Breathless

This is the story of SARS-CoV-2 and its journey through the human population, as seen by the scientists who study its origin, its ever-changing nature, and its capacity to kill us. David Quammen shows how new viruses emerge from animals into humans as we disrupt wild ecosystems, and how those viruses adapt to their human hosts.

From the author of the powerful, prescient Spillover: Animal Infections and the Next Human Pandemic Breathless is the story of the worldwide scientific quest to decipher the coronavirus SARS-CoV-2, trace its source, and make possible the vaccines to fight the Covid-19 pandemic. Here is the story of SARS-CoV-2 and its fierce journey through the human population, as seen by the scientists who study its origin, its ever-changing nature, and its capacity to kill us. David Quammen expertly shows how strange new viruses emerge from animals into humans as we disrupt wild ecosystems, and how those viruses adapt to their human hosts, sometimes causing global catastrophe. He explains why this coronavirus will probably be a ''forever virus,'' destined to circulate among humans and bedevil us endlessly. As scientists labour to catch, comprehend and control it, with their high-tech tools and methods, the virus finds ways of escape. Based on interviews with nearly one hundred scientists, including leading virologists in China and around the world, Quammen explains that infectious disease experts saw this pandemic coming; that some scientists, for more than two decades, warned that ''the next big one'' would be caused by a changeable new virus - very possibly a coronavirus - but such warnings were ignored for political or economic reasons; and that the precise origins of this virus may not be known for years but some clues are compelling, and some suppositions can be dismissed. Breathless takes us inside the frantic international effort to understand and control SARS-CoV-2 as if peering over the shoulders of the brilliant scientists who led the chase. David Quammen ''s sixteen previous books include The Tangled Tree , The Song of the Dodo , The Reluctant Mr. Darwin , and Spillover , a finalist for the National Book Critics Circle Award and recipient of the Premio Letterario Merck, in Rome. He has written for The New Yorker , Harper''s Magazine , The Atlantic , National Geographic , and Outside , among other magazines, and is a three-time winner of the National Magazine Award. Quammen shares a home in Bozeman, Montana, with his wife, Betsy Gaines Quammen, author of American Zion , and with two Russian wolfhounds, a cross-eyed cat, and a rescue python. DavidQuammen.com Praise for Spillover : ''A frightening and fascinating masterpiece of science reporting that reads like a detective story'' Walter Isaacson ''Fascinating and terrifying, Spillover is a real-life thriller with an outcome that affects us all'' Elizabeth Kolbert ''A tremendous book... this gives you all you need to know and all you should know. Quammen''s research and the analysis make sensationalism unnecessary'' Sunday Times ''Chilling... [A] brilliant, devastating book'' Daily Mail ''Travelling deep into the rainforest with the scientists hoping to identify the next pandemic pathogen, Quammen''s book is plotted like a detective thriller'' Gaia Vince, Guardian ''David Quammen might be my favourite living science writer: amiable, erudite, understated, incredibly funny, profoundly humane'' New York Magazine ...

Auteur

David Quammen's sixteen previous books include The Tangled Tree, The Song of the Dodo, The Reluctant Mr. Darwin, and Spillover, a finalist for the National Book Critics Circle Award and recipient of the Premio Letterario Merck. He has written for the New Yorker, Harper's Magazine, the Atlantic, National Geographic and Outside, among other publications, and is a three-time winner of the National Magazine Award.

Quammen shares a home in Bozeman, Montana, with his wife, Betsy Gaines Quammen, author of American Zion, and with two Russian wolfhounds, a cross-eyed cat, and a rescue python.

Visit him at DavidQuammen.com

Texte du rabat

A NEW YORK TIMES BOOK OF THE YEAR 2022 and FINANCIAL TIMES BEST BOOK OF 2023

Shortlisted for the Royal Science Society Book Prize 2023

From the author of the prescient Spillover: Animal Infections and the Next Human Pandemic

Breathless is the story of the scientific quest to decipher, control and fight Covid-19.

Breathless traces SARS-CoV-2's fierce journey through the human population as seen by the scientists who study its origin, ever-changing nature and capacity to kill. It shows how strange viruses emerge as we disrupt wild ecosystems - sometimes causing global catastrophe - and suggests this coronavirus could be a 'forever virus' that's destined to bedevil us endlessly.

Quammen also explains that experts saw this pandemic coming; that scientists warned 'the next big one' would be caused by a changeable new virus, but were ignored for political or economic reasons; and that while the origins of this virus may not be known for years, some suppositions are compelling and others can be dismissed.

Breathless takes us inside the frantic international effort to control SARS-CoV-2 as if peering over the shoulders of the brilliant scientists who led the chase.

Praise for Spillover:

'A frightening and fascinating masterpiece of science reporting' Walter Isaacson

'A real-life thriller with an outcome that affects us all' Elizabeth Kolbert

Résumé

A NEW YORK TIMES BOOK OF THE YEAR 2022

Shortlisted for the Royal Science Society Book Prize 2023

From the author of the prescient Spillover: Animal Infections and the Next Human Pandemic

Breathless is the story of the scientific quest to decipher, control and fight Covid-19.

Breathless traces SARS-CoV-2's fierce journey through the human population as seen by the scientists who study its origin, ever-changing nature and capacity to kill. It shows how strange viruses emerge as we disrupt wild ecosystems - sometimes causing global catastrophe - and suggests this coronavirus could be a 'forever virus' that's destined to bedevil us endlessly.

Quammen also explains that experts saw this pandemic coming; that scientists warned 'the next big one' would be caused by a changeable new virus, but were ignored for political or economic reasons; and that while the origins of this virus may not be known for years, some suppositions are compelling and others can be dismissed.

Breathless takes us inside the frantic international effort to control SARS-CoV-2 as if peering over the shoulders of the brilliant scientists who led the chase.

Praise for Spillover:

'A frightening and fascinating masterpiece of science reporting' Walter Isaacson

'A real-life thriller with an outcome that affects us all' Elizabeth Kolbert