A visually appealing resource that will be useful for virologists while simultaneously appealing to the layperson curious about the fascinating and vital role these organisms play in the ecosystem.
The rise of the Zika virus was one of the most troubling medical stories of the past year--and yes, it's covered in this richly illustrated rogue's gallery by virologist Marilyn J. Roossinck. There's also a graphic explanation of the inner workings of viruses, and a foreword by renowned science writer Carl Zimmer.---Alan Boyle, GeekWire
"Absolutely terrific."—Sunetra Gupta, University of Oxford
What Roger Tory Peterson did for birds, Penn State University virologist Marilyn J. Roossinck has done for viruses. . . . [B]eautifully illustrated.---Laurence A. Marshall, Natural History
"This is a wonderful book that educates readers about the variety, uses, and history of viruses. Roossinck does not take the expected position that all viruses are bad, but instead reveals the complexity and surprising diversity of them."—Erica Ollmann Saphire, Scripps Research Institute
This well-illustrated guide provides an introduction to the biology of viruses and history of virology, as well as singling out 101 of these infectious agents to profile in more depth.
"Viruses rule our world. They both threaten to kill us and help to regulate the food webs of oceans. They embed themselves in our DNA and stalk the bacteria in our guts. They are ever-present, understudied, and, as this book makes more clear than any other has, beautiful. Roossinck provides a window into the diminutive architecture of our viruses, their grandeur, horror, details, and stories. Her book is a reminder that the world is always more interesting than it seems."—Rob Dunn, author of The Man Who Touched His Own Heart: True Tales of Science, Surgery, and Mystery
"Viruses are a microscopic but fundamentally important part of every ecosystem on the planet. By mixing spectacular illustrations with summaries of the properties of 101 viruses, this ‘field guide' brings the hidden world of these fascinating microbes to life."—Jonathan Eisen, University of California, Davis
[A] stunning explication of 101 viruses that infect everything from humans to archaea. Along with basics on life cycles, transmission and more, Roossinck offers succinct descriptions, schematic drawings and a gallery of electron-microscopy images.---Barbara Kiser, Nature
[A] very useful resource.
This light, richly illustrated overview of 100 different viruses is most appropriate for general readers.
