Quammen opens his book with the story of Hendra virus, despite the fact that it is fairly unknown and has infected relatively few people. What explanation does he offer for this? How does introducing Hendra first assist him in constructing a more coherent narrative, connecting various zoonotic diseases to each other?

How does Quammen’s use of his own journeys as a narrative tool emphasize that human beings are also animals and closely connected to nature?

Fear is a major theme in Quammen’s Ebola chapters, for both ordinary people and experts. How does fear influence Quammen’s protagonists to contain outbreaks and work for a cure?