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The Anthrax Letters: A Medical Detective Story
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The Anthrax Letters: A Medical Detective Story
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by Leonard A. Cole
Sales Rank : 699462
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Hardcover: 280 pages
Publisher: Natl Academy of Science / Joseph Henry Pres; 1 edition October 1, 2003
Language: English
ISBN-10: 030908881X
ISBN-13: 978-0309088817
Product Dimensions:
8.9 x 6.4 x 0.9 inches
Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds
From Publishers Weekly
On October 5, 2001, Bob Stevens, a 63-year-old photo editor for the tabloid newspaper the Sun, became the first confirmed bioterrorism fatality in the U.S. Over the next several weeks, nearly two dozen people were diagnosed with anthrax, five of whom died. Disentangling a coherent story from the snarl of conflicting reports, multi-agency responses, blaring headlines, empty leads and the shaky scientific data surrounding the anthrax attacks is no simple task, which makes Cole's accomplished book all the more impressive. As an expert on the intersection of politics and terrorism, Cole (The Eleventh Plague) takes the reader on a captivating, no-nonsense tour of America's public health system, where physicians, scientists and administrators work tirelessly to establish protocols and policies, task forces and education programs, emergency response strategies and stockpiles of vital medicines to safeguard the country from a potentially catastrophic bioterror event. The book also supplies the chilling details that the short-lived media flareup failed to convey-such as the durability of anthrax spores, which can lie dormant but remain lethal for hundreds of years; the contamination of massive postal facilities that remain unsafe even after multimillion-dollar clean-up efforts; the difficulties involved in diagnosing many anthrax cases, which can display ambiguous symptoms; and the persistent, residual effects of the disease. Without even a hint of sensationalism, this disquieting but hopeful book skillfully zeros in on the most crucial issues and scientific advances as well as the heroic individuals who averted disaster while under the intense glare of public scrutiny.
Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information, Inc.
Product Review
" [a] thoroughly researched, detailed, and fascinating book a well-written forensic mystery" -- Journal of the American Medical Association, July 21, 2004
"absolutely riveting. [Cole is] a superb writer and his book reads like a fine-tuned suspense novel." -- DingBat Magazine, December 2003
"deliver[s] all the drama of a modern-day thriller offers the most complete look available at the still-unsolved mystery" -- Roll Call, October 14, 2003
"excellent insights fascinating discussion of the attacks and how they will influence our level of preparedness for the future." -- Library Journal, November 1, 2003
"interesting and genuinely informative reading" -- Bulletin of the World Health Organization, January 2004
"offers us a wealth of detail on the case -- even as it reminds us how little we know." -- James P. Pinkerton in Newsday, October 7, 2003
"one of the most authoritative of the recent crop of books on the anthrax letters undeniably intriguing." -- The Washington Times, November 16, 2003
"vivid portraits of the bacteria, those who were infected, and those whose job it was to counter the threat." -- Kirkus Reviews, August 2003
"An excellent job Probably the most detailed book on the subject. This book is a must." -- Counterterrorism Homeland Security Reports, 2004
"[Cole’s] storytelling abilities rank with those of Richard Preston, without ever losing sight of the science." -- Lancet Journal of Infectious Diseases, January 1, 2004
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