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The Demon in the Freezer
Author: Richard Preston

“The bard of biological weapons captures — the drama of the front lines.” — -Richard Danzig, former secretary of the navy — The first major bioterror event in the United States-the anthrax attacks in October 2001-was a clarion call for scientists who work with “hot” agents to find ways of protecting civilian populatio... more »ns against biological weapons. In The Demon in the Freezer, his first nonfiction book since The Hot Zone, a #1 New York Times bestseller, Richard Preston takes us into the heart of Usamriid, the United States Army Medical Research Institute of Infectious Diseases at Fort Detrick, Maryland, once the headquarters of the U.S. biological weapons program and now the epicenter of national biodefense.

Peter Jahrling, the top scientist at Usamriid, a wry virologist who cut his teeth on Ebola, one of the world’s most lethal emerging viruses, has ORCON security clearance that gives him access to top secret information on bioweapons. His most urgent priority is to develop a drug that will take on smallpox-and win. Eradicated from the planet in 1979 in one of the great triumphs of modern science, the smallpox virus now resides, officially, in only two high-security freezers-at the Centers for Disease Control in Atlanta and in Siberia, at a Russian virology institute called Vector. But the demon in the freezer has been set loose. It is almost certain that illegal stocks are in the possession of hostile states, including Iraq and North Korea. Jahrling is haunted by the thought that biologists in secret labs are using genetic engineering to create a new superpox virus, a smallpox resistant to all vaccines.

Usamriid went into a state of Delta Alert on September 11 and activated its emergency response teams when the first anthrax letters were opened in New York and Washington, D.C. Preston reports, in unprecedented detail, on the government’s response to the attacks and takes us into the ongoing FBI investigation. His story is based on interviews with top-level FBI agents and with Dr. Steven Hatfill.

Jahrling is leading a team of scientists doing controversial experiments with live smallpox virus at CDC. Preston takes us into the lab where Jahrling is reawakening smallpox and explains, with cool and devastating precision, what may be at stake if his last bold experiment fails.

From the Hardcover edition.

ISBN-13: 9780345466631
ISBN-10: 0345466632
Publication Date: 8/26/2003
Pages: 304
Rating:

Currently 4.1/5 Stars.

4.1 stars, based on 75 ratings

Publisher: Fawcett
Book Type: Paperback
Other Versions: Hardcover, Audio Cassette, Audio CD
Reviews: Member | Amazon | Write a Review

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Top Member Book Reviews

Currently 3.5/5 Stars.

Gerhard O. (nccorthu) reviewed The Demon in the Freezer on 7/22/2007 + 482 more book reviews

5 member(s) found this review helpful.

Fascinating book about the eradication of Smallpox and also Bioterrorism. Really worth reading. Written as if it were a thriller novel. I guess maybe it is except that it's for real and mey get us yet.

Currently 4/5 Stars.

Val M. (jaglvr) - PA reviewed The Demon in the Freezer on 8/26/2007 + 125 more book reviews

3 member(s) found this review helpful.

will scare the crap out of it, and it's based on true information. even far scarier is HOT ZONE also by Preston. If you're interested in medicine and diseases and stuff, these are the books to read

Currently 0/5 Stars.

Elisabeth P. (BetsyP) reviewed The Demon in the Freezer on 12/28/2007 + 491 more book reviews

2 member(s) found this review helpful.

A very credible book about an incredibile topic. This book is a mesmerizing, fantastic recounting of the history of smallpox. I can't say enough about this book. It gives brief descriptions of true and dedicated heros in the fight to eradicate a terrible disease. Definately worth a credit.

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Currently 4.5/5 Stars.

Jeanne G. (IlliniAlum83) - Lithia, FL reviewed The Demon in the Freezer on 6/11/2011 + 90 more book reviews

A must read for all in this era of potential bio-terrorism. Preston covers the history of smallpox and anthrax outbreaks and puts them in perspective of today's threats. A great explanation of level 4 "hot" labs and how the CDC, WHO, HHS, Homeland Security and US military interact to handle a bio-emergency. If you like the TV show CSI, you'll like this real life story of how labs track down a bio-culprit!

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Common Title

The Demon in the Freezer

Genres:

Science & Math >> Biological Sciences >> Biochemistry
Science & Math >> Biological Sciences >> Biology >> Microbiology
Medicine >> Internal Medicine >> Infectious Disease >> Communicable Diseases
Professional & Technical >> Professional Science >> Biological Sciences >> Biochemistry
Professional & Technical >> Professional Science >> Biological Sciences >> Biology >> Microbiology
Medical Books >> Medicine >> Internal Medicine >> Infectious Disease

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