the smallest living things known to science, and yet they hold the entire planet in their sway. We are most familiar with the viruses that give us colds or the flu, but viruses also cause a vast range of other diseases. Viruses have been a part of our lives for so long, in fact, that we are actually part virus: the human genome contains more DNA from viruses than our own genes. Meanwhile, scientists are discovering viruses everywhere they look: in the soil, in the ocean, even in deep caves miles underground. Here, science writer Carl Zimmer presents the latest research on how viruses hold sway over our lives and our biosphere, how viruses helped give rise to the first life forms, how viruses are producing new diseases, how we can harness viruses for our own ends, and how viruses will continue to control our fate for years to come.--From publisher description. |
---|---|
Physical Description: |
x, 109 p. : col. ill. ; 23 cm. |
Bibliography: |
Includes bibliographical references (p. 97-101) and index. |
ISBN: |
9780226983356 (cloth : alk. paper) 0226983358 (cloth : alk. paper) |
Author Notes: |
Carl Zimmer is a lecturer at Yale University, where he teaches writing about science and the environment. He is the author of numerous books, including Microcosm ; Parasite Rex ; Evolution: The Triumph of an Idea ; At the Water's Edge ; and Soul Made Flesh . His numerous essays and articles on the life sciences have appeared in the pages of the New York Times , Scientific American , Discover , Time , Science , Popular Science , and National Geographic . His work has been anthologized in both The Best American Science Writing and The Best American Science and Nature Writing series. |