Product Description
Based on the movie from Universal Pictures starring Jamie Lee Curtis, Donald Sutherland and Billy Baldwin, which is based on a Dark Horse comic book by Chuck Pfarrer.Somewhere is the South Pacific, a fierce typhoon strikes an American tug and its desperate crew. Barely surviving the storm, the crew comes upon the "Volkov", a high-tech Russian warship appears to be strangely deserted--but the ship is not as deserted as it seems. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (7)

Deeply Flawed
This book suffers from a number of major problems, but the main one is that it's incredibly predictable. I have never in my life seen a horror movie, and I've read a grand total of two thriller novels, but despite being totally unfamiliar with the genre, I was never once surprised or caught of guard. I guessed which characters were going to survive and which were going to die when I was maybe a fourth through the comic, and the ending was [bad] and predictable. Add to that the fact that none of the characters were even remotely interesting or well-developed, and the result is a very poor comic indeed.

A thrilling ride, read within the week I got it.
It kept me from putting it down, full of action,aliens,and non-stop suspense. I suggest you at least check it out. It remains worth reading again.

It's Great!!
The "Sea Star" and it's crew come up to the "Volvok". Not knowing what they will find they explore it. There is an intelegence in the ship thats trying to kill them. To survive they must be smarter than"it".

Virus: A gripping and intriguing horror story!
Virus is an amazing story which I love to read over and over.I first read Virus when it came out as mini-series, and I have been looking for a graphic novel version because it is such a brilliant tale with greatartwork.I am so pleased that there is now a film based on it.Virus isthe first story of a graphic novel nature that I found above and beyond theaverage material.I highly recommend this book- it is very haunting!

The vessel "Sea Star"comes across an alien "intelligence"
The "Sea Star" crew comes across the vessel "Volkov."What they dont know is that there is something unhuman onboard. Now it is survival of the smartest.

Very, very good. Cant waitto see the movie.

I am 13 years old and that was a really good book. ... Read more

Product Description
Digital Contagions is the first book to offer a comprehensive and critical analysis of the culture and history of the computer virus phenomenon. The book maps the anomalies of network culture from the angles of security concerns, the biopolitics of digital systems, and the aspirations for artificial life in software. The genealogy of network culture is approached from the standpoint of accidents that are endemic to the digital media ecology. Viruses, worms, and other software objects are not, then, seen merely from the perspective of anti-virus research or practical security concerns, but as cultural and historical expressions that traverse a non-linear field from fiction to technical media, from net art to politics of software. Jussi Parikka mobilizes an extensive array of source materials and intertwines them with an inventive new materialist cultural analysis. Digital Contagions draws from the cultural theories of Gilles Deleuze and Félix Guattari, Friedrich Kittler, and Paul Virilio, among others, and offers novel insights into historical media analysis. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

IF/THEN


One could be forgiven for assuming that a book with the title "Digital Contagions: A Media Archaeology of Computer Viruses" would be of sole interest to those sniggering hornrimmed programmers who harbor an erudite loathing of Bill Gates and an affection for the Viennese witch-doctor. Actually, it is a rather game and enthralling look, via a media-ecological approach, into the acutely frightening, yet hysterically glittering, networked world in which we now reside. A world where the distinct individual is pitted against - and thoroughly processed by - post-human semi-autonomous software programs which often ferment anomalous feelings of being eaten alive by some great indifferent artificiality that apparently functions semi-independently as a natural being.

Though no J. G. Ballard or William S. Burroughs, Jussi Parikka nevertheless sucks us into a fantastic black tour-de-force narrative of virulence and the cultural history of computer viruses (*), followed by innumerable inquisitive innuendoes concerning the ramifications for a creative and aesthetic, if post-human, future. Digital Contagions is impregnated with fear and suspicion, but we almost immediately sense that it also contains an undeniable affirmative nobility of purpose; which is to save the media cultural condition - and the brimful push of technological modernization in general - from catastrophically killing itself off.

This admirable embryonic redemption is achieved by a vaccination-like turning of tables, as Parikka convincingly demonstrates that computer viruses (semi-autonomous machinic/vampiric pieces of code) are not antithetical to contemporary digital culture, but rather essential traits of the techno-cultural logic itself. According to Parikka, digital viruses in effect define the media ecology logic that characterizes our networked computerized culture in recent decades.

We may wish to recall here that for Deleuze and Guattari, media ecologies are machinic operations (the term machinic here refers to the production of consistencies between heterogeneous elements) based in particular technological and humane strings that have attained virtual consistency. Our current inter-network ecology is a comparable combination of top-down host arrangements wedded to bottom-up self-organization where invariable linear configurations and states of entanglement co-evolve in active process. Placing the significant role of the virus in this mix in no uncertain terms, Parikka writes that, "the virus truly seems to be a central cultural trope of the digital world". (p. 136) Indeed digital viruses are recognized by Parikka as the crowning culmination of current postmodern cultural trends - as viruses, by definition, are merger machines based on parasitism and acculturation. So it is not only their symbolic/metaphoric power that places them firmly in a wider perspective of cultural infection; it is their formal structure, in that they procure their actuality from the encircling environment to which they are receptively coupled.

Moreover, with the love of an aficionado, Parikka lucidly demonstrates that computer viruses are indeed a variable index of the rudimentary underpinning on which contemporary techno culture rests. He astutely anoints the indexical function of the virus by establishing not only its symbolic melancholy power in relation to the human body and sex, but by folding the viral life/nonlife model (**) into key cultural areas underlying the digital ecology; such as bottom-up self-organization, hidden distributed activity and ethereal meshwork. In that sense Parikka describes network ecology as both actual and virtual, what I have elsewhere identified as the viractual. (Briefly, the viractual is the stratum of activity where distinct actualizations/individuations are materialized out of the flow of virtuality.) But some viruses do not simply yield copies of themselves, they also engage in a process of self-reproducing autopoiesis: they are copying themselves over and over again but they can also mutate and change, and by doing so, Parikka maintains, reveal distinguishing aspects of network culture at large.

I would add that they mimic the manneristic aspects of late post-modernism in general, particularly if one sees modernism as the great petri dish aggregate in which we still are afloat. So computer viruses are recognized here as an indexical symptom also of a bigger cultural tendency that characterizes our post-modern media culture as being inserted within a modern (purist) digital ecology. This aspect provides the book with a discerning, yet heterogeneous, comprehension of the connectionist technologies of contemporaneous techno culture.

But beyond the techno-cultural relevance, the significance of the viral issues in Parikka's book to ALL cultural production is evident to anyone who has already recognized that digitalization has become the universal technical platform for networked capitalism. As Parikka himself points out, digitalization has secured its place as the master formal archive for sounds, images and texts. (p. 5) Digitalization is the double, the gangrel, that accompanies each of us in what we do - and which accounts for our cultural feelings of vacillating between anxiety and enthusiasm over being invaded by something invisible - and the sneaky suspicion that we have been taken control of from within.

To begin this caliginous expedition, Digital Contagions plunges us into a haunting, shifting and dislocating array of source material that thrills. Parikka launches his degenerate seduction by drawing from, and intertwining in a non-linear fashion, the theories of Gilles Deleuze and Félix Guattari (for whom my unending love is verging on obsession), Friedrich Kittler, Eugene Thacker, Tiziana Terranova, N. Katherine Hayles, Lynn Margulis, Manuel DeLanda, Brian Massumi, Bruno Latour, Charlie Gere, Sherry Turkle, Humberto Maturana and Francisco Varela, Deborah Lupton, and Paul Virilio. These thinkers are then linked with ripe examples from prankster net art, stealth biopolitics, immunological incubations, the disassembly significance of noise, ribald sexual allegories, antibody a-life projects, various infected prosthesis, polymorphic encryptions, ticklish security issues, numerous medical plagues, the coupling of nature and biology via code, incisive sabotage attempts, anti-debugging trickery, genome sequencing, parasitic spyware, killer T cell epidemics, rebellious database deletions, trojan horse latency, viral marketing, inflammatory political resistance, biological weaponry, pornographic clones, depraved destructive turpitudes, rotten jokes, human-machine symbiosis as interface, and a history of cracker catastrophes. All are conjoined with excellent taste. The shock effect is one of discovering a poignant nervous virality that has been secretly penetrating us everywhere.

Digital Contagions's genealogical account is proportionately impressive, as it devotes satisfactory space to the discussion of historical precedent; including Turing machines, Fred Cohen's pioneering work with computer viruses, John von Neumann's cellular automata theory (i.e. any system that processes information as part of a self-regulating mechanism), avant-garde cybernetics, human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), the Creeper virus in the Arpanet network, the coupling machines of John Conway, the nastily waggish Morris worm, Richard Dawkins's meme (contagious idea) theory; and even the under known artistic hacks of Tommaso Tozzi. Furthermore, the viral spectral as fantasized in science fiction is adequately fleshed out, paying deserved attention to the obscure but much loved (by me, anyway) 1975 book The Shockwave Rider by John Brunner and the celebrated cyberpunk novel by Neal Stephenson, Snow Crash; among other speculative books and hallucinatory films.

But the pinnacle of interest, for me, of this engaging and educative read is its conclusion where Parikka sketches out an alternative radical media-ecological perspective hinged on the viral characteristics of self-reproduction and a coupling of the outside with the inside typical of artificial life (a-life). He correctly maintains that viral autopoiesis undertakings, like Thomas S. Ray's Tierra virtual ecology art project, provides quintessential clues to interpreting the software logic that has produced, and will continue to produce, the ontological basis for much of the economic, political and cultural transactions of our current globalizing world.

Here he has rendered problematic the safe vision of virus as malicious software (virus as infection machine) and replaced it with a far more curious, aesthetic and even benevolent one; as whimsical artificial life (a-life). Using viral a-life's tenants of semi-automation, self-reproduction, and host quest; Parikka proposes a living machinic autopoiesis that might provide a moebius strip like ontological process for culture.

Though suppositional, he bases his procedure in formal viral attributes - not unlike those of primitive artificial life with its capability to self-reproduce and spread semi-autonomously (as viruses do) while keeping in mind that Maturana/Varela's autopoiesis contends that living systems are an integral component of their surroundings and work towards supporting that ecology. Parikka here picks up that thread by pointing out that recent polymorphic viruses are now able to evolve in response to anti-virus behaviors. Various viruses, known as retroviruses, (***) explicitly target anti-virus programs. Viruses with adaptive behavior, self-reproductive and evolutionary programs can be seen, at least in part, as something alive, even if not artificial life in the strongest sense of the word. Here we might recall John Von Neumann's conviction that the ideal design of a computer should be based on the design of certain human organs - or other live organisms. The artistic compositional benefit of his autopoiesic virality theory, for me, is in allowing thought and vision to rupture habit and bypass object-subject dichotomies.

I wish to point out here that although biological viruses were originally discovered and characterized on the basis of the diseases they caused, most viruses that infect bacteria, plants and animals (including humans) do not cause disease. In fact, viruses may be helpful to life in that they rapidly transfer genetic information from one bacterium to another, and viruses of plants and animals may convey genetic information among similar species, helping their hosts survive in hostile environments.

Already various theories of complexity have established an influence within philosophy and cultural theory by emphasizing open systems and adaptability, but Parikka here supplies a further step in thinking about ongoing feedback loops between an organism and its environment; what I am tempted to call viralosophy. Viralosophy would be the study of viral philosophical and theoretical points of reference concerning malignant transformations useful in understanding the viral paradigm essential to digital culture and media theory that focuses on environmental complexity and inter-connectionism in relationship to the particular artist. Within viralosophy, viral comprehension might become the eventual - yet chimerical - reference point for culture at large in terms of a modification of parameters, as it promotes parasite-host dynamic interfacings of the technologically inert with the biologically animate, probabilistically.

So the decisive, if dormant, payload that is triggered by reading this book, for me, is an enhanced understands of pagan and animist sentiment which recognizes non-malicious looping-mutating energy feedback and self-recreational dynamism that informs new aesthetic becomings which may alter artistic output. Possibly heuristic becomings (****) that transgress the established boundaries of nature/technology/culture and extend the time-bomb cognitive nihilism of Henry Flynt. This affirmative viral payload forces open-ended multiplicities onto art that favor new-sprung conceptualizations and rebooted realizations. Here the artist comes back to life as spurred a-life, and not as a sole articulation of the pirated environment of currency. So the so-called art virus is not to be judged in terms of its occasional monetary payload, but by the metabolistic characteristics that make art reasonable to discuss as a form of extravagant artificial life: triggered emergence, resilience and back door evolution.


Joseph Nechvatal


(*) A computer virus is a self-replicating computer program that spreads by inserting copies of itself into other executable code or documents. A computer virus behaves in a way similar to a biological virus, which spreads by inserting itself into living cells. Extending the analogy, the insertion of a virus into the program is termed as an "infection", and the infected file, or executable code that is not part of a file, is called a "host".

(**) Scientists have argued about whether viruses are living organisms or just a package of colossal molecules. A virus has to hijack another organism's biological machinery to replicate, which it does by inserting its DNA into a host.

(***) Retroviruses are sometimes known as anti-anti-viruses. The basic principle is that the virus must somehow hinder the operation of an anti-virus program in such a way that the virus itself benefits from it. Anti-anti-viruses should not be confused with anti-virus-viruses, which are viruses that will disable or disinfect other viruses.

(****) A heuristic virus cleaner works by loading an infected file up to memory and emulating the program code. It uses a combination of disassembly, emulation and sometimes execution to trace the flow of the virus and to emulate what the virus is normally doing. The risk in heuristic cleaning is that if the cleaner tries to emulate everything, the virus might get control inside the emulated environment and escape, after which it can propagate further or trigger a destructive retaliation reflex.





... Read more

Product Description

Product Description
Why do some people who appear to have full-blown AIDS test HIV-negative?

Why do viral levels in people with multiple sclerosis -a disease whose cause is still unknown-fluctuate wildly?

Why do the pets of sufferers of chronic fatigue syndrome -which is not considered an infectious disease-die from CFS-like symptoms?

Is there a single factor that links these diseases?

It's called HHV-6, a mysterious and little-known virus that has been implicated in a host of serious and fatal illnesses.

Cutting-edge science that reads more like a page-turning thriller, The Virus Within reveals why HHV-6 is so deadly, how it's transmitted, and who is at risk. Nicholas Regush follows the trail of research detectives-Robert Gallo and Joseph Sonnabend among them-who have crossed disciplines to piece this story together. Someresearch detectives lobby for the creation of a strike force while others attempt to suppress the information to avoid a public panic.

This is a timely and important book about a growing health threat, with a stunning conclusion that has profound implications for all of us.Amazon.com Review
If you were told there was a killer in your basement, you'd belegitimately concerned.Scientists have uncovered a virus livingpeacefully inside us that may strike out at us when our guard is down,but nobody seems to be listening.Potentially linked to such poorlyunderstood diseases as multiple sclerosis, chronic fatigue syndrome,and AIDS, this member of the herpes family (HHV-6) is thoroughlyexamined in science journalist Nicholas Regush's The VirusWithin.Unfortunately, little is known at present, in partbecause of the personality-driven nature of research funding;struggling scientists must compete with big names like Robert Gallofor attention and dollars.Regush follows the careers of DonaldCarrigan and Konnie Knox, medical virologists trying to learn moreabout HHV-6 while at the same time informing their unconcernedcolleagues about its threat.

While the book is a bit too easy onthe Peter Duesberg-led charge against the HIV hypothesis of AIDS, itmakes the point well that the scientific community, spurred on byclueless funders, is too quick to crystallize around one way ofthinking about disease.This may be more a important issue than thethreat of HHV-6--even if we do expand our research focus to includethis likely killer, we haven't reached the root of the problem. Howlong will it take these voices in the wilderness to find sympatheticears, and how long will it take the next scientific prophets to makethemselves heard?Perhaps, if enough of us read The VirusWithin, we can heed their warnings while there's still time toact. --Rob Lightner ... Read more

Customer Reviews (15)

informative
The author presents viral research, the researchers, and the health industry in a manner that is informative and interesting for the reader.While the ending somewhat weak it is at least honest-no cure or conclusive proof has been established concerning HHV-6 - the author merely points the reader's interest towards the future.
I have read the book twice and I appreciated the lack of hype both times.Sure, the medical cases were heart wrenching from any perspective but the author used the cases to support the story of the researchers cardigan and knox.These couragous individuals were shown among the others seeking to scientifically study diseases. Maybe regush will publish another book-or cardigan and knox.

Virus Within
This book may give me my life back.I have researched my illness for eight years now, never giving up though everything I have tried from numerous allopathic specialists to numerous alternative healing practices.I have a virus-like disease (I always get the feverish malaise that precedes a herpes outbreak (I have Type I, thank goodness).Whatever this disease is, it flares up at the slightest stress of any type whatever (time pressure, a fight with my husband, annoyance at our idiotic President and his evil cronies, etc.) and causes me a lot of pain, stiffness and a host of other difficult physical symptoms.It has been diagnosed as fibromyalgia, but that's pretty much beside the point as there is no treatment for fibromyalgia.

Both the science and the writing are excellent in this book.I highly recommend it, even for people who don't have a chronic disease.It was a fascinating detective story and I can't wait to see how it plays out over the next years as this area of science continues to be pursued.If you have any of the chronic diseases listed on the back cover, you can't afford to not read this book.Just just can't afford not to.

dramatic science!
Regush has done the chronic disease communities a great favor.His chronicle--and expose--ought to lead to burgeoning research into HHV-6 and AIDS, as well as other mysterious ilnesses/syndromes.I read his book in one sitting, finding it fascinating.I remain unconvinced about HHV-6 as a dangerous epidemic despite my own chronic illness; however, there is much excellent research presented that HHV-6 is potentially dangerous for certain people.It is a strength of this book that Regush presents such excellent scientific research while simultaneously provoking the reader to question the manner in which such science is conducted in the United States because of professional competition, time constraints for broadening research, funding priorities, political leanings, and academe's limitations.I found the style of writing to be overly idiomatic--"hit the roof,", "bombed"--and felt concerned as I read that this media style might detract from the importance of the book's message in the minds of some readers.I highly reommend the book, nevertheless, and hope that the scientific community ispaying attention.

Research that breaks boundaries
We are a set of MS webforums that are eager followers of MS research as we badly want a cure! Many of us are HHV-6 active and place our hopes and prayers on the research covered in the Virus Within. It is a great book that breaks boundaries in MS research. For many years little was known of our disease. A diagnosis is bad enough but being diagnosed with the 'unknown' is terrifying. Many of us read Virus Within and saw ourselves as so many things fitted into place. It is a ground breaking book about ground breaking research that we hope will continue until the final answers to the puzzle of our disease are found. Highly recommended!

Not Worth the paper it is written on
I have just recently found out that I am HHV6 postive with CFIDS and my doctor told me I should read this book to find out more about HHV6.I wondered as I was reading it if my doctor has even read the book!! I found it not helpful at all, in fact it made a person feel like if you have HHV6 that you are doomed to die. The book had very little (and I mean very little) to do with telling you the facts about HHV6, it was written more like a BAD novel, it went into telling you about the Doctors and scientist who where working on the HHV6 virus and their personal problems and lives! I would not reccomend this book to anyone. ... Read more

Product Description
I was destined for a life of medical drama from day one," begins this comic memoir with a mission. "I was born in the month of July, and my horoscope sign is a disease (Cancer). The symbol for Cancer? A crab (the sexually transmitted critter). Not only that, my parents named me Shawn Timothy Decker, which makes my initials S.T.D.

Shawn Decker isn't quite the All-American boy. Sure, he gets caught shoplifting copies of Penthouse; is crazy about prowrestling, especially "The Nature Boy" Ric Flair; and never has a problem getting dates. But he's also a hemophiliac who discovers, at age eleven, that he has contracted HIV from tainted blood products.

Instead of becoming self-pitying and dying (as first predicted), Shawn develops a twisted sense of humor, meets Depeche Mode through the Make-A-Wish Foundation, and writes on blogs and in Poz magazine about what it's like being hetero and HIV-positive in rural Virginia. He also turns to gay men for advice on dating women and, almost twenty years after getting HIV, marries Gwenn Barringer, who is HIV-negative and a former competitor for the title of Miss Virginia. Together Shawn and Gwenn travel the country, speaking to high school and college kids about how to live and love with HIV (and how to avoid getting it). ... Read more

Customer Reviews (15)

received in 3 weeks
Interesting for me, but on a specific subject-matter that do not necessarily interest many people. The book was received in good conditions, but you can see that it has been read and consulted.

Loved this book
Great book Shawn! It was funny and a pleasant read. I wish you and Gwen the best.

Entertaining, witty, real story
Great book, Shawn is also a great speaker, if he happens to be speaking n your area go see him!

Funny and not the least bit of woe in it...
I was expecting this book to be touching and sad. I was feeling a little down and decided, what the hell... cry a little. Um. Not so much. I realize that what the author goes through each day is very serious and I'm sure sad in it's own right. But ya know what? He is living - LIVING - proof that life goes on and you just have to keep getting on with the getting on of living life to the fullest. He's funny - oh, he's got some dark humor about him - but he's really funny. I don't think I've laughed so much at a memoir EVER.

Shawn made me laugh - and yes, cry a little - for him, for his mother, for his wife, but mostly it was tears from laughing so hard. He's a bit twisted and well, I like that.

I did, however, learn a lot about his myriad of illnesses and about what it must be like living with them. He did an amazing job of educating his readers while being entertaining. A dark, serious subject has a bit of light to it. This is an absolute wonderful read. Read it.

Buy this book right now!!!
Just finished the book in one sitting and I could not put it down! Shawn and Gwenn's story is so inspiring and the book is incredibly funny!

I had seen the two of them speak while I was a student at UVA and was inspired the first time too. Shawn has been an advocate, friend, Homecoming King, musician, husband, and author in 30 years on this planet. Much more than most people will ever do in 90. Do yourself a favor and buy this book right now! And then join me in anticipation of the next one! ... Read more

Product Description
Iris finds out that having a stomach virus is exhausting, especially when her brother, Doug, lets her know that she always gets sick at the wrong time. The sibling rivalry and misunderstanding of what germs are when they are called bugs unfold in this lighthearted story of Iris’s ordinary illness and her unfounded concerns.

Arlene Alda’s engaging prose, interspersed with rhyming couplets and complemented by the quirky, vibrant cut-paper collage illustrations of artist Lisa Desimini, make this book a must-have for any child who has ever had more than a runny nose. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (6)

A VIRUS CAN TIRE US

From time to time every youngster will probably not feel well - maybe a cold, maybe a headache, or like Iris maybe a virus. When that happens they may miss school, a party or a family outing. Of course, they're disappointed and to top it off they don't feel good at all.

Here's a book to let them know they're not alone and that they'll soon be feeling better.

Alda begins her story by relating Iris's puzzlement at not feeling well. Her twin brother, Doug, is not at all sympathetic as he's afraid they'll miss Grandpa's party. Iris wants to go, too, but couldn't help it when

"Her head was hot.
She threw up in a pot."

A visit to the doctor assures her that she will soon be well.

Telling the story with a few rhymed couplets mixed in add to reading pleasure, and Lisa Desimini's bright cut-paper collage illustrations would make anyone feel better.

- Gail Cooke

A VIRUS CAN TIRE US
IRIS HAS A VIRUS
By Arlene Alda; Illustrated by Lisa Desimini
Tundra Books





From time to time every youngster will probably not feel well - maybe a cold, maybe a headache, or like Iris maybe a virus. When that happens theymay miss school, a party or a family outing.Of course, they're disappointed and to top it off they don't feel good at all.

Here's a book to let them know they're not alone and that they'll soon be feeling better.

Alda begins her story by relating Iris's puzzlement at not feeling well.Her twin brother, Doug, is not at all sympathetic as he's afraid they'll miss Grandpa's party.Iris wants to go, too, but couldn't help it when

"Her head was hot.
She threw up in a pot."

A visit to the doctor assures her that she will soon be well.

Telling the story with a few rhymed couplets mixed in add to reading pleasure, and Lisa Desimini's bright cut-paper collage illustrations would make anyone feel better.

- Gail Cooke

A vivid story of illness, recovery, and family interactions
Iris discovers that having a stomach virus is exhausting - and her brother lets her know she always gets sick at the 'wrong time'. The blend of coping with illness and sibling rivalry makes for a fine set of rhyming couplets and paper-cut collage illustrations by Lisa Desimini, making a vivid story of illness, recovery, and family interactions.

Iris has a Virus
What a wonderful book! The story and colorful artwork kept my children entertained from the first page to the last. The artwork made each page seem like an adventure to my children; and the story line was one that we all can relate to.
Great buy!

Wonderful illustrations!
My daughter (who is no longer a youngster) and I love the illustrations in this picture book. While they are colorful & fun, each time we look at them we see something new.Each page is an adventure in composition, pattern, texture and shape and has inspired us to try collage! I wish I had had this book when my daughter was younger, as it is a subject you don't see dealt with a lot, and this book approaches the subject in a waychildren can easily understand. An added bonus is the poster on the inside of the book jacket.What a great idea! ... Read more

Product Description
When their hospital is swarmed with patients suffering from a bizarre and deadly disease, two doctors join forces to discover its mysterious origins and to prevent a worldwide epidemic. Reprint. PW. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (10)

Very Realistic and an Excellent Novel
I am currently reading the book and am more than half way done with it. This is by far one of the best books I have ever read. It is very descriptive in details and has very realistic characters. The book makesyou think that the characters are real and the story really took place.This is a page-turner that will be so enjoyable to read that you won't beable to put down until you finish it.

Believe it or not
A great book to read.

Indeed, Graham Watkins has braught us to the future.

With all the Y2K around us, his story is indeed a great true and original script.

So why the four stars? The rapid going book brings us toa falling end. The book ends too quickly and with no more room to bemistaken, the writer was eager to end it, so he ended it. I would havepreferred the end to end alternetavilly. The human race should not alwayswin.

It will happen!
This book can certainly not be compared with anything Robin Cook wrote. It is a different dimension. Cook wrote really weak novels and this novel is anything but weak. With the millenium bug approaching the scenario in thisnovel seems to be very realistic, and I think it is only a matter of timeuntil something like that happens. We have enough crooks sitting in frontof computers and there are enough "intelligent" software programsbeing processed at the moment, we can be sure some time there will be adisaster. The novel has its small flaws though. It is only readable forpeople who know computers. Maybe it would be much more interesting topeople who do not know computers. And the side plot Mark - Alex is simplyunnecessary. The motivation is wrong and it does not in any way promote themeaning or even the speed of the novel. Sometimes less can be more! Butcertainly, it is a good and suspensful read, if not a page turner.Definitely not a Robin Cook!

A truly amazing, non computer geek, book.
A book that bases itself around a computer may at first seem geeky and boring. Not so. Watkins uses a form of language that helps you to understand all of the technical babble that is needed for the story. Alongwith the amazing intricacies of the computer side there is the nonsentimental human side. A love story that isn't really love but more lust,and small touches of human suffering and pain which add and enhance to thisoriginal novel. I had to keep reading the book as each page left me insuspense. There were no boring parts and no slow paced bridges betweenstories. Truly mesmerising and amazing.

Dreadful, implausible, and improperly edited
Watkins recreates the Good Times virus, but instead of merely deleting your hard drive, it KILLS you.And you can get it just by reading a text file!Horrors!

The characters themselves were not bad, but I was unableto get past the egregious technical flaws.Specifically: the AI programcan function on a 486, and the full package takes up only 50M on disk.Inreturn for this, it can do 10:1 compression on video data, interact in realtime with the user, and optimize all of the programs on the hard drive. Further, it can infect a new machine using a plain text emailmessage.

Had the author merely had a deadly program that, when installed,caused addiction via flicker epilepsy, this would have been a forgivabletechnical decision.People would have noticed the effects, but we wouldnot have been subjected to page after page of the supposed AI creatingimpossible technologies, all explained away with a casual "we do notknow how it is doing it."

Sigh.

If you are going to write a novelwhere a computer virus is a major plot element, find a competent technicaladvisor who can tell you what the limitations are. ... Read more

Product Description
This book gained fame as the authoritative account of today's most feared potential health crisis: the outbreak of deadly new diseases caused by emerging viruses.The book lucidly details case histories and offers practical suggestions for the prevention of future epidemics. The contributors are leading authorities in their disciplines, and were selected both for their expert knowledge and for their ability to define and elucidate the fundamental issues.The book is highly accessible and has been written for a wide audience that includes virologists, public health authorities, medical anthropologists, evolutionary biologists, geneticists, infectious disease specialists, and social scientists interested in medical and health issues. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

rare collection of experts in their respective fields
This book presents different aspects of epidemiology, and virology in eachof the chapters. The author and many contributors are THE best people intheir field and this book offers a rare opportunity in that their commentsare in one easily readable volume. I have spent much time looking for thesame information presented here, my research always revealed that thecontributors to this volume are the prominent figures for their respectivechapters. An excellent book, great value for money

Very fascinating, have referred others to read as well.
I finished reading this fascinating book, and I have highly recommend this book to some of my collegues in the biotech industry. Gives incredible insight for which many people would find interesting and thought provoking.Also, I would someday like to contact the author and compliment him andmaybe ask one or two questions about the book. ... Read more

Product Description
Filling a gap in the literature, this guide analyzes EBV infection and all of its associated disorders including infectious mononucleosis, Burkitt lymphoma, and Hodgkin's disease.Opening with a historical introduction, the reference progresses from molecular virology, epidemiology, immunology, and pathology to clinical presentation, diagnosis, disease detection, patient management, and vaccine development. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (6)

Wow!
I was spellbound by the biography of John McAfee on TV and simply had to find out more about him.I borrowed his book from a friend at work and finished it in one sitting.All I can say is WOW!I feel like my brain has been sucked out, rearranged, and siphoned back inside my head.I sat, still, after putting the book down, and felt like I was in a dream.I was awe struck.This book has given me glimpses of the reality behind our computers that I never dreamed of.My problem now is (since it's out of print and I can't find it anywhere for sale) how do I tell my friend that I lost his copy:)

Profound description of virus technology. Incredibly good.
This book is a mind blower.McAfee's genius shines through every page.It brings computer technology to life in a way that's indescribable.You have to read it to understand.Beg, borrow, steal or buy this book.You won't regret it.

The Best Book on Computer Viruses Ever!
Reviewer: Warren Wellson from Phoenix, Arizona Computer Viruses is undeniably the most comprehensive book on the subject ever written. Put together by the master virus sleuth (McAfee, of Mcafee Antivirus fame), it provides both an easily understood section for the computer lay person, and an amazingly in-depth study of the mechanics of virus functioning for the computer adept. It is engrossing reading from start to finish as has become one of the most used reference books in my library.

This is a must have book for anyone interested in the world of computers, or anyone who would like to find out how thoese little critters that disrupt our data work.

The Best Book on Computer Viruses Ever!
Reviewer: Warren Wellson from Phoenix, Arizona Computer Viruses is undeniably the most comprehensive book on the subject ever written. Put together by the master virus sleuth (McAfee, of Mcafee Antivirus fame), it provides both an easily understood section for the computer lay person, and an amazingly in-depth study of the mechanics of virus functioning for the computer adept. It is engrossing reading from start to finish as has become one of the most used reference books in my library.

This is a must have book for anyone interested in the world of computers, or anyone who would like to find out how those little critters that disrupt our data work.

Delightful Reading
I dug this book up at the library after the recent PBS television special highlighting John McAfee and his early shareware successes.I was amazed at the insights McAfee had at the dawn of the virus age.Over ten years ago he acurately predicted almost everything that has occured in the area of computer security and hacker intrusions, including viruses like the "Love Bug", and the confusion surrounding the millenium bug.Once I started the book I was unable to put it down.It's written in an easy to read style and unfolds the world of virus writers and virus technology in a compelling stream of revelations.While this book is one of the older books on viruses, it is a fresh and current today as any book on the subject.If you have even the remotest interest in the subject you've gotta get this one. ... Read more

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Customer Reviews (1)

Courtesy of Teens Read Too
In this episode, Basilisk is back.His plan is to attack the heroes by immobilizing their website, destroying their powers, and hopefully killing Commander Courage.

Will he succeed?Or will the heroes by able to defeat Basilisk's evil plan?

By sending a virus to the server at [...], the Downloaders will be unable to be heroes.The virus leaves Toby, Pete, Lorna, and Emily as the last Downloaders on the planet.With every other hero in hiding and with failing powers, our heroes might not stand a chance.

This book is filled with comic book action on every page and is fast-paced. VIRUS ATTACK is a perfect book for those who are reluctant readers and/or like Manga and graphic novels, action-adventure, and fantasy.

Reviewed by:Kira M ... Read more

Product Description
We know, down to the tiniest details, the molecular structure of the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). Yet despite this tremendous accomplishment, and despite other remarkable advances in our understanding of individual viruses and cells of the immune system, we still have no agreed understanding of the ultimate course and variability of the pathogenesis of AIDS. Gaps in our understanding like these impeded our efforts towards developing effective therapies and preventive vaccines. The authors describe the emerging field of theoretical immunology in this accessible and well-written text. Using mathematical modelling techniques, the authors set out their ideas about how populations of viruses and populations of immune system cells may interact in various circumstances, and how infectious diseases spread within patients. They explain how this approach to understanding infectious diseases can reveal insights into the dynamics of viral and other infections, and the interactions between infectious agents and immune responses. The book is structured around the examples of HIV/AIDS and Hepatitis B virus, although the approaches described will be more widely applicable. The authors use mathematical tools to uncover the detailed dynamics of the infection and the dynamics of immune responses, viral evolution, and mutation. The practical implications of this work for optimization of the design of therapy and vaccines are discussed. The book concludes with a glance towards the future of this fascinating, and potentially highly useful, field of study. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

A good introduction
This book is best described as the application of nonlinear ordinary differential equations to immunology and virology. It's primary emphasis is on understanding the time development of viral infections, drug treatments, and viral resistance of the HIV and hepatitis-B viruses.

The authors do a good job of describing the relevant equations needed to model virus dynamics. The book would be a good beginning for mathematicians interested in going into the field of mathematical immunology. And, even though it should be classified as a monograph, rather than a textbook, since there are no problem sets, students of mathematical immunology should find this book a useful introduction to the subject. In addition, the authors give a large list of references at the end of each chapter for further reading.

Mathematicians who need a background in the biology of the HIV virus will find a good discussion in Chapter 2 of the book. The authors give an historical summary of the origins and treatment of the virus in this chapter. This sets the stage for the mathematical modeling of virus dynamics in Chapter 3, where the authors define the basic reproductive ratio and write down a system of three coupled nonlinear ordinary differential equations as the basic equations of virus dynamics. They remark, though without justification, that an analytical solution of the time development is not possible, and so they use approximation schemes to solve the equations. The equations are a phenomenological representation of virus dynamics, and no attempt is made to relate the rate constants to the underlying microscopic properties/structures/processes of viruses. They do however discuss the empirical data associated with studies of SIV infections, and show convincingly there is a correlation between the initial growth of the virus and its value at equilibrium. They caution the reader that the basic model does not give the true reproductive ratio, and show how to correct for this by introducing time delays.

The efficacy of drug therapy is treated from both a mathematical and experimental viewpoint in the next chapter. This is a very enlightening discussion from the standpoint of the validation of the virus models.

The authors switch gears in the next chapter and talk about the dynamics of the Hepatitus B virus. Again, they do a good job of introducing the reader to the experimental evidence for the models of this virus.

In chapter 6, they bring in the contribution of the immune system to the basic equations. They assume that the reader is familiar with the concept of CTL responsiveness. The resulting equations are somewhat more complicated, and the authors show how the ubiquitous Lotka-Volterra equations arise with the virus being the prey, and the immune system the predator. No detailed phase space analysis is done however to study any of the equations in this chapter, which would have been useful to the reader.

The chapter on quasispecies is the most interesting one in the book, as the authors not only give a rudimentary definition of quasispecies, but they also give an indication of their complexity. Disappointingly, they mention the idea of mutation rates and their connection with chaos and self-organized criticality, but do not elaborate on this at all.

The Bonhoeffer's laws of anti-viral treatment are discussed in the next chapter and the authors show how to derive them using the basicmodel. The emergence of resistance during drug treatment is modeled by parameters which reflect the replication rates of the virus, but these parameters are again not connected with any underlying microscopic properties of the virus.

Some interesting dynamical behavior occurs for the case of multiple epitopes where the existence of quasiperiodic oscillations is shown to occur. They authors refer to this as "unpredictable" but they do not define this term in the book. The existence of quasiperiodic orbits in a dynamical system does not by itself make the system "unpredictable" or random of some sort.

This book is a very addition to the literature, and most importantly, it emphasizes the role of validating mathematical models experimentally, which takes on even greater importance given the medical ramifications of the topics in this book. ... Read more

Product Description

Samir Amin's ambitious new book argues that the ongoing American project to dominate the world through military force has its roots in European liberalism, but has developed certain features of liberal ideology in a new and uniquely dangerous way. Where European political culture since the French Revolution has given a central place to values of equality, the American state has developed to serve the interests of capital alone, and is now exporting this model throughout the world. American imperialism, Amin argues, will be far more barbaric than earlier forms of imperialism, pillaging natural resources and destroying the lives of the poor.

The Liberal Virus examines the ways in which the American model is being imposed on the world, and outlines its economic and political consequences. It shows how both citizenship and class consciousness are diluted in "low-intensity democracy" and argues instead for democratization as an ongoing process—of fundamental importance for human progress—rather than a fixed constitutional formula designed to support the logic of capital accumulation.

In a panoramic overview, Amin examines the objectives and outcomes of American policy in the different regions of the world. He concludes by outlining the challenges faced by those resisting the American project today: redefining European liberalism on the basis of a new compromise between capital and labor, re-establishing solidarity among the people of the South, and reconstructing an internationalism that serves the interests of regions that are currently divided against each other.

Customer Reviews (5)

Short, powerful, needed
Short, powerful, needed basis for revised thinking and debate whatever your views.

Americans deny living in a bubble subject to dogma and "free market fundamentalism".

This dynamite essay but one of the great and influential economists of the century who is thoroughly acquainted with the third world, Europe, and the historical context of post war American power should be read and discussed whatever one's views. This is not the Economics 101 of college or business school. Worse, it is not the stuff of active intellectual debate in this arrogant superpower.

It is an essay of 112 pages of text that is a damning critique of American hegemony and its politics and economics. No "warts and all" - more like all warts. The hegemony sustained by militarism and intimidation relies on smoke and mirrors - foreign capital and pillage sustaining a weak and dependent economy of self deception and manipulation.

Specific contrasts showing the immense price paid by people generally here (twice the cost for privatized health that is not better than Europe's provision of care) and unsustainable pauperization of some 3 billion peasants for the benefit of industrialized agriculture employing very few indeed. World wide shantytowns, increased poverty, and disposing of a social contract at home all follow. The only productive and competitive sector is military - which is not based on free market economics - and the US is the biggest arms dealer. Increased economic inequality drives the decline of democracy towards oligarchy and fascist like coordination of industry and ruling classes co-opting masses with chauvinism.

The world needs to break this sick system before it pauperizes the rest of the world and destroys all possibility of peace as well as resources and the environment. (The recent BBC poll placing the USA and Israel together with small time North Korea and Iran as threats to be feared shows growing awareness of reality denied by most Americans sheltered from foreign opinion and news and pablum fed by mall bookstores and profit fed publishing little interested in new ideas.)

There is much more to be considered in this book, only a brief taste is summarized here. The final section briefly lists hypotheses and ways that the world might possibly move beyond destructive American hegemony before the point of no return.

The Self Indulgent Virus, A Hindrance to the Debate
Since the end of the Cold War and the virtual eradication of the two other great political ideologies of the twentieth century, namely Communism and Fascism, the victory of Capitalism has earned it the right to proceed unmolested and, to a very great degree, unquestioned in its dissemination to every point on the globe.This, as Samir Amin author of The Liberal Virus aptly points out, could be dangerous.Capitalism is a system that has always been based on the Darwinian principal of survival of the fittest and as such "can produce nothing other than an intensification of the inequalities between people."

True.So true.And anybody who takes the time to actually study Adam Smith's, The Wealth of Nations, will see that the twin engines supposed to drive a Capitalist economy are greed and competition, with very little regard for the actual well being of humans.This should come as no surprise, as a quick look around at the current champions of Capitalist enterprise in America like insurance, energy and telecommunications will readily reveal.

Any thinking person must agree that it is at least worthwhile to keep a cautious eye on the current trajectory of unfettered Capitalism, and inquiring into its possible dangers is undoubtedly healthy.In fact, what's needed is a measured evaluation of Capitalism as it exists today, both good and bad, with the kind of unflinching exploration into its darker implications provided by Samir Amin here.

But in the current American political climate where knee-jerk Conservatism hold sways and the petty ranting of narrow-minded demagogues is counted as reasoned political discourse, this is no time to inject an analysis of Capitalism with anti-Americanism and hand-wringing over the demise of Socialism.A book like this advances the issue with only the most restrained and open-minded readers and, for the rest, drags the debate back into the muck of Cold War hysterics.

Not only does Amin reveal himself as a whiney, vindictive Socialist who would love nothing more than to see America brought to its knees, but he is an obtuse and turgid writer of the kind only academia can produce.There were sentences in this book I had to read three times before I could figure out what he was saying, and his annoying habit of loading his sentences with digressive clauses, parenthetical clarifications and coined words, had me grateful that this book was only 112 pages long - I have read 300 page books that took me less time to get a handle on.

All in all, The Liberal Virus explores some issues much in need of inquiry but does so in a way that is so off-putting that it cannot gain much traction among American readers, no matter what their stripe, and can only serve to hinder the debate.What we need is a book about Capitalism that can open minds, not scare them closed or befuddle them with the liberal self-indulgence of its author.

Spasiba Tovarish
Reading like the "educational materials" that were provided to me as a student in East Germany (DDR)this short text is heavy on Marxist jargon and ideological arguments by assertion and fairly useless as an analysis of the genuinely troubling problem of "Permanent War and Americanization of the World" emblazened on the cover.Ultimately the text hardly touches on these issues accept as symptoms of Western liberalism.While I share Amin's assessment of the foundations and limits of liberalism and the "market", I find much of his argument intellectually flaccid, problematized by his misunderstanding of Post-Modernism and his predisposition to certain outcomes regardless of how thin the argument is stretched to reach those conclusions.One such example is his meaninglessly derisive inclusion of Israel in a discussion of the "Triad" (USA, Europe and Japan) while leaving out the PR China, perhaps also for ideological reasons, despite China's massive and highly exploitative economy.In the end, Amin is clearly preaching to the choir and in the "Latin" of the orthodoxy at that.Despite an enticing cover and provocative blurb, the book ends up being the same tired and disappointing Marxist ad hominem discourse, providing solutions like "Europe should and can liberate itself from the liberal virus. However, this inititiative cannot come from the segments of dominant capital, but must come from the people." (p.108)Not so helpful, Comrade.

A Socialist-Minded Alexis de Tocqueville
"The Liberal Virus" by Samir Amin is a concise and searing indictment of neoliberal economics and American imperialism but also offers hope and guidance to securing a more hopeful future. Like a socialist-minded Alexis de Tocqueville, Mr. Amin's internationalist perspective allows him to peer into American society in order to dissect it clearly, intelligently and persuasively. The result is a penetrating analysis that helps us understand how the U.S. has become the violent purveyor of an "obscolescent" form of capitalism that humanity must resist or else risk its continued descent into barbarism.

Mr. Amin begins by debunking the liberal vision of U.S. economic and cultural triumphalism as mere ideology and media propaganda, arguing that America's privileged position is due mainly to the exercise of political power backed by military force. Drawing on Marx, the author presents an alternative view that stresses class conflict and the role of the state, which uses its power to enforce the accumulation of wealth for the benefit of American capital. With the European Union and Japan as junior partners in this project, Mr. Amin states that "apartheid on a world scale" has ensued for the people living in the global South who realize little benefit from this system.

In tracing the origins of liberalism, Mr. Amir connects the history of America's settlement by extremist religious sects and the practice of genocide and slavery to explain how Americans have tended to mix racism, violence and selfish individualism with capitalism in an uniquely barbaric form. Interestingly, the author turns the tables on the myth of "New America" and "Old Europe", positing that the American presidential system precludes the diversity of opinion found in European parliamentary politics, thus stifling debate and making it easier for neoliberal (conservative) ideologues to prevail. Today, the admixture of fanatic religiosity and military strength presents a frightening image to the world of a U.S. that is controlled by "neo-Nazis" dedicated to preserving America's privileged economic position at all costs.

In the final chapter, Mr. Amin proposes strategies for how the world might restructure to go beyond capitalism and resist U.S. domination. The author believes that Europe must provide leadership by establishing its own alliances in a way that creates solidarity with the South and allows progressive and humanist values to flourish. If technology can be pressed into the service of human needs and not profit, the author hopes that a new "people's internationalism" can emerge to bring about an era of peace, prosperity and equality for all.

In the end, "The Liberal Virus" helps us understand many uncomfortable truths and the changes that need to be made if we wish our country to become a positive force in the world. I highly recommend the book to all.

A heated and focused warning
The Liberal Virus: Permanent War And The Americanization Of The World by Samir Amin (Director, Third World Forum, Dakar, Senegal) is a political deconstruction of the principles that define human beings via their economic existence only and fuel America's global expansion and even war to serve the interests of its capital. Defining "liberalism" as the philosophy and ideals that motivate such far-reaching, heavy-handed, money-driven governmental policies, The Liberal Virus is actually a heated and focused warning against the harm caused by such blind and overextended interference in other nations. Arguing that democratization is an ongoing process, fundamental to human social evolution, rather than a fixed constitutional formula, and calling for a new compromise between capital and labor that emphasizes the importance of solidarity and reconstructs an internationalism that does not divide and conquer neighboring regions, The Liberal Virus is actually a razor-keen warning of how wrong-headed intervention can be as poisonous as imperialism once was.
... Read more

Product Description
From the reviews of the first edition "Cohen has been writing and speaking on viruses since they were just glimmerings in the eyes of … minded computer scientists. And, as a … minded scientist himself, Dr. Cohen does know his stuff." —EXE Magazine "This book is fun to read (a rarity in this field) and seemingly near faultless in the majority of its conclusions. Considering the author’s considerable achievements, it is also written with admirable modesty." —Virus Bulletin Here is an outstanding opportunity to learn about computer viruses from the internationally acclaimed pioneer in the field who actually coined the phrase "computer virus." This new edition of Cohen’s classic work has been updated and expanded to nearly double its original size and now includes entirely new chapters on LAN viruses, international viruses, and good viruses (including code). As entertaining as it is thorough, the text is enlivened by Cohen’s down-to-earth wit and his many fascinating anecdotes and heretofore unpublished historical facts about viruses. Both broad in its coverage and deep in its consideration, it includes dozens of lucid explanations and examples that amicably guide the reader through the complex, often convoluted subject matter. Hailed as a tour de force, Cohen’s discussion of defensive strategies reveals many of the stumbling blocks that often trip readers up. Among the breakthroughs and exciting new developments you’ll find only in this book are:

• A new analysis of the epidemiology of computer viruses
• New forms of virus evolution that will render most current defenses useless
• New strategies and tactics in virus defenses
• New analyses of synergistic effects in attack and defense

Customer Reviews (3)

Good Theory Book
This book is not about how to write viruses or how to protect yourself from them. It's about the theoretical aspects of viruses. It's a good book. Not great writing, sometimes too difficult theory, leaves out some stuff that could be included now. It's pretty much required reading if you want to really understand how viruses work, not just how to operate your anti virus software, or how to create a new variant of an Outlook virus. It can elevate your thinking about viruses above the specifics of what is going on with today's viruses under today's security models.

Classic reference on viruses
Fred Cohen did pioneering research work in viruses and this book is a survey of virus technology. The book covers the general topic of malicious software from a solid technical level. The book provides no magic bulletseither for stopping viruses nor for writing them (there aren't any), but henails the technology right on. Sill a worthwhile book even though itpredates the popularization of active content like Java and the outbreaksof macro viruses in Office applications.

Ok Book, Too much theory not enough practical information
While Cohen did coin the term Computer Virus this book. This book little in the technical application of viruses. Lot on theory that requires a good knowledge of math to follow. While he tries to make light of the Virus problem he does stress it is a problem that must be dealt with.Though he seems to supporr the idea that knowledge of Comp. Virus is a better answer then allow users to blindly deal with viruses. This book would not help you make or even stop a virus. Unless you are solidly ground in math theory of Computer viruses and the use of this theoy in actaul code. This book is more for the Collector of books of this nature or the seroius student. ... Read more

Product Description
This series investigates unusual careers in science-related fields and finds out about commonly considered ways in which science can be put to use. With full colour phtographs and illustrations. Ages 12-16 years. ... Read more

Product Description
Handbook of Plant Virus Diseases presents basic information about viral-caused and viral-like diseases in many cultivated crops. The editors, internationally known plant pathologists, provide authoritative descriptive symptomatic signatures of virus diseases, to aid in the diagnosis and possible control of viruses. This handbook organizes cultivated plants into groups according to their final destinations and uses after harvest-a useful grouping system that indicates that some diseases, their resultant epidemiology, and control measures are characteristic within different groups. ... Read more

Product Description
About the computer virus writing scene in the early 1990s. A fascinating look at the people involved in writing viruses as well as the people chasing them! ... Read more

Customer Reviews (8)

Interesting world!
This is a great book by a guy who I guess has nothing better to do(just kidding George).

I decided to research computer viruses sometime ago and this book was one of the books I used. It reveals the nature of the virus underground and the deceit computer users are subjected to by anti-virus companies.
I am inclined to believe the story this book tells because I came across the characters mentioned in the book in other more technical texts about computer viruses.
The book is not technical in anyway so it can be read by anyone who is curious about the jobless dudes who write viruses and the anti-virus companies who try to stop them.

Hilarious look at virus writers and anti-virus vendors!
I never thought I'd be laughing out loud, snorting on the subway reading abook about computer viruses! George Smith manages to make this book notonly educational, but entertaining as well. I only wish he'd write anotherbook. This one covers the subject through about 1994; LOTS has happenedsince then.

Should be required reading for all SysAdmins and cluelesstechnology reporters.

A fantastic look at this subject.
I was glad to see that the author keeps a pretty unbiased position throughout the book. As well as the fact that he reports on many different aspects of what was going on in the virus world at the time the book covers it. He also brings out some good points about the media and the anti-virussoftware companies that really get you thinking. My only complaint with thebook is that it's too short...

Explains virus writer psychology & industry politics well
This is a quirky but entertaining little book.It contains the bestdescription I've found on the psychology and dynamics of the virus-writingcommunity.The interesting thing about the AV business is that thesoftware vendors are often just as colorful as the people writing theviruses.This book captures the melodrama of the anti-virus industry andaccurately portrays the spy vs spy nature of the constant escalationsbetween the attackers and the defenders.The author is absolutelycorrect--they do know each other and they do talk. Most purchasers of AVsoftware have no idea how flamboyant the personalities are at the helms oftheir software suppliers.

I can confirm several of the outlandish storiescontained in Smith's book.I have no reason to doubt anything he says--itseems completely consistent with my experiences.

Besides providing ahelpful understanding of the nature of hostile code and its source, thisbook is also an excellent read.It is enjoyable and engrossing. It doesnot delve into the bits & bytes of viruses, nor does it discuss themechanics of transmission and reproduction mechanisms.If you want that,read Fred Cohen or Alan Solomon. Unlike their books, this one is not onlyeducational, but is also entertaining.

Viru Means
The media portrays virus writers as teenage prodigies whose temper tantrums threaten the world. The media portrays antivirus companies as serious business professionals who work closely with competitors andinternational agencies to keep virus writers at bay. If you listen to themedia, it's a World War with clear lines drawn between good &evil.

The media doesn't have a clue. "Drunken brawl" mostaccurately describes the virus/antivirus conflict. You can't always tellthe good guys from the bad guys (they occasionally switch sides) and it'severy man for himself. Virus writers rarely advance the state of the art --yet antivirus firms profit by declaring them deadly computerterrorists.

Few books about viruses delve into this bizarre soap opera,and most of those only cover it briefly. Crypt Newsletter editor George C.Smith's entire book exposes an insane world where everybody claws at eachothers' throats -- and where even the virus writers have marketingdepartments. Don't let its publication date fool you: this book takes ahistorical look at the madhouse beginning. 172 pages written with anutterly cynical sense of humor & irony. I read The Virus Creation Labsfor the first time while sitting in an airport terminal and I repeatedlyembarrassed myself with bursts of laughter. ... Read more

Product Description

Our Internet-connected society increasingly relies on computers.  As a result, attacks on computers from malicious software have never been a bigger concern. Computer Viruses and Malware draws together hundreds of sources to provide an unprecedented view of malicious software and its countermeasures. This book discusses both the technical and human factors involved in computer viruses, worms, and anti-virus software.  It also looks at the application of malicious software to computer crime and information warfare.

Computer Viruses and Malware is designed for a professional audience composed of researchers and practitioners in industry. This book is also suitable as a secondary text for advanced-level students in computer science.

Product Description
Explains good and bad germs, the different kinds, how they can help you, how some cause diseases, and how we fight diseases. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Bacteria & Viruses--A Book for Kids
_Bacteria and Viruses_ is a fine introduction to the microscopic world of germs, viruses, bacteria, etc.Appropriate for elementary-aged students, _Bacteria and Viruses_ has easy-to-read descriptions and photographs ofgerms, viruses, bacteria, and allergens.Includes a table of contents, aglossary, and an index.This book would be a good resource for answeringresearch questions about germs, bacteria, viruses, and allergens. ... Read more

Product Description
Malicious mobile code is a new term to describe all sorts of destructive programs: viruses, worms, Trojans, and rogue Internet content. Untilfairly recently, experts worried mostly about computer viruses thatspread only through executable files, not data files, and certainly notthrough email exchange. The Melissa virus and the Love Bug provedthe experts wrong, attacking Windows computers when recipients did nothing more than open an email. Today, writing programs is easier thanever, and so is writing malicious code.The idea that someone could write malicious code and spread it to 60million computers in a matter of hours is no longer a fantasy.Malicious Mobile Code delivers the strategies, tips, and tricksto secure a system against attack.Amazon.com Review
Defending Microsoft Windows against viruses requires careful attention to emerging technical alerts and diligence in installing manufacturers' latest patches and upgrades. You'll do a better job of keeping Windows secure if you have a body of background knowledge about security weaknesses in Windows and familiarity with good security practices. That, for the most part, is what Malicious Mobile Code is about. Roger Grimes shares facts, tells stories, and reveals technical details that will make you realize how serious a threat is posed by malicious mobile code (a catch-all term Grimes uses to describe viruses, Trojans, and the like). Further, his exposition will likely motivate you to take the precautions he recommends.

Some of Grimes's advice is by now obvious (don't run executable files that arrive attached to e-mail messages), but a lot of it will be news to Windows users and even system administrators. For example, he goes into considerable detail on how BackOrifice works, with particular attention to how black-hat hackers use it to build networks of compromised machines that they can use in further attacks. He's liberal with defensive advice, as well, describing how to adjust the settings of your browser, instant messaging client, and other software to stave off attacks. There's much discussion of Registry manipulation, too. More coverage of risks specific to Windows 2000 (and Windows XP, which isn't covered here at all) would make this book better, but since many attacks are generic to 32-bit Windows environments, Grimes's work remains current. --David Wall

Topics covered: Viruses, Trojans, worms, and other nasties--particularly those that can be distributed with e-mail messages, Web pages, or instant messaging tools--that can disable Microsoft Windows, or turn control of it over to unauthorized hackers. Coverage is explanatory, in a "know your enemy" sort of way, and includes lots of defensive strategies. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (6)

SANS 504 GCIH
If you are interested in the SANS 504 GCIH certification, this is a great primer text if not better than their class.At the very least this will prepare you for the hands on aspect of that environment.This is pure network based hacking from my point of view and although these exploits can be used via the web, they deal mainly with vulnerabilities not of the web application layer.Something that I would really like to see in a text such as this is a complete exploit, which is known and patched, exploited step by step. Even in the SANS world this was not facilitated and if we are to ever truly educate security professionals on the "black arts" of hacking, then we must teach them by example. People don't learn calculus without a step by step explanation on how to arrive at the solution, so why would we expect security professionals to learn an exploit method using partial code snippets or theories? Get with the program and use disclosure as the powerful tool it represents.

A student's perspective
More important than anything else I can say about this book is that it was a good read!Being subject to often boring books on algorithms, and operating systems, this book kept me captivated with its straight forward presentation, and even more remarkable stories. Even if you never plan to start editting a registry, this book is worth reading.

What I got most from this book though was a perpective on dealing with virus (etc) problems overall.Identifying what area of a system needs examining, what precautions should be taken, and even classifying symptoms, was very enlightning.That it was also a major source in a paper I received an A on, doesn't hurt either.I am sure it will come in as a handy reference for some time yet.

A great security overview
Keeping up with computer security is a full time job. Grimes has given a clear, precise primer of one aspect of computer security - viruses, trojans, worms - collectively known as malicious mobile code. The book is DOS/Windows centric, but this focus helps you see a) where the threats for the most part, and b) allows you to extend the types of threats into other operating systems. You are taken step by step through the development of malicious code and how and why they can work on some systems, but less effectively on others. The constant refrain of the book shows the author's philosophy: Use an up to date anti-virus product. But if somethign slips by, Grimes shows you ways to react, and lessen the impact if not to this once computer, but to the rest on the network. It is easily one of the most readable books I have encountered on the subject.

This book is an essential reference for any computer manager's toolkit. We can't stop the code writers from producing thier output, but we can work to lessen the impact they can have on us.

Well written book!
I confess to some bias - I was one of the tech reviewers on this book. I work with network security all of the time, but one area I'm not an expert on is viruses. Reviewing Roger's book was a real education - I learned quite a bit. I also known from experience that writing about technical subjects can be difficult and dry - this book was an easy read all the way through. If you're interested in learning more about viruses, this is a must-have.

Highly Informative Look at Viruses, Worms, etc
This book offers one of the best and most complete look at viruses, worms, Trojans, and any other type of program designed to "infect" a computer. It describes not only the various types of "malicious programs" out there, but also the environments in which they run. The book's second chapter discusses DOS based viruses, and even if DOS is not that popular anymore, it is good for a historical reference.

The book goes on to discuss Windows-related viruses, macro viruses, as well as Trojans and worms. Each chapter gives examples of what to look for if you suspect you have been infected, and the early chapters give summaries of "famous viruses of the past." Also discussed are attacks involving IRC and other instant messaging programs, browser technologies, malicious Java applets, and what types of attacks can occur with Active X. There's also a chapter devoted to email attacks.

The book finishes off with chapters on hoax viruses, which can be just as dangerous sometimes as real viruses, when people assume the hoaxes are true, how to defend against malicious code, and finally what the future entails.

Malicious code unfortunately is a way of life and this book offers lots of information on how to avoid them and also what to do if your computer does get infected. ... Read more