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Elegant Defense, An: The Extraordinary New Science of the Immune System: A Tale in Four Lives
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About Elegant Defense, An: The Extraordinary New Science
Product Description National Bestseller "A valuable read that will help you understand what it takes to stop COVID-19. … A super interesting look at the science of immunity.” —Bill Gates, Gates Notes Summer Reading List The Pulitzer Prize–winning New York Times journalist "explicates for the lay reader the intricate biology of our immune system" (Jerome Groopman, MD, New York Review of Books) From New York Times science journalist Matt Richtel, An Elegant Defense is an acclaimed and definitive exploration of the immune system and the secrets of health. Interweaving cutting-edge science with the intimate stories of four individual patients, this epic, first-of-its-kind book “give[s] lay readers a means of understanding what’s known so far about the intricate biology of our immune systems” (The Week). The immune system is our body’s essential defense network, a guardian vigilantly fighting illness, healing wounds, maintaining order and balance, and keeping us alive. It has been honed by evolution over millennia to face an almost infinite array of threats. For all its astonishing complexity, however, the immune system can be easily compromised by fatigue, stress, toxins, advanced age, and poor nutrition—hallmarks of modern life—and even by excessive hygiene. Paradoxically, it is a fragile wonder weapon that can turn on our own bodies with startling results, leading today to epidemic levels of autoimmune disorders. An Elegant Defense effortlessly guides readers on a scientific detective tale winding from the Black Plague to twentieth-century breakthroughs in vaccination and antibiotics, to today’s laboratories that are revolutionizing immunology—perhaps the most extraordinary and consequential medical story of our time. Drawing on extensive new interviews with dozens of world-renowned scientists, Richtel has produced a landmark book, equally an investigation into the deepest riddles of survival and a profoundly human tale that is movingly brought to life through the eyes of his four main characters, each of whom illuminates an essential facet of our “elegant defense.” Review “Vividly told. ... Explicates for the lay reader the intricate biology of our immune system. ... Richtel succeeds in this formidable task.” -- JEROME GROOPMAN, New York Review of Books “Deeply affecting. … A compelling modern history of—as well as an elegant defense for—the preeminent science of our time.” -- Los Angeles Review of Books “Richtel brilliantly blurs the lines between biology primer, medical historical text and the traditional first-person patient story. ... Richtel harnesses his reporter’s eye for the human condition.” -- Washington Post “In this thorough investigation, Richtel details the explosion of knowledge over the past 70 years. ... He weaves into his narrative four case studies [that] add a moving personal dimension.” -- BBC, “10 Books to Read This Month” “One of those rare nonfiction books that transcends the genre. ... A fascinating and engrossing account of the latest, and quite astonishing, discoveries involving the human immune system. ... An inspiring and wonderful read. ... I highly recommend this extraordinary book.” -- Douglas Preston, #1 bestselling author of The Lost City of the Monkey God “A thorough, richly entertaining and just-wonky-enough beginner’s class in immunology through the case studies of four patients.” -- Wall Street Journal “Remarkable. … Richtel is a gifted storyteller. … A story about cutting-edge science, humanely told.” -- Matt McCarthy, USA Today “Matt Richtel’s An Elegant Defense is a comprehensive and engaging primer on the body’s ‘ever-vigilant, omnipresent peacekeeping force.’ The immune system plays an essential role in fighting infections and cancer and in regulating our normal health. Read this superb book to better understand one of the enduring mysteries of human biology.” -- SANDEEP JAUHAR, New York Times bestselling author of Heart: A History “An expert examination of the immune sys
