Contrary to the curiosity-piquing subtitle, the authors don’t tell us much that is illuminating about how virologists actually search for the origins of new viruses. They don’t appear to have spent much time, if any, watching experts at work in the lab. At least that might have been interesting as an explication of scientific methods.
The subtitle is The Search for the Origin of COVID-19, not The Search for the Origin of Viruses. It would be a pointless charade to observe virology experts at work in the lab, given that the authors have already summarized their findings in great detail with thorough citations -- none of which Hiltzik disputes.