(Originally Published 2012, Paperback Edition 236 pages)
Mr. Wasik's and Ms. Murphy's book is of two minds. Parts of the work delve into the meats and potatoes of the deadly virus and other parts are light, silly ruminations about how rabies has MAYBE influenced cultures. Some of the authors' beliefs sound plausible but are pure conjecture such as the development of the myths about vampires, werewolves and zombies. These ruminations tried my patience.
However, their explanations on how the virus affects humans and animals as well as the major culprits who cause the spread of rabies are very interesting. The first part of the book explains what "doctors or healers" believed was happening to a victim in the advanced stages of rabies. Until the great Louis Pasteur came along and set scientists and doctors down the correct path, it was all just people pulling wacky religious beliefs or cultural mumbo-jumbo out their backsides. They even correctly explain the nutty public reactions to AIDS in the early nineteen-eighties. Oodles of us humans don't help reenforce the credence that we're an intelligent species.
'Rabid' does much better when it focuses more on reality. For example, the accidental introduction of the virus onto the rabies-free island of Bali and how the government's incompetent handling of the situation made a bad situation worse was very informative. Also, the authors' scientific explanation of the current research and the difficulty of breaching the blood-brain barrier shows that rabies isn't likely to ever be eradicated. Ultimately, the book was informative, but it had a little too much fluff for my tastes.
However, their explanations on how the virus affects humans and animals as well as the major culprits who cause the spread of rabies are very interesting. The first part of the book explains what "doctors or healers" believed was happening to a victim in the advanced stages of rabies. Until the great Louis Pasteur came along and set scientists and doctors down the correct path, it was all just people pulling wacky religious beliefs or cultural mumbo-jumbo out their backsides. They even correctly explain the nutty public reactions to AIDS in the early nineteen-eighties. Oodles of us humans don't help reenforce the credence that we're an intelligent species.
'Rabid' does much better when it focuses more on reality. For example, the accidental introduction of the virus onto the rabies-free island of Bali and how the government's incompetent handling of the situation made a bad situation worse was very informative. Also, the authors' scientific explanation of the current research and the difficulty of breaching the blood-brain barrier shows that rabies isn't likely to ever be eradicated. Ultimately, the book was informative, but it had a little too much fluff for my tastes.
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