Fields Virology 2 volume set

Book Description

Established for 20 years as the definitive virology reference, the two-volume classic Fields Virology is in its thoroughly revised, updated Fifth Edition. More than 100 world-renowned investigators provide encyclopedic coverage of every aspect of contemporary virology, including the pathogenesis of viral diseases and the molecular biology, replication, and clinical significance of all known virus families. This edition has many new international contributing authors and a greater emphasis on clinical relevance. Coverage includes new material on viruses and biodefense, emerging and re-emerging viruses, the human virome, mononegavirales, and henipaviruses. This edition also has a new two-color design and a revised art program unifying replication and virions images. A new bound-in CD-ROM contains a viral image bank.

Customer Reviews:

Fields Virology.......2006-06-05

The book pictured on this site is the Fourth Edition of Fields Virology. However, the "Book Description" in the "Editiorial Reviews" section on this site is for the Third Edition of Fields Virology. I hesitate to purchase the book because I am unsure which edition you will be shipping. Before I place my order, I want assurance that I will be receiving the Fourth Edition.

Best out there for MAMMALIAN virology.......2005-01-27

My take on this two-volume set is that if you are going to put out as much money as this set costs, you should get a lot for it. This two- volume set is simply the best I have found for MAMMALIAN virology, with a close second being 'Fundamental Virology'. I stress the mammalian virology, as it omits a good bit (if not all) of the plant- associated virii. The basics of all virus structure are in there, regarding plant virii, but beyond that, there is information lacking. Despite this, when purchased as a graduate-level or upper-undergraduate level text or reference guide, there simply is no other text of this scale. There is a lot more text than graphics, but this does not (in my opinion) deter from the value of the text. If I could, I'd give a 4.5 star of 5, only for the lack of plant virii information and my personal desire for more graphics. i will say that the CD-Rom has more than enough graphics to make up for the book's seeming lack of graphics. As a 'financially- burdened' Pathology trainee and Virologist by employment, I will say that this is worth the price and effort to read. Note that it is written to the biologist who has some knowledge, albeit foundational knowledge, of biology.

A FINE VIROLOGY YARDSTICK.......2003-02-20

There is hardly any significant fact about viruses that missed-out in this edition of "Fields Virology". Page after page, this sound all-inclusive reference doles out authoritative information on both viruses and viral syndromes. From taxonomy to etiology, metamorphosis to replication; the analyses of this text is grand. The same applies to its attached CD-ROM. Its practical outlook was intended to benefit both microbiologists and pathologists. Bernard Fields and his colleagues made their mark with this book. It is a great effort.
However, most botanist may not be pleased to know that little attention was paid to plant viruses. Again, many potential buyers may be demoralized by the rather high price that this virology-set demands.

Another Bible. Amazing viral world.......1998-02-01

It covers all fields of virology. Perfect and wonderful ! Easy to understand. I really recommend this book to who is involved in biology

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Good Information, Bad Organization
All you need to start this fascinating subject

Introduction to Modern Virology
Nigel Dimmock , Andrew Easton , and Keith Leppard
Manufacturer: Blackwell Publishing Limited
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 1405136456

Book Description

Introduction to Modern Virology has been an established student text for over 25 years. Providing an integrated account of the subject across different host systems, with an emphasis on human and animal viruses, this book covers the field of virology from molecular biology to disease processes using a unique systems approach. Featuring an all new art program in full color, the new edition has been updated throughout, and reorganized into thematic sections on the fundamental nature of viruses, their growth in cells, their interactions with the host organism and their role as agents of human disease. There is a new chapter on Human Viral Disease and rapidly developing areas, such as the use of viruses as gene therapy vectors, have been included. The 6th edition is even more accessible, now including key points and integrative questions in every chapter, as well as text boxes emphasizing take-home messages, evidence underpinning the main concepts, and further information for more advanced readers. Prevention and therapy, evolution and emerging viruses receive particular attention and specific chapters address the major infectious challenges posed by HIV, pandemic influenza and BSE. This highly accessible text provides ideal reading for all undergraduate and postgraduate students of biology and medicine wishing to study virology.

Customer Reviews:

Good Information, Bad Organization.......2006-05-10

Granted virology is not the most organized branch of science, the author could have done a much better job organizing the information. At many times through out this book I felt lost, not because I didn't understand the information (if you've taken molecular bio virology will be a much easier course) but because I couldn't figure out how this example fit into the big picture. Later on after finishing a couple of chapters I had to go back through my notes, rearrange everything, and add notes to my notes.

On the good side, there was a lot of helpful information and background on the experiments used to assertain this information.

All you need to start this fascinating subject.......1999-07-11

Virology is not the easiest of subjects to consider studying so it was with some trepidation that I ordered this book. My confidence was well founded as it is in every way superb. Chapters include definitions of viruses, lab techniques, biochemistry, processes of infection, virus-host interactions, vaccines, evolution of viruses and focus chapters on specific viruss/groups. Every page was fascinating and ,relatively easy to grasp if read in page order (though this is not a book for the complete layman, 'A' level biology or chemistry will be useful if not essential). Did you know that ME is caused by a virus, or that seals can catch human flu, or that at laest two infectious particle SMALLER than viruses exist? Read this book!

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A Fantastic Introduction to Virology

Fundamentals of Molecular Virology
Nicholas H. Acheson
Manufacturer: John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0471351512

Book Description

Designed for students learning about viruses for the first time(t the undergraduate or graduate level), Fundamentals of Molecular Virology is presented in a style which relates to today's students and professors. The text approaches learning about virology by presenting a set of chapters each of which covers a specific virus family, using one or two well-studied viruses as examples. Each chapter is designed to tell a story about the virus under discussion, and to portray the "personality" of that virus. The text incorporates lessons from classic and contemporary concepts providing a well-rounded presentation on the subject of virology.

FEATURES OF FUNDAMENTALS OF MOLECULAR VIROLOGY
* Unique, Applied Chapter Stories. Each chapter presents a unique example or case to help introduce the students to the different viruses that will be studied or examined in that chapter.
* Evolutionary Boxes. Feature exciting and current developments in molecular virology. These are integrated throughout the entire book and can be found in every chapter. These help students understand the importance of currency and application of virology.
* Comprehensive, Illustrative Art Program. The text contains a number of two-color figures which focus on the individual steps in virus replication and helps draw student's attention to important concepts and details.
* Coverage of Human Pathogens. Includes chapters that cover important human pathogens such as smallpox virus, measles virus, poliovirus, herpes viruses, human immunodeficiency virus, hepatitis B virus, Ebola virus, SARS corona virus, West Nile virus, and others.

What instructors are saying about Fundamentals of Molecular Virology

"I like the structured treatment that is presented in Acheson. Overall, it is one of the best written and clearly organized texts on the subject I have seen." - Jeannine Williams, College of Marin

"I found the text very readable and believe it will appeal to a wide audience of students...I believe this text will have broad appeal in a field where few texts exist." - Michael Roner, The University of Texas at Arlington

"The main strength of the book is the great molecular detail the author achieves, but still at a level that an undergraduate student should be able to master. I like the blend of molecular with medical; this has been lacking in most virology books that I have considered using." - Darlene Walro, Walsh University

Customer Reviews:

A Fantastic Introduction to Virology.......2007-05-25

Fundamentals of Molecular Virology is by far one of the most readable scientific textbooks I have ever come across. The focus is on common characteristics of virus families rather than on individuals. For example, rather than having a chapter just covering the rabies virus this book has a chapter on the Rhabdovirus family and covers the mechanisms that each of the commonly studied rhabdoviruses use for each of the viral life cycle stages.

The book is also organized into orders, each of the viral orders will have their families grouped together. The rhabdovirus chapter is right next to the paramyxoviridae and filoviridae viruses to make up the mononegavirales order.

The writing is clear and concise. The style of writing is geared towards an audience with no previous virology experience and gently guides the reader through the basics of virology. Some attention is given to laboratory procedure but the book was not written as a lab manual and so it only provides a brief overview of some of the common techniques.

The biggest weakness of the book is in graphic illustration. Many of the illustrations are bland and monochromatic - there is very little use of color for a textbook this expensive.

If you are taking a virology or microbiology course I would strongly recommend that you get a copy of this book as a reference regardless of what textbook your instructor uses.

Virus Taxonomy: VIIIth Report of the International Committee on Taxonomy of Viruses

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Virus Taxonomy Classification

Virus Taxonomy: VIIIth Report of the International Committee on Taxonomy of Viruses

Manufacturer: Academic Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 0122499514
Release Date: 2005-06-28

Book Description

This is the standard and definitive reference for virus taxonomy, generated by the ICTV approximately every 3 years. The VIII ICTV Virus Taxonomy Report provides information on 3 orders of viruses, 73 families, 9 subfamilies, 287 genera and 1938 virus species, illustrated by more than 429 pictures and diagrams, most of them in color.

* The standard official ITCV reference for virus taxonomy and nomenclature, compiling data from 500 international experts
* Covers over 6000 recognized viruses, organized by family with diagrams of genome organization and virus replication cycle
* Provides data on the phylogenic relationships between viruses belonging to the same or different taxa
* Now includes information about the qualitative and quantitative relationships between virus sequences

Customer Reviews:

Virus Taxonomy Classification.......2001-07-09

Physicians and other people this book is very descriptive and places viruses in each specific catagory. We keep a copy of the set at my lab. It is very good to read.

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Duesberg is right about both AIDS and the politics of science
So why aren't we all dead yet?
Wow, compelling, thorough and shocking reading
Absolute common sense, intelligent and revealing
most interesting book i have read in my life

Inventing the AIDS Virus
Peter Duesberg
Manufacturer: Regnery Publishing, Inc.
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 0895264706

Book Description

We know that to err is human, but the HIV/AIDS hypothesis is one hell of a mistake. I say this rather strongly as a warning. Duesberg has been saying it for a long time. Read this book. --Kary B. Mullis, Nobel Prize in Chemistry, 1993

Customer Reviews:

Duesberg is right about both AIDS and the politics of science .......2007-07-24

Contrary to popular belief, Peter Duesberg is not a quack. In fact, he is a widely acknowledged expert on retroviruses such as HIV. His credentials are impecable: he is a professor of molecular and cell biology at the University of California, Berkeley, and a member of the prestigious National Academy of Sciences. Nevertheless, Dusberg is regarded by the uninformed as a quack because he has dared to scientifically investigate whether the retrovirus HIV actually causes the complex of diseases known as AIDS (Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome) -- which has widely been asserted without proof -- and has had the courage to report that research shows the answer is that HIV is not the cause of AIDS.

In this excellent book Prof. Duesberg discusses in detail, but in a highly readable manner, both the retrovirus HIV and the syndome AIDS and shows that they are not the same things. In fact, AIDS is not itself a single disease but, rather, is a complex of more than 20 separate diseases. The one commonality of the diseases in the AIDS syndrome is not HIV infection but the fact that they rarely infect people with healthy immune systems. In general, people who acquire any of the AIDS diseases have deficient immune systems. In poor countries, especially in Africa where the incidence of AIDS is high, immune deficiency is mainly due to severe malnutrition. In the developed world, including the U.S., immune deficiency is often caused by deleterious lifestyle behavior, including drug use. A person whose immune system is severely weakened is then vulnerable to the diseases in the AIDS complex. Immune-deficient people often also catch HIV which is why HIV and AIDS often -- but definitely not always -- are found together. However, HIV can also occur in people who do not suffer from AIDS and never will. A positive test for HIV antibodies merely means that at some time a person has been infected with HIV, not that they are infected with HIV now or that they have or ever will have AIDS.

Another point which Prof. Duesberg covers in this book is that modern science has become highly politicized, and that disagreement with current scientific dogma is strongly discouraged and often punished by inability to publish in recognized scientific journals. This is one reason why Duesberg has difficulty presenting his case to the public. As a scientist with 44 years experience at a major research institution, I regret to confirm that science has indeed become politicized and dogmatic. Please read this book if you want to know the truth about AIDS and modern medical politics.

So why aren't we all dead yet?.......2007-04-30

I read Dr. Duesberg's fine book the year it came out. It is complex in places so it took me some time and I had to reread certain parts to fully understand what was being said. It was well worth the time and energy to understand rather than take 'the authorities' word for it.

I knew that if he was wrong within ten years there would be such a large number of deaths due to AIDS that it would be impossible to refute the fact that it truly was an 'epidemic' and that Dr. Duesberg was totally wrong.

Well, where's the epidemic?

Thank you, Dr. Duesberg for your honesty and courage in the face of continuing herd mentality, sheep like belief in the 'authorities' and thank you most of all for putting your own career and reputation on the line for your integrity. It will be at least 50 years more before you are seen as the voice of reason and honesty that you are. Dr. Sammelweis faced the same idiocy from his peers as you face from yours. Of course there is not as much money to be make on washing hands or not washing hands as there is on the trillion dollar research scam of AIDS.

Thank you, Dr. Duesberg from all of us intelligent enough to follow your writing and honest enough to flip off the media and the government authoritiies to whom money and power come before honesty and caring about people's lives and health.

The truth will out. But not today I'm afraid.

2007 Update: will any and all reviewers that disagree with Dr. Duesberg's book please cite contradictory EVIDENCE and not simply opine that such evidence exists! An epidemic is just that. And there simply is no epidemic. Period! This was the media hype that created all this fear of a harmless "passenger virus" of which we all have many. The only epidemic is the epidemic of bleeting sheep that continue to tell us how horrible HIV is and how we simply must start on chemotherapy as soon as it is diagnosed. Baaaahhh!

Wow, compelling, thorough and shocking reading.......2007-03-28

This book is an essential read for anyone who wants to know the truth about AIDS, Human Papiloma virus and other misrepresentations of the truth. I found this book hard to put down although shocking. The author leaves no doubt about his assertions with thorough explanations and a complete list of references. I am greatful for having read this book and I will be writing to my health minister for an explanation and to voice my protest. Thankyou Amazon.

Absolute common sense, intelligent and revealing.......2007-03-21

If you have been told that you have AIDS, then it is only natural you will want to get yourself informed about the disease. Unfortunatley, if you have not read this book, you may have been given a dangerously incomplete and one-sided view.

Duesberg dissects the official Scientific theory behind this virus with surgical precision. His controversial thories, shared by others including Nobel Laureates, that AIDS is caused by a combination of toxic drugs and known diseaeses; and not by a dormant HIV virus, should be a wake up call that there is something seriously wrong with the current official picture. Clear and concise, the examples cited are extremely accessible to the Scientifically minded and layman alike, while retaining credibility and objectivity. This work should form one side of the contemporary debate on the AIDS virus; if it is not, and I doubt it is, then it only adds further credibility to the books findings.

If you care about human life more than the accumulation of wealth, and accepted scientific dogma - READ THIS BOOK!

most interesting book i have read in my life.......2007-03-16

this book took my understanding of scientifical research, industry and politics to a higher level.
i am a researcher myself (though not in the medical field). the vicious mechanims taking place in peer review and research funding as described by the author are not only plausible but likely.
most important, however, i could not find any logical mistakes made by the author in his scientifical reasoning.
i consider Duesberg a modern Galileo

The Art of Computer Virus Research and Defense (Symantec Press)

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Excellent Source of Information
A Must-Read on Computer Virus
Well written book about analyzing malicious software..
Disappointing
definitive text on antivirus methods

The Art of Computer Virus Research and Defense (Symantec Press)
Peter Szor
Manufacturer: Addison-Wesley Professional
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0321304543

Customer Reviews:

Excellent Source of Information.......2005-10-14

As a relative amature in the subject of computer viruses, this book was very helpful. With a little background in basic computing, you can easily understand this book. The book starts off simple virus from back in the day, describing the first viruses to appear. The book then goes into detail about the more advanced forms of virus infections and viruses to appear on more modern systems. After reading the book, i came away with a new respect for the art of self replicating code (aka Virus), and the techniques that virus researchers use to develop software to protect your PC from these threats.

A Must-Read on Computer Virus .......2005-08-12

I was wondering in the bookshop trying to find some in-depth books on Computer Virus and Network Security and suddenly I came across this book. In a few pages the book lit up my eyes and the author successfully attracted my attention and I was simply amazed by his solid background and rich knowledge and also his effort in presenting all the materials in an orderly and logical way that has successfully flatten the learning curve for people fresh to the area.
Well, some people may complain that this is a disappointing book in that it hasn't gone far enough to illustrate the necessary virus writing skills and they believe only in this way can one speciallized in virus defense benefit most. Again, this is not the truth as far as I see. If one simply want to write virus by following existing codes he can only gain a narrow horizon by focusing upon one or two popular virus. But as the old idiom goes, you will miss the forest by seeing a tree only. New virus are produced by those high-intelligent poeple everyday and promises to continue to come in the forseeable future. New technologies too, emerge and then disapper with the patch or hot fixes. But as long as you have a comprehensive knowledge of the basic of virus research and defense you will never lose in this battle against virus. I think the author has trying to model his book to be some thing beyond the mere technology collection but to present to us how one might equip himself with the fundamental knowledge of the virus's history, main ideas, or even try to give definition in some places. So this is why the author names his creation to be "Virus research & defense" instead of "virus writing & defense". And as far as I see, his attempt has been a huge success.
And what's more, even for people who are crazy about writing virus this book is not such a disappointment. It incorporate many code snippet into the book and these code has actually reveal the dark side of the virus and one smart enough and with some knowledge in coding will be able to rebuild the complete viruses. Those who complain about the lack of virus writing skills might better try to figure out the reason in themselves. Anyway, there are a lot of sample virus within your easy reach on the internet. So why take the trouble to reproduce it here?
And finally I would like to show my thanks for the great effort Peter has spent on this book. For me this book has brought to me great pleasures and it has helped to orgnize my knowledge about computer virus in a more systematical manner. For those either new to the area or those professionals this is a must read and you shouldn't miss it.

Well written book about analyzing malicious software.........2005-08-10

If you are interested in historical details about viruses/malware, if you are searching for details about various techniques getting used by malicious software and if you are interested how people in the AV industry work... This book is definatly THE reference. Peter, a very competent virus researcher, who is known through his various articles in the Virus Bulletin magazine shows you all the techniques you need to analyse, to detect and to remove malicious software. His technical overview includes the entire history of computer viruses and is written in a very impressive and entertaining style. While I have read many books and articles about exploiting software, he also serves the most understandable definition of exploiting techniques like the classical stack overflow etc. I must say that his style impressed me so much that I read through the book in one day, something normally happening to me when reading thrillers of James Patterson. But this book is so well written, that you can rarely lay it out of your hands. You just want to know where Peter leds to, the next step in the voyage through the malicious world of computer viruses and malware. This book is geared through everybody trying to understanding what's happening in the malicious code polluting the Internet. For me well worth the money I spent on it.

Disappointing.......2005-08-06

The book is very disappointing in that the author does not show explicitly how to create and code viruses. The author explains in the preface that he does not include such code because of its obvious dangers. This reviewer believes however that the more understanding we have of viruses the better we can deal with their threats. We need to understand just what is possible, and this can only be done by creating viruses that may or may not be hazardous to computer systems. The more viruses that we create and then study the more we can guard against their infection. This goes for computer viruses as well as biological ones. Yes, there are dangers involved in doing this, but these dangers are nullified by the tools and artificial immune systems that we create in the process of studying viruses.

The book of course is not without its merits, one of these being the discussion of the history of computer viruses, which the author includes in the first chapter of the book. The designation "computer virus" was done in 1984, at which time a formal mathematical model was created for computer viruses. The author defines a computer virus as being a program that can recursively and explicitly copy a possibly evolved version of itself. This definition he says covers the notion of a `companion virus', which does not necessarily modify the code of other programs.

The author is also very thorough in his treatment of the different viruses and their association with specific computer platforms. In addition, he gives a detailed treatment of how to analyze a computer virus using disassemblers, debuggers, emulators, virtual machines, virus test networks, and unpackers, along with various other tools. Readers will definitely benefit from knowledge of assembly code.

For non-experts in virus research (such as this reviewer) but who have a strong mathematical background, a natural question to ask is whether one could develop a highly sophisticated computer immune system that would be able to detect any kind of computer virus within a reasonable time scale. The author believes that this cannot be accomplished, quoting a result by the mathematician Frederick Cohen (the inventor of the term "computer virus") indicating that such an immune system is not possible. The Cohen proof is not included in the book unfortunately, but a perusal of the literature will reveal that the proof is based, as expected, on the theory of computability and Turing machines. What Cohen showed was that the detection of generic computer viruses is undecidable by showing that if such a procedure existed, it would solve the halting problem for Turing machines.

Given the Cohen result, it is appropriate to ask whether viruses can come in such a wide variety as to make their detection and annihilation unique to the actual virus. In addition, it would appear that after a reasonable amount of time, it would become more difficult for virus writers to come up with `exotic' viruses that elude detection. Have most of the effective or interesting viruses already been invented, and therefore countered, by anti-virus programs? When reading this book one gets the impression that this is the case. However, the author shows that such a judgment would be premature, and he spends a fair amount of time in the book discussing possible future developments in computer viruses, particularly in distributed environments.

Even if virus writers are exhausting the possibilities for effective viruses, they can still find ways of evading the detection programs, using encryption for example. The author discusses several different approaches to the encryption of viruses, all of these having varying degrees of success, depending of course on the resources and knowledge base of the virus analyst. An interesting topic discussed in this connection is the origin of `oligomorphic' viruses, which change their decryptors in new generations. The `polymorphic' viruses, which are the next stage in complexity, are also discussed in this context, these allowing the mutation of their decryptors in possibly millions of different forms. When a virus is able to create new generations of itself that look different, it is called a 'metamorphic' virus. The author gives examples of these, how thay are detected, and the possibility of using them to construct a virus generator able to create new virus mutations on the fly without any human intervention. One of the metamorphic viruses, named W95/Zmist, is described by the author as being one the most complex binary viruses ever created. For that reason it is discussed in detail in the book. This discussion is fascinating reading, and one would have hoped that the source code was supplied in the book in order to allow responsible and curious individuals to create the W95/Zmist virus and study its behavior in real systems under controlled laboratory conditions.

The author does not distinguish between computer worms and viruses, except to say that the former are sometimes distinguished from the latter in the way they infect networks. A worm does not usually need to infect files but can propagate as a standalone program. However, the author gives examples of worms that do propagate by the infection of files. Illicit information gathering is the purpose of most worms, and the author discusses several different techniques that worms use to obtain this information. Particularly interesting to read about are the different techniques that computer worms are used to propagate themselves. One of these involves instant messaging, which because of its popularity will certainly be one that is given more attention by future attackers.

Virus writers will become more creative in the future, and their efforts will no doubt be discussed in future editions of this book. But it is the more subtle approaches that remain undiscovered that are the most devastating to both individuals and businesses. One gets the impression when reading this book that most of the viruses are created by pranksters who gain emotional reinforcement by the success of the exploits. The antivirus defense techniques work in the latter but not the former.

definitive text on antivirus methods.......2005-07-12

Szor's book appears to be the current definitive text on antivirus methods. The breadth of coverage of methods is good. So too is the level of detail.

The book makes you appreciate how hard the task is of finding these darned viruses. In general, you are trying to discern malware intent in an arbitrary file. Where this file is often binary. But, as Szor is careful to explain, there can certainly be source code viruses as well. These could be in Postscript, PDF or scripting files. He also points out that the Microsoft Office data files are really binary programs, that run under the Microsoft Office applications.

The book shows the considerable level of ingenuity on both sides of this struggle. As in how antivirus companies like Symantec often run a suspected virus in an emulator, stepping through the code. But in response, some viruses try to detect if they are being run inside an emulator. How they do this is very crafty and simple. (Shades of the "Matrix"!) It is examples of tactics like this that give the book its worth.

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Entertaining Informative Introduction to World of Viruses
From the author:
A review from a layman

How Pathogenic Viruses Work
Lauren Sompayrac
Manufacturer: Jones and Bartlett Publishers, Inc.
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0763720828

Book Description

A clever, accessible overview that uses a survey of 12 of the most common viral infections, to teach the fundamental principles of human virology.

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Entertaining Informative Introduction to World of Viruses.......2005-01-12

In an age with threats of bioterrorism and the ever present threat of global pandemics, with the rapid growth in knowledge in the biological sciences, it is difficult if not nearly impossible to fathom what is going on. Several years ago I decided to educate myself in the areas of molecular biology, immunology, and infectious disease. My only formal training in the biological sciences was high school biology from over 40 years ago. I read articles in Scientific American, Discover Magazine, numerous books, both textbooks and popular books, and found myself not seeing the forest for the trees. Then I found Dr. Sompayrac's books, "How the immune system works," and "How pathogenic viruses work." My usual words of praise are "not bad," but in the case of these books, I have to say "excellent." Dr. Sompayrac somehow manages to present the forest without neglecting the trees in a highly entertaining, readable, and informative manner. Both books are short, but rich in content presented in a well-organized manner with appropriately placed brief reviews. After reading his books, I then went back to some of the others and found that everything just fell into place.

I have already recommended both to numerous friends. Not only should these books be read by any lay person interested in modern biology, infectious diseases, and immunology, but public health workers, high school teachers, undergraduate students and teachers should all find these books worth reading and using as references. I actually wrote to Dr. Sompayrac suggesting he follow up with a book on "How pathogenic bacteria work," and I can only hope that he does.

From the author:.......2002-04-06

I'm the guy who wrote this book. I thought it might useful to tell you a little about what's in it -- and why I wrote it.

There are many books which employ viruses as tools to teach molecular and cellular biology. This makes sense. A lot of what we know about these subjects was learned by observing how viruses usurp the biochemical machinery of their host cells. However, these texts tend to treat viruses as bit players, focusing mainly on the cells they inhabit. Consequently, such a book can teach you a lot about cell biology, but it usually won't give you much insight into the "mind of the virus." In How Pathogenic Viruses Work, the virus occupies center stage, because my goal is to give you an overall picture of virus-host interactions from the point of view of the virus.

There are also big, heavy books that seem to contain every possible detail about every virus in the universe. These texts are great for reference, but they give the impression that viruses are incredibly complicated and almost impossible to understand. In fact, viruses are quite simple. They really only know how to solve three problems, and the diseases viral infections cause are the consequences -- frequently the unintended consequences -- of the different ways viruses solve these problems.

How Pathogenic Viruses Work is written in the form of "lectures," because I want to talk to you directly, just as if we were together in a classroom. In this book, I focus on the important concepts, and leave out as much detail as possible. I also limit my discussion to viruses that cause diseases in humans. Lord knows, there are plenty of them, and to me (and probably to you), these viruses are really the most interesting ones.

Your professor may use this book as the core text for a course, supplementing these lectures with fascinating facts about his or her favorite viruses. Alternatively, your professor may use this book as a course preview, both to provide you with a global view of how pathogenic viruses work, and to give you "pegs" on which to hang more detail as the course progresses.

But no matter how your professor may choose to use this book, you should keep one thing in mind: I didn't write this book for your professor. This book's for you!

A review from a layman.......2002-04-04

I'll admit to being intimidated by a book titled "How Pathogenic Viruses Work." Being a well educated layman more attuned to marketing than medicine, I expected to be completely lost while reading about the various bugs that invade our bodies and how the body calls to battle its natural defenses.

However, I was rescued by some of the best writing and the most logical presentation I have ever read. This is no small claim as I have published over 150 articles for high tech magazines covering some very detailed topics in computing. My hat is off to Sompayrac for communicating complex topics in a style that is both clear and entertaining.

Sompayrac organized his book in the very way I would want to study the subject. His opening chapters (which he calls "lectures") deal with the way viruses "think" and the three basic problems that all viruses must address in order to survive. Sompayrac's explanations bring home the mechanics of Darwinism that viruses face when invading our bodies or breading themselves in cross-species transplants.

Sompayrac then discusses how viruses enter our bodies (inhalation, orally, through birth and through sex) and why each path has its advantages for specific viruses. For each entry method, Sompayrac discusses three unique viruses and how they conquered the problems of replication, spreading and evasion of host defenses. Sompayrac finishes the book by discussing the tactics that modern medicine is employing or testing to combat viruses. The discussion of tactics and their usefulness or dangerousness in regard to HIV is most illuminating.

Unique to this work - and hopefully for Sompayrac's other books including a rumored book on cancer - is his light, almost playful style of writing that keeps the reader riveted to the discussion despite the occasional need to drill down into medical jargon. Despite being only a layman limited by a typical array of college biology electives, I read, understood and enjoyed the entire book. I walked away with new insights into the miracles of life - ours and those microscopic life forms that occasionally try to kill us.

Book Description

Hackers have uncovered the dark side of cryptography—that device developed to defeat Trojan horses, viruses, password theft, and other cyber-crime. It’s called cryptovirology, the art of turning the very methods designed to protect your data into a means of subverting it. In this fascinating, disturbing volume, the experts who first identified cryptovirology show you exactly what you’re up against and how to fight back.

They will take you inside the brilliant and devious mind of a hacker—as much an addict as the vacant-eyed denizen of the crackhouse—so you can feel the rush and recognize your opponent’s power. Then, they will arm you for the counterattack.

This book reads like a futuristic fantasy, but be assured, the threat is ominously real. Vigilance is essential, now.

Understand the mechanics of computationally secure information stealing
Learn how non-zero sum Game Theory is used to develop survivable malware
Discover how hackers use public key cryptography to mount extortion attacks
Recognize and combat the danger of kleptographic attacks on smart-card devices
Build a strong arsenal against a cryptovirology attack

Download Description

This book reads like a futuristic fantasy, but be assured, the threat is ominously real. Vigilance is essential, now.

Understand the mechanics of computationally secure information stealing
Learn how non-zero sum Game Theory is used to develop survivable malware
Discover how hackers use public key cryptography to mount extortion attacks
Recognize and combat the danger of kleptographic attacks on smart-card devices
Build a strong arsenal against a cryptovirology attack

Customer Reviews:

A great technical book for advanced users.......2005-04-25

Although "Malicious Cryptography" is most certainly not for beginners, you will enjoy it if you have some background in security and anti-virus research.

Be warned, though: cyber-punk style of this book will probably resonate with some, and irk others.

Excellent!!!.......2005-02-02

Malicious Cryptography: Exposing Cryptovirology is a brilliant book from two leading cryptographers.

This is not for the fainthearted.

If you are looking for an intro to crypto, look elsewhere.

If you want cutting edge info about breaking crypto and making your crypto stronger, this is the book.

totally rads.......2004-07-08

duncan young is truly a gift to the world of cyberphreakery. i once saw him defeat a host of cyborg lemurs with his chainsaw-arm. it was so good. this guy is from the f*ckin future. 'nuff said

Excellent.......2004-05-30

Bypassing computer security systems has sometimes been called an art rather than a science by those who typically do not interact with computing machines at a level that would allow them to appreciate the science behind security attacks. This book does not address the strategies of how to bypass security systems, but instead concentrates on how to use cryptographic methods to corrupt the machines once access has been acquired. Clearly the authors are very excited about the developments in cryptovirology, a relatively young field, that have taken place in the last five years. Their goal though is not to train hackers to break into systems, but rather to coach the reader on how to find vulnerabilities in these systems and then repair them. The subject of cryptovirology is fascinating, especially in the mathematics that is uses, and a thorough knowledge of its power will be required for meeting the challenges of twenty-first century network computing.

After a "motivational chapter" that it meant to shed insight on what it is like to be a hacker, this being done through a collection of short stories, the authors move on to giving a general overview of the field of cryptovirology in chapter 2. The reader gets his first dose of zero-knowledge interactive proofs (ZKIPs), which allow a prover to convince a verifier of a fact without revealing to it why the fact is true. The authors point out that viruses are vulnerable once found, since their rudimentary programming can be then studied and understood. This motivates the introduction of public key cryptography into the payload of the virus, and it is at this point that the field of cryptovirology is born.

Chapter 3 is more of a review of modular arithmetic, entropy generators, and pseudorandom number generators and can be skipped for those readers familiar with these. The authors emphasize the need for effective random number generators and in using multiple sources for entropy generation. They also introduce the very interesting concept of a `mix network', which allows two mutually distrusting parties to communicate securely and anonymously over a network. `Onion routing' is discussed as a method for implementing asynchronous mix networks. Mix networks can be used to hide the propagation history of a worm or virus.

In chapter 4, the authors discuss how to implement anonymous communication and how to launch a cryptotrojan attack that utilizes an anonymous communication channel. There are many applications of anonymous communication, one being E-money, and also, unfortunately, money laundering. The authors describe in fair detail how to conduct criminal operations with mix networks and anonymous money. This same technology though allows freedom of speech in geographical areas that are not sympathetic to it. Electronic voting, so controversial at the present time, is discussed as an activity that is very susceptible to the threat of stegotrojans or government violation of anonymity. Techniques for doing deniable password snatching using cryptovirology, and for countering it using zero-knowledge proofs, are also discussed.

Chapter 5 introduces techniques for preventing the reading of counters when a virus is propagating from one machine to another. Known as `cryptocounters', the authors discuss various techniques for constructing them, such as the ElGamal and Paillier public key cryptosystems.

Private information retrieval (PIR), which allows the secure and private theft of information, is discussed in chapter 6, wherein the authors present a few schemes for performing PIR. These schemes, unfortunately, allow the theft of information without revealing anything about the information sought and without revealing anything about what is taken. The authors also introduce a concept that they call `questionable encryptions', which are algorithms to produce valid encryptions or fake encryptions depending on the inputs. Related to question encryption, and also discussed in this chapter, are `deniable encryptions', which allow the sender to produce fake random choices that result in the true plaintext to be kept secret. Also discussed is the topic of `cryptographic computing', which allows computations with encrypted data without first having to decrypt it. The modular arithmetic used in this chapter is fascinating and well worth the read.

Chapter 7 is by far the most interesting of the entire book, and also the most disconcerting if its strategies are ever realized. The goal of the chapter is to find out to what extent a virus can be constructed whose removal will damage the host machine. This, in the author's opinion, would be a genuine `digital disease', and they discuss various scenarios for bringing it about, which are at present not realized, but could be in the near future. The approach discussed involves game theory, and the authors show how the payload of a virus can survive even after discovery of the virus. They give a very detailed algorithm on how to attack a brokerage firm, including the assumptions that must be satisfied by such an attack. The attack is mounted by deploying a distributed cryptovirus that tries to find three suitable host machines, and the attack consists of three phases, the first involving replication leading to the infection of the three machines, the second involving preparation for the attack, and third involving playing the two-player game. The host machines, to be acceptable for launching the attack, must either be "brokerage" machines, which have sensitive information available to the virus, or "reclusive" machines, which are machines that are not subjected to much scrutiny. The goal of the virus, according to the authors, is to give the malware purchasing power, and not direct monetary gain. The virus may then evolve over time to become a portfolio manager, and may even act as a surrogate for purchasing shares on behalf of the firm or client. Other possibilities for the virus are discussed, and the authors overview the security of the attack and its utility.

I did not read the rest of the chapters in the book, so I will omit their review.

Heaven's dark side.......2004-05-15

For some time now we have been taught that modern cryptography offers an elegant solution to a number of problems. Communicate securely? use a VPN; identify the author of a document? use a digital signature; securely encrypt e-mail? use PKI. But what if the very power behind these solutions can itself be [misinterpreted]? If such is the case, then encryption can be a curse, a digital signature an illusion and the heralded savior an unconquerable nemesis. This is the essence of what this book is about.

To be sure this is not easy reading. It is adult material, meaning that thinking is required. But it could not be otherwise, the material would not allow it. However the reader will be well rewarded for every morsel of math they endeavor to puzzle through. The realization of the potential dark side of modern cryptography is the first step in preparing to defend against it. This book provides that realization.

Book Description

If you breathe...It will find you.

The list of 10,000 names was created for maximum devastation. Business leaders, housewives, politicians, celebrities, janitors, children. None of them is aware of what is about to happen--but all will be part of the most frightening brand of warfare the world has ever known.

The germ--an advanced form of the Ebola virus--has been genetically engineered to infect only those people whose DNA matches the codes embedded within it. Those whose DNA is not a match simply catch a cold. But those who are a match experience a far worse fate. Within days, their internal organs liquify.

Death is the only escape.

The release of the virus will usher in a new era of power where countries are left without defense. Where a single person--or millions--could be killed with perfect accuracy and zero collateral damage. Where your own DNA works against you.

The time isn't coming. It is now. Pray the assassins get you first.

Customer Reviews:

The first book I couldn't put down in a long time.......2007-09-13

I picked this book up on a whim (okay, so I was at a Borders), the cover looked interesting. Man, what a read. Non stop action from start to finish. A great storyline, characters that are easy to follow, but very well defined. I couldn't put it down (except for necessary sleep), first book in ages that only took 2 days to read!
If you like thrillers, read it.

Decent SciFi Thriller.......2007-09-13

GERM(2006) is a decent very-near-future biological SciFi thriller. It is fast-paced and packed with thrills. The characters are semi-interesting, if not a bit cliche - we even have NAZIs, one of whom becomes the main bad guy in the story... but the story of how a NAZI from the WWII era is still a viable villain is just too far-fetched, as are a number of other scenarios throughout the book.

The book is quite large - 480+ hardcover pages, and sometimes gets a bit tedious to plow through near the end of the book.

Germ, another amazing thriller from Liparulo!.......2007-07-13

I loved Comes a Horseman and wondered if Robert Liparulo would be able to deliver again in his second book, Germ. One of my favorite things about Liparulo's writing is his bad guys. Germ is a great book for the action / thriller fan, I highly recommend it! Great job again Mr. Liparulo, I can't wait for Deadfall!

Resik

Another Fast-Paced Thriller from an Excellent Author.......2007-07-11

Robert Liparulo burst onto the Christian fiction scene in 2005 with his debut novel, Comes a Horseman, which was highly regarded enough by both readers and fellow writers that he was subsequently invited to submit a short story to 2006's Thriller, a collection of similarly themed short stories edited by genre giant James Patterson. With his first book, Liparulo established himself as a thriller writer worth of sitting on the same table of contents as authors like Lee Child, James Rollins, and David Morrell. Now he's back with number two.

For readers who enjoyed Horseman, Germ does not disappoint. Liparulo, though only having just completed his second book, is clearly no stranger to the art of storytelling. The plot is fast-paced and suspenseful, the characters are believable and likeable, the villains are diabolical and realistically sinister, and the ending pulls readers all the way through the lengthy (486-page) story at what feels like breakneck speed. In all of these elements, Liparulo has surpassed Ted Dekker and Frank Peretti, two of WestBow Press's other best-sellers, both of whom have turned in lackluster books in recent years, including the dismal collaboration House in 2006.

Yet for a book ostensibly written for a largely Christian market, written by a Christian author, and published by a Christian publishing house, Germ has a noticeable lack of Christian content. The explicit Christian content in the book, if it can even be called explicitly Christian, is summed up in one character's statement to another: "Good lu-- . . . To hell with luck. God be with you." Liparulo has certainly proven his ability to write cross-over thrillers. But the question of whether he can write Christian thrillers still remains open.

Germ starts off fast, with a patient bleeding out from an Ebola-like disease in chapter 1 and an FBI agent involved in a high-speed chase in chapter 2. The action accelerates as Agent Julia Matheson tries to beat the clock to rescue her partner from an unknown danger and then rescue the world from an evident biological threat. Along the way she teams up with a brilliant and conceited surgeon and an embittered pastor. Together, the three unlikely heroes must stop a madman from destroying civilization as we know it. And the clock is ticking from page 1.

Germ lists a number of "facts" on the flyleaf (reminiscent of The Da Vinci Code) to whet readers' appetites for what follows. Unlike Dan Brown's best-seller, though, Liparulo limits his facts to verifiable data and has crafted an action-packed, conspiracy-free story to back them up. The book is superbly entertaining in nearly all respects.

It is disappointing, however, that WestBow didn't encourage it's up-and-coming author to incorporate more of a Christian message into his story. The thriller genre is the genre of the moment in the secular literary world, and it's only natural that the Christian market should try to capitalize on authors' cross-over appeal. But Germ has so much mainstream appeal that it flirts with being not a cross-over book but a purely secular one.

Crafted a multi-strand page turner and a highly recommended thriller.......2007-06-06

One of the most frightening possible attacks from terrorists on the United States involves biological warfare. In the opening pages of GERM, readers meet Despesorio Vero, who works as a lab assistant to scientist Karl Litt. Described in graphic detail, Vero helplessly watches a patient die a painful death after his organs liquefy. In the doorway Vero notices Litt observing the individual's demise.

A year and one month later, Vero contacts FBI Special Agent Goodwin Donnelley --- and now they are fleeing for their lives. A complex assassin named Atropos, who is eliminating anyone connected to the investigation, catches and kills both Donnelley and Vero. But before his death, Donnelley hides a memory chip and leaves a dangerous clue for his partner, Julia Matheson.

Later, New York Times reporter Jeff Hunter receives a strange email with the subject line "The story of the century." The email is blank, but included is an attachment that looks like a spreadsheet or a virus. He almost deletes it but decides that, because his computer is backed up, he can take a chance and open it. The attachment contains a list of 10,000 names, addresses and social security numbers. Hunter calls a few of these people to see if he can pick up on any pattern or connection, but he doesn't find any.

Much later in the book, we learn that the individuals on this list contain matching strains of DNA and come from a cross section of society: politicians, business leaders, blue-collar workers, even children. The virus targets specific people, and as it moves from person to person, it acts like a normal cold. When it reaches someone with the matching DNA, that individual is stricken with an advanced form of the Ebola virus. Within days of receiving the germ, their organs liquefy and they painfully die.

Karl Litt is a key character throughout the novel because he is the scientist who genetically created this virus. As one of 32 gifted children, he carries out the research his father began in Germany toward the end of World War II. Slowly we come to understand the deeper motive of pure hatred from a child like Litt, who witnessed the death of his father and the demise of his country.

From the beginning we know that a horrible threat to humanity is looming. Robert Liparulo has crafted a multi-strand page turner and a highly recommended thriller.

(...)

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AIDS Update 2007 (Aids Update)
Gerald J Stine
Manufacturer: McGraw-Hill Science/Engineering/Math
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

AIDS & HIV | Diseases | Medicine | Subjects | Books

General | Medicine | Subjects | Books

General | Health, Mind & Body | Subjects | Books

All Titles | Qualifying Textbooks - Fall 2007 | Stores | Books
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ASIN: 0073402346

Book Description

AIDS Update 2007 presents a balanced review of current research and information on HIV infection, HIV disease, and AIDS. AIDS Update 2007 places this discussion within a biological, medical, social, economic and legal framework, helping readers to more fully understand this modern-day pandemic.

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