
Invisible Empire
The Natural History of Viruses
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Narrated by:
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Mishal Varma
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By:
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Pranay Lal
About this listen
Viruses are the world's most abundant life form, and now, when humanity is in the midst of a close encounter with their immense power, perhaps the most feared. But do we understand viruses?
Possibly the most enigmatic of living things, they are sometimes not considered a life form at all. Everything about them is extreme, including the reactions they evoke. However, for every truism about viruses, the opposite is also often true. So complex and diverse is the world of viruses that it merits being labelled an empire unto itself. And whether we see them as alive or dead, as life-threatening or life-affirming, there is an ineluctable beauty, even a certain elegance, in the way viruses go about their lives - or so Pranay Lal tells us in Invisible Empire: The Natural History of Viruses.
This is a book that defies categorization. It brings together science, history and great storytelling to paint a fascinating picture of viruses as a major actor, not just in human civilization but also in the human body. With rare photographs, paintings, illustrations and anecdotes, it is a magnificent and an extremely relevant book for our times, when we are attempting to understand viruses and examining their role in the lives of humans.
PLEASE NOTE: When you purchase this title, the accompanying PDF will be available in your Audible Library along with the audio.
©2021 Pranay Lal (P)2022 Random House AudioListeners also enjoyed...
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What listeners say about Invisible Empire
Average customer ratingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
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Overall
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Performance
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- Jacob Brenner
- 02-03-25
Viruses can be good? Learn how
I’m a physician and scientist and still learned a ton about viruses, such as how they make the seemingly dirty Ganges surprisingly free of bacteria. Great story telling, in completely non technical terms.
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