Rabid: A Cultural History of the World's Most Diabolical Virus by Bill Wasik and Monica Murphy

 

Who would think reading about the cultural history of rabies would be so FASCINATING? Not me, that's for sure!! But I must saying that I thoroughly enjoyed listening to the unabridged audio version of Rabid: A Cultural History of the World's Most Diabolical Virus by Bill Wasik and Monica Murphy and narrated by Johnny Heller.

Listening time for Rabid: A Cultural History of the World's Most Diabolical Virus by Bill Wasik and Monica Murphy is 8 hours, 8 minutes.

I enjoy reading well written nonfiction books. Rabid: A Cultural History of the World's Most Diabolical Virus by Bill Wasik and Monica Murphy fits the bill almost perfectly in this regard. I love how this book is organized into well thought out chapters. Rabid is well written and very thorough in it's detail about rabies and the cultural history surrounding rabies. Let me say I'll never look at rabies the same way again. 

The only slight negative for me with regards to Rabid: A Cultural History of the World's Most Diabolical Virus by Bill Wasik and Monica Murphy is that there are a few areas that were a tad dry... Or I was overwhelmed with the amount of information to mentally digest during certain passages. Otherwise a great read! 

I especially enjoyed learning more about Louis Pasteur's role in creating the rabies vaccine. Additionally, I also enjoyed the cultural history surrounding werewolves, vampires, and rabies.

Below is the publisher's summary for Rabid: A Cultural History of the World's Most Diabolical Virus by Bill Wasik and Monica Murphy from Audible:

A maddened creature, frothing at the mouth, lunges at an innocent victim—and with a bite, transforms its prey into another raving monster. It’s a scenario that underlies our darkest tales of supernatural horror, but its power derives from a very real virus, a deadly scourge known to mankind from our earliest days. In this fascinating exploration, journalist Bill Wasik and veterinarian Monica Murphy chart four thousand years in the history, science, and cultural mythology of rabies.

The most fatal virus known to science, rabies kills nearly 100 percent of its victims once the infection takes root in the brain. A disease that spreads avidly from animals to humans, rabies has served as a symbol of savage madness and inhuman possession throughout history. Today, its history can help shed light on the wave of emerging diseases—from AIDS to SARS to avian flu—with origins in animal populations.

From Greek myths to zombie flicks, from the laboratory heroics of Louis Pasteur to the contemporary search for a lifesaving treatment, Rabid is a fresh, fascinating, and often wildly entertaining look at one of mankind’s oldest and most fearsome foes.

I am giving Rabid: A Cultural History of the World's Most Diabolical Virus by Bill Wasik and Monica Murphy a rating of 4.5 stars out of 5 stars.

Until my next post, happy reading!!