Germs: Biological Weapons and America's Secret War

Why is it abridged? I want an unabridged audiobook!!!!

Having been a NBC officer in the active army during the first 4 Clinton years 92-96 it put in perspective what the Army generals went through in deciding policy as the revalations of what Sadam had done in just a few years during the first gulf war and what he could have used. With that reality it is no wonder that we invaded him a second time to remove that capability. Required reading for all military officers especially those in the chemical or medical corps. Very good history lesson without getting too into the dates, but the dates mean everything when putting together all of the pieces of the Iraq conflict.

Every since I listened to Germs, I just can't stop washing my hands. And I envy those living in China, where wearing a surgical mask in public is actually socially acceptable. Seriously, this book will give you the creeps when your awake, and when asleep nightmares for years to come. It makes me long for the 60's, when home-made atom bomb shelters provided at least a shred of false hope.

The author begins with a very telling story, one that I somewhat remember however it didn't give me much pause at the time. It is a great example how extremists can fairly easily influence their surroundings. The story about the Soviet's pursuit of germ weapons underscores how dangerous a country like Iran can be as well as provide examples of what Afghanistand and Iraq could have been without intervention.

The initial story in this book - about a biological attack by a cult on a small Seattle town was extremely fascinating. It was also something that I was completely unaware had ever happened. Unfortunately, that was the extent of the new information. I thought this book would talk about what the American government was up to as far as biological weapons were concerned. However, it was more about what the authors thought potential enemies were up to. This amounted to what we hear repeatedly on the evening news. Nothing new, just the same old fear mongering. I gave it two stars because I did enjoy some of the technical information and background they spoke about. In addition, I think the authors are really trying their best to present a balanced view on just how possible a 'biological' threat really is. What disappointed me was just that, with few exceptions, I've heard this all before.