I'm loving the book, so far in the first three chapters. I love the way it starts, we have passage into a dangerous security level... I love it. He and his brother Douglas Preston can really write.
So much to discuss in these first chapters. I agree with Ella, such interesting depictions. I loved the descriptions of Africa, all those places we've read about all these years. And I agree with Joan K that the way Monet (ironic, huh) was portrayed made me very sympathetic to his plight.
I read the book outside in this fine fall weather which seemed to make the descriptions of Africa really alive, and so much enjoyed reading about Monet's peregrinations thru the countryside. I was astounded that he also kept moving while all inside him was going to pieces, too, right into the ER in the last stages, that was very impressive and somewhat frightening. The symptoms are very useful to know. I found the descriptions of the working of the virus somewhat similar to reading Nulund's How We Die, actually, tho of course a lot more dramatic as it's due to a killer disease. Even tho it was graphic it seemed somewhat detached.
In answer to question 1, instead of making me want to go to Africa for some reason it makes me want to get out there and start power walking. I don't know why.
I've been wondering the whole time about the cover. What is that on the cover? Is it explained in the last of the three chapters, Diagnosis, when they begin to talk about Marburg and the Ebola sisters? It can't be the virus Marburg as it doesn't look like spaghetti, or cheerios, right? So what IS it? Which Ebola ARE we talking about, Zaire (wasn't that scary? The death rate is unbelievable)...or Sudan? Or something else? How about the one in 2014, which is it?
So what IS that thing on the cover? Can that be seen under a microscope? I'm sure everybody except me knows this, but I'd like to know.
And I wonder about the 10 day survival rate of the Ebola virus without a host, stated in the paperback. I underlined it and now can't find it but I will ...this book is not new, what if anything has been learned/changed since that time? And monkeys. And AIDS. There is so much here to wonder at and discuss.
Super choice for a book discussion, it really is.