The silence of the night, combined with the glow of embers, causes men to become talkative, and two African men across from him discuss the time that Ebola had rampaged their village.Įbola outbreak, 2000 ( Image courtesy of Wikimedia Commons) In 2006, Quammen was sitting by a campfire deep in the heart of Africa, listening to the talk around him. On one of these journeys, David Quammen participated in a conversation that was soon to not only give him direction with the next step writing-wise but also assist in opening the world's eyes to the dangers of animal viruses potentially causing the next human pandemic. Not only having an active interest in all things outdoorsy, but David Quammen is also a prolific traveler, spending a lot of time on a plane and in the jungles to research the world around him.

He's long contributed to Rolling Stone, National Geographic, Outside magazine, Esquire, Harper's, Powder, and the New York Times, mainly as a science writer in each role. When it comes to David Quammen, though, writing is what he knows, and it's what he does full-time. Often, what is found is that somebody who writes a book has another job that serves as their primary income stream. Read on like David Quammen, you may be surprised by what you discover.

How did he do this? What contributions has he made to the world of emerging viral threats? Are his warnings timely?

( Image courtesy of Oregon State University at Wikimedia Commons)

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