Everything about Richard Preston totally explained
Richard Preston (b.
August 5,
1954) is a
New Yorker writer and bestselling
author best-known for his alarming books about
infectious disease epidemics and
bioterrorism, although he's written other non-fiction works. Whether journalistic or fictional, his writings are based on thorough background research and extensive interviews. He is also the brother of best-selling author,
Douglas Preston.
Preston's personal hobby of
Recreational tree climbing is introduced in his book (2007)
The Wild Trees.. This climbing experience helped him write about the largest known
redwoods like
Lost Monarch or Iluvatar, which are described in that book along with delicate forest canopy ecosystems.
Biography
Richard Preston attended
Pomona College, in southern California, and received his Ph.D. in English from
Princeton University.
His 1992
New Yorker article "Crisis in the Hot Zone" was expanded into his best known book,
The Hot Zone (1994). It is a "non-fiction thriller" about the
Ebola virus. He came to know the virus through such contacts as
U.S. Army researchers Drs.
C.J Peters and
Nancy Jaax. His fascination began during a visit to Africa where he was an eyewitness to epidemics.
Preston's novel
The Cobra Event (1997), about the terroristic release of a fictional virus combining various qualities of different diseases upon New York City, alarmed even then-President
Bill Clinton who, shortly after reading it, instigated a review of bio-terror threats to the U.S. The book strove to tell a fast-paced thriller narrative within the bounds of well-researched bio-terroristic possibility, and was reportedly pressed upon Clinton by a molecular biologist when he was attending a
Renaissance Weekend event.
The Demon in the Freezer (2002) covers the story of the eradication of
smallpox, perhaps the most destructive virus to have plagued mankind. It details the survival of the virus in research labs and bio-weapon programs of Russia and other nations, despite its eradication in the human population. The narrative continues with
Anthrax, a bacterial disease of cattle and humans, used in a failed attack against former Senator
Tom Daschle of
South Dakota.
The Hot Zone served as the (very loose) basis of the Hollywood movie
Outbreak (1995) about military machinations surrounding a fictional "Motaba virus".
First Light,
American Steel and
The Wild Trees are non-fiction on completely different topics, addressing astrophysics, the steel industry and California Redwoods respectively.
Bibliography
Fiction
Non-fiction
Further Information
Get more info on 'Richard Preston'.
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