The Demon in the Freezer

Richard Preston returns to the gruesome realm of infectious diseases with a story even more disturbing than the one told in his bestselling The Hot Zone. As with his previous book, Preston applies his incredible storytelling ability to a harrowing subject matter that is sure to once again terrify even the master thrillmeister Stephen King (who called The Hot Zone “one of the most horrifying things I’ve ever read in my whole life”). The “demon in the freezer” of the title refers to the two official smallpox stocks kept by the Centers for Disease Control in the United States and by Vector in Russia, but the greatest demon is the possibility of a weaponized super-pox. This important book should be read by all concerned citizens.