The Great Book Deal Epidemic

ABC News’ Kristi Berner reports:

If you’ve read anything about the recent swine flu outbreak, you’ve probably also seen references to the 1918 flu pandemic that killed millions worldwide. And it seems many people want to go beyond the passing reference to that crisis nearly a century ago.  This afternoon John M. Barry’s acclaimed history of the pandemic — "The Great Influenza," published five years ago — broke into the Top 100 on Amazon.com’s best-seller list. 

And the swine flu is providing a big boost to the bank account of biologist Nathan Wolfe, who has reportedly signed a six-figure deal for a book about the viruses. Today publisher Henry Holt said it will publish Wolfe’s "The Viral Storm", a book about “how viruses and humans have evolved side-by-side,” but the viruses often have the “upper hand.”