Reduce the chance of getting computer viruses from E-mail

What are the possibilities to reduce the chance of getting viruses from E-mail?

Save the attachment to disk and then check it with an up-to-date virus scanner before opening the file.

If an executable file shows up unexpectedly attached to an E-mail, delete it unless it should be positively verified what it is, where it came from and why it was sent. The recent outbreakof the Melissa virus was a vivid demonstration of the need to be extremely careful when a E-mail is received with attached files or documents. Just because an E-mail appears to come from known person, this does NOT mean file is safe or that the supposed sender had anything to do with it.