Summary of Nathan Wolfe's The Viral Storm

Please note: This is a companion version & not the original book. Sample Book Insights: #1 The disease that stunted the growth of tobacco plants was first discovered by a microbiologist named Martinus Beijerinck. He believed that a new form of life must be the cause, and he named it the virus. #2 I teach a seminar at Stanford called Viral Lifestyles. The title was meant to evoke curiosity among prospective students, but also describe one of the course’s objectives: to learn to envision the world from the perspective of a virus. #3 Viruses are the smallest known microbes. They are dependent on the cells they infect to survive, and they must infect cell-based life forms in order to do so. They are also the most diverse forms of life. #4 The majority of life on Earth is microscopic. Seen and unseen life, which includes bacteria, archaea, and viruses, makes up a much larger percentage of the planet’s biomass than the more recognizable cellular life forms, the eukaryotes.