THE DEMON IN THE FREEZER

If you think what you've heard on the news about smallpox is scary, you don't want to listen to this audiobook. Preston provides a detailed description of the varieties of smallpox -- its symptoms, disfigurements, and various paths to death--in highly graphic language. James Naughton reads Preston's history of smallpox and other "weaponized" diseases, such as anthrax and Ebola fever, in clear, serious tones, never cushioning the verbal impact of the terrifying descriptions. Eye-opening and frightening to contemplate, Preston's alarming overview is thorough, particularly his examination of smallpox, a devastating disease once thought to be eradicated from the earth. Naughton's narration will haunt the listener long after the book is over. M.B.K. (c) AudioFile 2003, Portland, Maine [Published: APR/MAY 03]