Bizarre illnesses and plagues that kill people in the most unspeakable
ways. Obsessive and inspired efforts by scientists to solve mysteries
and save lives. From The Hot Zone to The Demon in the Freezer and
beyond, Richard Preston's bestselling works have mesmerized readers
everywhere by showing them strange worlds of nature they never dreamed
of.
Panic in Level 4 is a grand tour through the eerie and unforgettable
universe of Richard Preston, filled with incredible characters and
mysteries that refuse to leave one's mind. Here are dramatic true
stories from this acclaimed and award-winning author, including:
- The phenomenon of "self-cannibals," who suffer from a rare genetic
condition caused by one wrong letter in their DNA that forces them to
compulsively chew their own flesh-and why everyone may have a touch of
this disease.
- The search for the unknown host of Ebola virus, an organism hidden
somewhere in African rain forests, where the disease finds its way into
the human species, causing outbreaks of unparalleled horror.
- The brilliant Russian brothers-"one mathematician divided between two
bodies"-who built a supercomputer in their apartment from mail-order
parts in an attempt to find hidden order in the number pi (π).
In fascinating, intimate, and exhilarating detail, Richard Preston
portrays the frightening forces and constructive discoveries that are
currently roiling and reordering our world, once again proving himself a
master of the nonfiction narrative and, as noted in The Washington
Post, "a science writer with an uncommon gift for turning complex
biology into riveting page-turners."
