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The Good Virus: The Amazing Story and Forgotten Promise of the Phage Hardcover – August 15, 2023

by Tom Ireland (Author)
4.6 4.6 out of 5 stars 37 ratings
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How a mysterious, super-powerful―yet long-neglected―microbe rules our world and can rescue our health in the age of antibiotic resistance.

At every moment, within our bodies and all around us, trillions of microscopic combatants are waging a war that shapes our health and life on Earth. Countless times per second, viruses known as phages attack and destroy bacteria while leaving all other life forms, including us, unscathed. Vastly outnumbering the viruses that do us harm, phages power ecosystems, drive evolutionary innovation, and harbor a remarkable capacity to heal life-threatening infections when conventional antibiotics fail. Yet most of us have never heard of them, thinking of viruses only as enemies to be feared. The Good Virus prompts us to reconsider, and to discover, how these viruses could save countless lives if we can learn to harness their extraordinary abilities.

Taking us inside the ongoing quest to use phages’ powers for good, Tom Ireland introduces us to the brilliant, often eccentric, scientists who have fought to realize phages’ potential in the face of doubt and political intrigue. We meet the renegade French-Canadian scientist who discovered phages and pioneered their use as medicine over a century ago, leading them to be hailed as the world’s first genuine antibiotic years before penicillin. We learn why, in some pockets of the former Soviet Union, drinking a vial of phages remains as common as taking an over-the-counter drug. We follow the intrepid scientists and doctors now racing to make “phage therapy” work worldwide as the threat of antibiotic-resistant bacteria grows ever more urgent―even as other researchers uncover how phages bolster our everyday immunity, help generate the oxygen we breathe, and furnish the origins for breakthrough technologies like CRISPR.

Unveiling the hidden rulers of the microbial world and celebrating the surprising power of viruses to heal, not harm, The Good Virus forever changes how we see nature’s most maligned life forms.

15 black-and-white illustrations
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Previous page
  1. Print length
    400 pages
  2. Language
    English
  3. Publisher
    W. W. Norton & Company
  4. Publication date
    August 15, 2023
  5. Dimensions
    6.4 x 1.5 x 9.4 inches
  6. ISBN-10
    1324050837
  7. ISBN-13
    978-1324050834
  8. See all details
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Editorial Reviews

Review

"A colorful redemption story for the oft-neglected yet incredibly abundant phage. . . . Ireland, an award-winning science journalist, approaches the subject of his first book with curiosity and passion, delivering a deft narrative that is rich and approachable."
― Alex Johnson, The New York Times Book Review

"As engaging as it is expansive, The Good Virus describes the distinctive biology and murky history of bacteriophage (generally shortened to ‘phage’), a form of life that is remarkably abundant yet obscure enough to have been termed the ‘dark matter of biology.’"
― David A. Shaywitz, Wall Street Journal

"Incredibly timely."
― Adrian Woolfson, Science

"Both optimistic and realistic. . . . A capably guided tour of a scientific wave of the future."
― Kirkus Reviews

"A masterful blend of jaw-dropping science and absorbing storytelling. . . . This book reminds us of the missed opportunities we simply cannot afford to miss again."
― George McGavin, BBC and Discovery Channel presenter

"A new scientific frontier which couldn’t be more fascinating or vital. Phages are critical to our health, and the health of the whole planet. Brilliantly written and profound, this book is ahead of the curve and deserves to become a classic."
― Daniel M. Davis, author of The Beautiful Cure and The Secret Body

"It is rare to find such a rich seam of science that is so pertinent to modern health concerns yet feels so underrecognized. Everybody knows about good bacteria, but I doubt they have heard of good viruses (I hadn’t). . . . This book is full of gems of information and hope for the future."
― Suzanne O’Sullivan, author of The Sleeping Beauties: And Other Stories of Mystery Illness

"Incredible and thought-provoking. Phages are the superheroes of the human biome. A truly enlightening read that makes you realize what we really don’t yet know."
― Sue Black, president of St John’s College, Oxford, and author of Written in Bone

"This thrilling book will amaze you. Viruses have been attacking bacteria since the dawn of time, but in the last century some scientists have been able to enlist them in the fight against bacterial infections. Tom Ireland’s limpid writing tells the exciting story of the past and future of ‘phage therapy,’ balanced by a sober exploration of the problems involved in turning the good viruses into treatments. Highly recommended."
― Matthew Cobb, author of Life’s Greatest Secret: The Race to Crack the Genetic Code

"An enthralling, meticulously researched book that will change the way you think about not only viruses, but also the science behind discovery and rediscovery."
― Steffanie Strathdee, author of The Perfect Predator: A Scientist’s Race to Save Her Husband from a Deadly Superbug

About the Author

Tom Ireland is an award-winning science journalist and editor of the Biologist magazine. He regularly contributes to BBC Science Focus and has written for the Guardian, New Scientist, and BBC News. He lives in Hertfordshire, England.

Product details

  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ W. W. Norton & Company (August 15, 2023)
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • Hardcover ‏ : ‎ 400 pages
  • ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 1324050837
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1324050834
  • Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 1.32 pounds
  • Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 6.4 x 1.5 x 9.4 inches
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.6 4.6 out of 5 stars 37 ratings

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Tom Ireland

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Customer reviews

4.6 out of 5 stars
4.6 out of 5
37 global ratings

Top reviews from the United States

Don Lindsey
5.0 out of 5 stars Interesting Phage history
Reviewed in the United States on April 21, 2024
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very detailed account of role of bacteriophages in affecting history and reluctance of scientific community to accept phage therapy.
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David H
4.0 out of 5 stars Thanks for seeing viruses in a good light for a change.
Reviewed in the United States on January 13, 2024
Verified Purchase
Perhaps, many people don't realize how abundant and important viruses are in the natural world. They where here long before other forms of life including bacteria and archea! and are far more numerous!!
They exhibit an astonishing diversity in many aspects of life style. Unfortunately, like many other life forms, it is the pathogenic ones that make the headlines of media. So most people associate all viruses as pathogens and bad.
Most viruses are either harmless or even beneficial. This book brings this last statement to light in an interesting and informative way!
Good Job!!
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Reviewer99
5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent!
Reviewed in the United States on February 17, 2024
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Excellent!
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Oregon Doc
5.0 out of 5 stars A NICE HISTORY OF PHAGES AND THE ORIGINS OF CRISPR
Reviewed in the United States on October 26, 2023
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The story is fascinating and well written. She develops the history logically and threw in information that I have not seen presented elsewhere.
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jjs
5.0 out of 5 stars Wonderfully Writen
Reviewed in the United States on September 20, 2023
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The book was extremely insightful. It covered a relatively novel area in depth and drew upon many other biological topics which made it even more interesting.
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Dr. Terrence McGarty
4.0 out of 5 stars Interesting Historical Perspective
Reviewed in the United States on August 20, 2023
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The simple fact is that there are lots of viruses. A few address the human whereas the rest take home in every other organism. This includes the prokaryotes such as bacteria. The recent understanding of CRISPRs as a means to edit human genes is really an understanding of how bacteria deal with viral attacks.

This book is an interesting historical overview of how these viruses, the phages, were "discovered" and used as an antibacterial treatment. Unlike antibiotics which directly attack a pathogen the phages are naturally occurring viruses which themselves attack and kill the pathogen. Discovering them and then using them has been an on and off process. The author takes the reader over the historical starts and stops of this work.

This is not a technical book. In fact unless you have a fundamental understanding of viruses you may lose many of the nuances in the tale. It would have been helpful if the author could have provided more detail, albeit a challenging task. Yet the historical tale is worth the read.
3 people found this helpful
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an exerciser
5.0 out of 5 stars Educational; Enlightening; Timely
Reviewed in the United States on January 15, 2024
Excellently written book on a fascinating subject! It almost is two books: one on the history of the discovery and use of the bacteriophage and one of the present day rare uses of it as well as ideas of how to harness its power.

This work was very thorough and enlightening throughout. I would recommend re-reading the introduction after reading the book in its entirety, as that really cements the main points. I appreciated that this book was well referenced and indexed and liked the footnotes that added specific information that was extra informative. I wonder if pictures (in addition to the phage images at the back) would have made the book even more engaging. I can see this book being used in high school advanced biology courses or college biology/microbiology courses to great benefit.

Overall, well done!
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Justin
4.0 out of 5 stars Ambitious effort
Reviewed in the United States on December 1, 2023
Writing a book about the history and applications of bacteriophage might as well be a history of the entire field of molecular biology. Writing this book was very ambitious, and the author did a decent job considering the scientific and historical depth of the subject matter.

It would be impossible to write this book without omissions. However, there are occasional outright factual errors found throughout the book.

Generally well written, generally correct, informative, and a fun read.
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Top reviews from other countries

Iain Grant
5.0 out of 5 stars well written and researched introduction to Phages
Reviewed in Canada on September 8, 2023
Verified Purchase
Phages may again be the next big thing, if we can (as societies) address both the IP element and the "drug" approval processes for a remedy that does not fit traditional processes.
Tom Ireland has done us all a service in re-introducing us to some of the wonders of Phages. Highly recommended!
One person found this helpful
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