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  • Beating Back the Devil

  • Written by: Maryn McKenna
  • Narrated by: Ellen Archer
  • Length: 9 hrs and 37 mins
  • 3.5 out of 5 stars (2 ratings)

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Beating Back the Devil

Written by: Maryn McKenna
Narrated by: Ellen Archer
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Publisher's Summary

The universal instinct is to run from an outbreak of disease. These doctors run toward it. They always keep a bag packed. They seldom have more than 24 hours before they are dispatched. They are told only their country of destination and the epidemic they will tackle when they get there.

They are the disease detective corps of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the federal agency that tracks and tries to prevent disease outbreaks and bioterrorist attacks around the world. Formally called the Epidemic Intelligence Service (EIS), they have confronted outbreaks of AIDS, Ebola virus, toxic shock syndrome, and E. coli 0157; they have helped eradicate smallpox and push back polio. Now they hunt down the deadly threats that dominate our headlines: SARS, West Nile virus, and anthrax.

In this riveting narrative, Maryn McKenna follows the first class of disease detectives to come to the CDC after 9/11. She goes on scene with these talented young researchers, who trade two years of low pay and extremely long hours for the chance to be part of the group who heroically tries to stop epidemics...before they stop us.

©2004 Maryn McKenna (P)2004 Tantor Media, Inc.

What the critics say

"A revealing glimpse into the little-known world of deeply committed investigators who trade two years of their lives to be on the front lines of public health." (Washington Post Book World)
"McKenna's personal portraits of these dedicated professionals illuminate the bravery as well as the anxiety that accompany this demanding work." (Publishers Weekly)

What listeners say about Beating Back the Devil

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