Promotions - Choice's Outstanding Academic Titles 2017 -

Instead of chapters, Van der Groen, emeritus professor of virology and former head of the microbiology department of the Institute for Tropical Medicine in Antwerp, Belgium, presents a chronological account that is divided into segments of variable length by dates ranging from 1972 to 2015. This provides a pathway that documents the author's first encounter with a virus in a laboratory environment, which then began a lifetime pursuit and thorough study of the Ebola virus. Written in a narrative style, the work details the author's research and the research by others, which led to the discovery and characterization of the virus. The story is fascinating and is truly a "page-turner"--but the work should be read carefully, because of the scope of its detail. At times, the text is lightened by the author's use of imagery (e.g., references to the Ebola virus as the author's "mistress" or a "spaghetti" virus). The translation of the original Belgian text appears flawless. Biographer Christine Caals and science journalist Marc Geenen helped Van der Groen construct this work. The text includes a very extensive glossary and references to a companion website.Summing Up: Essential. Lower-division undergraduates and above; faculty and professionals.