Viruses took over the planet long before humans appeared, enduring extreme conditions such as heat, cold, or drought. Today, viruses are still everywhere, and even the gadgets recently used to deal with them, such as antibiotics or cold syrup, cannot harm them.
Viruses have left a wealth of information in our DNA. 8% Of human DNA fragments come from viruses. It is not an exaggeration to say that they are our somewhat distant ancestors. But be careful, these dormant fragments in human DNA can revive under certain conditions and reorganize into active viruses.
Viruses are not always ugly. 1/10 Of the oxygen that humans breathe is benefited by viruses. HPV, considered the main culprit of cervical cancer, actually affects both men and women and is widely distributed, but in most cases they coexist peacefully with humans. Viruses shuttle between different hosts, and there is a certain chance that they will carry the genetic fragments of the previous host and then insert them into the genes of the next host. When you lament the diversity of humans or other species, don't forget that viruses also contribute to it.
It is undeniable that viruses are also cold-blooded killers created by nature. Influenza A, Ebola, SARS, these viruses caught humans off guard. They originally only attacked bats, mice, or birds. Unexpectedly, natural evolution inadvertently wrote humans into the blacklist of viruses. Although vaccines are constantly being updated, the forces of evolution allow viruses to break through our defenses again and again.
This book will help you re-understand the relationship between viruses and humans, and recognize humans' position in all things.
Reader comments
When we face a sci-fi and scary world, how can we ensure our own safety through our own intelligence and courage? After reading this book, I believe you will have your own answer. With his excellent scientific knowledge and realistic descriptions, the author created a very terrifying and believable virus planet. Facing such a planet, each character in the book has his own goals and inner struggles. I experienced crises and escapes with them, and felt their fear, courage and tenacity. If you like sci-fi and thriller books, I highly recommend reading it.
Reading this book after 2019 has a new feeling. This book is a popular science book about viruses. Humans are too weak compared to viruses, and viruses have very strong reproductive power. If there were no viruses, humans might not have emerged yet. This book clears away our previous cognitive biases. Viruses are a combination of creation and destruction. Oxygen is created by viruses, but they also bring plagues and disasters. After reading this book, my feelings towards viruses are more complicated, I love and hate them at the same time. It seems that we still need to understand the virus scientifically and comprehensively.
Some viruses are completely new to humans, while others are unfamiliar and novel. However, human rhinovirus, the main culprit of common colds and asthma, is a widespread old friend of mankind. It is estimated that each person spends an entire year of his life lying in bed fighting a cold. In other words, human rhinovirus is truly one of the best among viruses. The ancient Greek physician Hippocrates believed that colds were caused by an imbalance of body fluids. Until the beginning of the 20th century, 2000 years later, our understanding of colds did not make much progress.
2026.1.24.1.00
The book is very short and the content is okay. Viruses, like human technology, progress and survive together. It can be said that each other is a chimera. No one can live without the other, it's just about which one is stronger and which one is weaker. With the development of science and technology, more viruses have been discovered that already exist or are mutating.
It's a science and education book, you can read it.
It turns out that viruses have existed on the earth for so long and have such a close relationship with us humans. As the book says, viruses are not only cold-blooded killers, they are also good for us in some ways. This reminds me of "Guns, Germs and Steel", which also tells the relationship between humans and other creatures from different perspectives. I think this book is not only suitable for people who are interested in science, but also for people who want to have a deeper understanding of the world we live in.
It is very informative and opens the door to viruses, allowing us to see the lethality of viruses. We also see that the efforts of scientists have eliminated some viruses, and even viruses have played an extremely beneficial role in the evolution of human life!
The concise and clear content in the book helped me understand virology
When we face a sci-fi and scary world, how can we ensure our own safety through our own intelligence and courage? After reading this book, I believe you will have your own answer. With his excellent scientific knowledge and realistic descriptions, the author created a very terrifying and believable virus planet. Facing such a planet, each character in the book has his own goals and inner struggles. I experienced crises and escapes with them, and felt their fear, courage and tenacity. If you like sci-fi and thriller books, I highly recommend reading it.
Reading this book after 2019 has a new feeling. This book is a popular science book about viruses. Humans are too weak compared to viruses, and viruses have very strong reproductive power. If there were no viruses, humans might not have emerged yet. This book clears away our previous cognitive biases. Viruses are a combination of creation and destruction. Oxygen is created by viruses, but they also bring plagues and disasters. After reading this book, my feelings towards viruses are more complicated, I love and hate them at the same time. It seems that we still need to understand the virus scientifically and comprehensively.
Some viruses are completely new to humans, while others are unfamiliar and novel. However, human rhinovirus, the main culprit of common colds and asthma, is a widespread old friend of mankind. It is estimated that each person spends an entire year of his life lying in bed fighting a cold. In other words, human rhinovirus is truly one of the best among viruses. The ancient Greek physician Hippocrates believed that colds were caused by an imbalance of body fluids. Until the beginning of the 20th century, 2000 years later, our understanding of colds did not make much progress.
2026.1.24.1.00 The book is very short and the content is okay. Viruses, like human technology, progress and survive together. It can be said that each other is a chimera. No one can live without the other, it's just about which one is stronger and which one is weaker. With the development of science and technology, more viruses have been discovered that already exist or are mutating. It's a science and education book, you can read it.
It turns out that viruses have existed on the earth for so long and have such a close relationship with us humans. As the book says, viruses are not only cold-blooded killers, they are also good for us in some ways. This reminds me of "Guns, Germs and Steel", which also tells the relationship between humans and other creatures from different perspectives. I think this book is not only suitable for people who are interested in science, but also for people who want to have a deeper understanding of the world we live in.
It is very informative and opens the door to viruses, allowing us to see the lethality of viruses. We also see that the efforts of scientists have eliminated some viruses, and even viruses have played an extremely beneficial role in the evolution of human life!
The concise and clear content in the book helped me understand virology