A Planet of Viruses: Third Edition

In 2020, an invisible germ—a virus—wholly upended our lives. We’re most familiar with the viruses that give us colds or Covid-19. But viruses also cause a vast range of other diseases, including one disorder that makes people sprout branch-like growths as if they were trees. Viruses have been a part of our lives for so long that we are actually part virus: the human genome contains more DNA from viruses than our own genes. Meanwhile, scientists are discovering viruses everywhere they look: in the soil, in the ocean, even in deep caves miles underground.   Fully revised and updated, with new illustrations and a new chapter about coronaviruses and the spread of Covid-19, this third edition of Carl Zimmer’s A Planet of Viruses pulls back the veil on this hidden world. It presents the latest research on how viruses hold sway over our lives and our biosphere, how viruses helped give rise to the first life-forms, how viruses are producing new diseases, how we can harness viruses for our own ends, and how viruses will continue to control our fate as long as life endures.

About the Author :
Carl Zimmer is a columnist for the New York Times, where he has contributed articles since 2004. His writing has earned a number of awards, including the Stephen Jay Gould Prize, awarded by the Society for the Study of Evolution. His latest book is Life's Edge: The Search for What It Means to Be Alive. His 2018 book, She Has Her Mother's Laugh: The Powers, Perversions, and Potential of Heredity, won the 2019 National Academies Communication Award and was named the best science book of 2018 by the Guardian. He is professor adjunct of biophysics and biochemistry and a lecturer in English at Yale University. He lives in Guilford, CT.

Review :
"A smart, beautiful, and somewhat demented picture book that's likely to give you a case of the willies. In the best way possible."-- "Boing Boing, on the first edition" "Absolutely top-drawer popular science writing. . . . Zimmer's information-packed, superbly readable look at virological knowledge awakens readers to the fact that not only are viruses everywhere but we couldn't live without them."-- "Booklist, starred review, on the first edition" "As with any great journey, this virtual tour opens your eyes and expands your horizons. . . . Reading Zimmer's work is like hanging out with the smartest, most interesting guy you have ever met as he regales you with tales of his travels and fascinating finds along the way."-- "Science News, on the first edition" "Just about everything you've always wanted to know--and a lot you'll probably wish you didn't know--about the viruses that have caused humanity so much grief throughout history."-- "Forbes, on the first edition" "Succinct yet elegantly written. . . . A fascinating and enlightening introduction."-- "Guardian, on the first edition" "Zimmer reshapes our understanding of the hidden realities at the core of everyday existence. . . . Concise and illuminating."-- "Washington Post, on the first edition" "Zimmer is one of the best science writers we have today. A Planet of Viruses is an important primer on the viruses living within and around all of us--sometimes funny, other times shocking, and always accessible. Whether discussing the common cold and flu, little-known viruses that attack bacteria or protect oceans, or the world's viral future as seen through our encounters with HIV or SARS, Zimmer's writing is lively, knowledgeable, and graced with poetic touches."--Rebecca Skloot, author of The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks "on the first edition"