This book is a tour de force introduction to the field of emerging RNA viruses by one of the world's leading experts in virus evolution. The book progresses rapidly from concise chapters on RNA virus biology, origins and microevolution to detailed discussions of RNA virus macroevolution, (contentious) quasi-species concepts, phylogeography and patterns of RNA virus emergence. Though each chapter may stand alone as a significant contribution, the succession of chapters provides a strong logical framework for understanding the observed epidemiological patterns of RNA emergence. This narrative structure culminates in a series of case studies of emerging RNA viruses that are a fitting conclusion to a book that ties together the molecular evolution of RNA viruses with their emergence and epidemiological dynamics.



In sum, any biologist interested in evolution and/or RNA viruses, from novices to experts, would benefit from and enjoy reading this claret-colored addition to the OUP catalog.