Tuesday, April 27, 2010
Getting Started
After reading the first eighteen pages of my book, I have learned a lot already! Richard Preston started off his book with an introduction about his "adventures in nonfiction writing". He goes through and explains his methods of getting his characters 'just right'. He also introduces the Ebola virus, which is a extremely dangerous virus that kills up to 95 percent of people who become infected with it. Preston also makes a lot of references to his previous novel "The Hot Zone". It's a good thing I read it last year! The effects of the Ebola virus is what gets me. I think the thing that disgusts me the most is the black vomit that it causes. It is said that it looks like coffee grounds. I am now at the part where Preston has 'snuck' into the Level 4 to experience what it is like. The commander originally said no to him because they can never predict how someone is going to react to a circumstance like that. I understand this, it is a real risk! What if someone freaked out in there in and messed up, unintentionally allowing the virus to spread?! That is pretty scary because all the viruses in Level 4 do not have cures. I can't wait to keep reading and find out how Preston's experience in Level 4 goes!!!
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I didn't realize that Panic In Level Four was the name of your book. That must have been one from Mrs P.'s bag. I looked it up on Amazon just to see what it was about and see that it is a collection of essays and that some of them were published in The New Yorker. I really enjoy reading that kind of thing, so I think I would like this book. I will be interested to see what you think of it.
ReplyDeleteI noticed in your blog entry that you read The Hot Zone last year. How did you happen to pick it up? Did you like it? You know from hearing Karen and I talk that we both consider an excellent read.
What did you think of the video clip I showed on Monday? Richard Preston basically said - truth is stranger than fiction!
I read The Hot Zone because I was in Biology last year and I was looking through Mrs. P's book cabinet for a good read and she recommended Richard Preston. So I gave him a try, and I really liked him! I was going to continue reading his books last year but Mrs. P told me that in Micro we would be reading books like The Hot Zone too. So I have basically been waiting patiently for a year to read Panic in Level 4!
ReplyDeleteI liked the video clip that you showed on Monday. I was very interested in it. And it was a little odd because the exact some speech that he gave in the video, he used as an introduction in Panic in Level 4. So the whole time I was reading the introduction I was thinking "Already heard all this Richard!!" I think I was also a little disappointed as I read it that it was the SAME as his speech. A little variety please?