The Deadly Dinner Party: And Other Medical Detective Stories (2009) - Plot & Excerpts
A very readable book I picked up after I read Hot Zone. I'm fascinated by this kind of stuff- plagues, pandemics, etc,- from a historical point of view, but also because they beat any horror novel out there when it comes down to it.A lot of the virus hunter type books out there are just variations of the same events (for example, The Hot Zone and Virus Hunter are simple two different viewpoints of the same set of crisis), and there is also the issue of just how they are written. Some are very dry reading, and clearly geared towards people in the medical field, others are nothing but headline grabbing shlock banking on herd mentality; still others manage to maintain their medical integrity, but also produce a thoroughly enjoyable book that appeals to both lay persons and those with medical backgrounds. The Deadly Dinner Party falls into the latter; written in short story style, recounting some of the hard to diagnose cases the author (himself a doctor) dealt with or knew about. It has less of the “Ebola is just hiding in the bushes” approach, and more of a quiet, straightforward approach. The viral and bacterial infections that are discussed aren't as outwardly terrifying as hemorrhagic fever descriptions, but the absolute luck of the draw reality of how one person becomes sick from a bacteria hundreds of others come into contact with, but never get infected by, is just as frightening. It also gives a lot of insight on how easily some are transmitted, and how simple it is to avoid them. Each story focuses on a single case or outbreak, and covers it from the initial and often times indiscernible symptoms that are easily misdiagnosed, through the more panic-driven critical stages when answers are required but at times, elusive. It's a bit like watching a few episodes of House. Edlow is well worded, explains things thoroughly, and points out parallels when relevant, providing a well rounded understanding of the individual infections of each case, and the ways they manifest seemingly out of nowhere.If you enjoyed The Hot Zone, or any other virus-hunter type books, you'll enjoy this one. I'm only one story into this book, and I can already tell you that I'm going to be the super annoying person who tells you about all the crazy ways you can die after I finish this. Sausage poisoning!It was all sort of downhill after the first story. Some were fairly interesting, but after I picked up on the format, and realized there really wasn't a big reveal at the end of each story I lost interest.
What do You think about The Deadly Dinner Party: And Other Medical Detective Stories (2009)?
This was an enjoyable read; along the lines of a "CSI for ER Patients", if you will.
—khadra
Poorly written and quite boring really - I couldn't be bothered finishing
—kbabe
Read this last year. Fascinating stuff.Beware the Loofah of Death...
—alyssa
