"Deadly Feasts" is a non-fiction book by Richard Rhodes, published in 1997. The book explores the history and science of prion diseases, a group of fatal neurological disorders that include Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (CJD) and mad cow disease. Rhodes traces the origins of prion diseases back to the early 20th century, when a disease called kuru was first observed in the Fore people of Papua New Guinea. He then delves into the science behind prion diseases, explaining how they differ from other infectious diseases and how they spread through contaminated food and medical equipment. Rhodes also explores the social and political implications of prion diseases, including the controversy surrounding the British government's handling of the mad cow disease outbreak in the 1990s. "Deadly Feasts" is a gripping and informative book that sheds light on a little-known but highly consequential field of science.
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