Viruses: A Very Short Introduction – Book Review
Viruses are some of the most fascinating of all biological entities. They exist in a gap between the living and non-living, and have consistently challenged our notions about life. They also tend to cause some of the most deadly and infectious of all diseases, and it is precisely within this context that most of us think about viruses. Nonetheless, viruses are interesting in their own right and they teach us a lot about how the machinery of life works.
This very short introduction gives a fairly comprehensive view of viruses: their discovery, their properties, their classifications, their mechanisms of replications, and the ways they spread and infect other living organisms. Most of the book is devoted to the epidemiological aspects of viruses, but there is also enough introductory information on viruses’ physiological and microbiological aspects. The book is a very good resource that can clarify your understanding of viruses and dispel some myths and misconceptions. It is very readable and for the most part devoid of the prohibitive technical jargon. It achieves the right balance of scientific information and practical considerations suitable for the general audience. If you have any interest in viruses you’ll enjoy reading this book.
About the Author
Bojan Tunguz
Bojan Tunguz was born in Bosnia and Herzegovina, which he and his family fled during the civil war for the neighboring Croatia. Over the past two decades he has studied, lived and worked in the United States. He is a theoretical physicist with degrees from Stanford and University of Illinois. Tunguz has taught physics at several prominent liberal arts colleges and has been writing about physics, science and technology for more than a decade. He also has a wide spectrum of interests, and reads and writes about current events, society, culture, religion and politics. Over the years he has reviewed many of the books that he has read, and posted his reviews on various online outlets. In 2011 he had become a top 10 reviewer on Amazon.com, where he continues to be very active. Aside from reading and writing, Tunguz enjoys traveling, digital photography, hiking, and fitness. He resides with his wife in Indiana. You can follow my review updates on the following pages as well: Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/tunguzreview Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/tunguzreviews Google+: https://plus.google.com/u/0/104312842297641697463/posts
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