27chickpeas's review against another edition
3.0
The author deserves ample praise for how he made immunology accessible to a general audience. I felt like the book needed to be trimmed down though. It felt like the author was often repeating himself. So many times he would remind us that the story was about 4 people and we’d get back to them. The chapters seemed to jump all over the place. I liked the content and stories a lot- it just needs more organization.
kathrat's review against another edition
challenging
hopeful
informative
mysterious
sad
medium-paced
4.0
rissaleighs's review against another edition
3.0
This book came out in 2019, so I was a little surprised (shouldn't have been though, really) to see Dr. Fauci and monoclonal antibodies feature prominently here. Who knew these would become household names.
It is very light reading for a book on such sciencey, technical, medical subject matter. I agree with the other reviewers who felt like more footnotes and sources cited would have been warranted. As is, it is mostly anecdotal, explaining four unique immune systems in action:
Case 1: an HIV+ patient whose unusually effective immune system is keeping him unusually healthy without medical intervention.
Case 2: a cancer patient whose life was extended for a few years by cutting edge medicine, but the years gained were mostly a miserable, lab rat existence.
Case 3: an autoimmune disease patient who took all the recommended medicines but the side effects made her sicker than ever and now she is doing better off medicine, and on a regimen of vitamins and herbs
Case 4: an autoimmune disease patient whose symptoms are kept in check by medicine but it's mostly a fluke because the medicine in question is known for losing effectiveness over time.
I feel like the takeaways are:
1 - the immune system is very powerful and, despite scientific advancement, still mostly a mystery.
2 - Immune system science and medicine is All. So. New.
3 - all the medicine in the world is mostly just a mix of educated guesses, hoping for the best, and/or playing with fire.
It is very light reading for a book on such sciencey, technical, medical subject matter. I agree with the other reviewers who felt like more footnotes and sources cited would have been warranted. As is, it is mostly anecdotal, explaining four unique immune systems in action:
Case 1: an HIV+ patient whose unusually effective immune system is keeping him unusually healthy without medical intervention.
Case 2: a cancer patient whose life was extended for a few years by cutting edge medicine, but the years gained were mostly a miserable, lab rat existence.
Case 3: an autoimmune disease patient who took all the recommended medicines but the side effects made her sicker than ever and now she is doing better off medicine, and on a regimen of vitamins and herbs
Case 4: an autoimmune disease patient whose symptoms are kept in check by medicine but it's mostly a fluke because the medicine in question is known for losing effectiveness over time.
I feel like the takeaways are:
1 - the immune system is very powerful and, despite scientific advancement, still mostly a mystery.
2 - Immune system science and medicine is All. So. New.
3 - all the medicine in the world is mostly just a mix of educated guesses, hoping for the best, and/or playing with fire.
nanikeeva's review against another edition
4.0
felt like the right level of technical detail for a complete non-expert - at least now I know what t cells are :) the historical component was handled well, and the illustration of activeness of immunity etc through the 4 personal examples seemed quite informative
ajaggers324's review against another edition
5.0
This is an engaging look at the immune system as we understand it now. Richtel makes it clear that there is more to explore. The writing is approachable even for someone without a background knowledge. However it is also deep for those that do. I bought this book at a low point, and it gave me joy and satisfaction. Thank you to this book.
fibrebundle's review against another edition
3.0
It's actually a really well written book especially for a general audience like myself who is interested in the immune system and scary things like HIV and autoimmune diseases. I just felt like it was too sappy, too many people to relate to, to much trying to make that 'human connection' to the point where I just became emotionally exhausted. So i'm giving it 3/5
kilonshele's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
informative
reflective
medium-paced
5.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Cancer, Chronic illness, and Death
dlberglund's review against another edition
4.0
I was given a free copy of this book by HarperCollins Publishers as part of Goodreads Giveaways.
This was a highly digestible book about serious medical research that combined great scientific breakthroughs with the heart of four people's stories. You don't have to be a biology teacher or a medical student to understand this book; in fact, it's probably better if you're a person like me, looking for knowledge in a great narrative non-fiction package.
We are taken on a (slightly metaphor-heavy) tour of the intricacies of the immune system, one scientific discovery at a time, building our understanding of the major and minor parts of our immune system whole. It's done in a very deliberate and sequential way, so that if (like me) you are ignorant of everything but the most basic components, you can build your knowledge one cell at a time. It's fascinating to learn how new a science this really is, and how many steps it took to get to what scientists now understand about the immune system.
We also get to know four individuals who represent the immune system's protection and reaction against its own host, through their experiences with various immune and autoimmune disorders. The heart of the books is really Jason, though, a childhood friend of the author who is a larger-than-life personality with larger-than-life cancer. We come along on some of the branches of his cancer journey, including the weird side trips and painful moments. The author's connection to Jason is clear, and helps fuel forward our reading.
This was overwhelmingly both an informative and an interesting book. It was strangely serendipitous to be reading it as 2020's worldwide pandemic marches on.
What rankled me about the book, however, is that there is no Bibliography. No list of references or sources. He directly quotes many by name in the book, as if he's quoting old friends in his personal memoir. They are not--they are eminent researchers in their fields, and deserve more credit for their words and publications. The acknowledgements are less than 3 pages long, and about half devoted to the four major subjects of the book. It includes a thank you to "many other [scientists and doctors] whose names are not included here but whose time and wisdom proved invaluable to me". I truly wanted an exhaustive list of his sources. I wanted a list of all the doctors, researchers, and scientists he interviewed (preferably with their specialty and associated university or location, but that may be too much to ask). I wanted a list of other books and articles that he consulted. There is a thorough Index at the end, but that doesn't satisfy my researching heart or brain. This was a major failing, for me, of a science book meant for the general public. A bibliography wouldn't have scared away the readers--it just would have satisfied the more librarian-ish among us.
This was a highly digestible book about serious medical research that combined great scientific breakthroughs with the heart of four people's stories. You don't have to be a biology teacher or a medical student to understand this book; in fact, it's probably better if you're a person like me, looking for knowledge in a great narrative non-fiction package.
We are taken on a (slightly metaphor-heavy) tour of the intricacies of the immune system, one scientific discovery at a time, building our understanding of the major and minor parts of our immune system whole. It's done in a very deliberate and sequential way, so that if (like me) you are ignorant of everything but the most basic components, you can build your knowledge one cell at a time. It's fascinating to learn how new a science this really is, and how many steps it took to get to what scientists now understand about the immune system.
We also get to know four individuals who represent the immune system's protection and reaction against its own host, through their experiences with various immune and autoimmune disorders. The heart of the books is really Jason, though, a childhood friend of the author who is a larger-than-life personality with larger-than-life cancer. We come along on some of the branches of his cancer journey, including the weird side trips and painful moments. The author's connection to Jason is clear, and helps fuel forward our reading.
This was overwhelmingly both an informative and an interesting book. It was strangely serendipitous to be reading it as 2020's worldwide pandemic marches on.
What rankled me about the book, however, is that there is no Bibliography. No list of references or sources. He directly quotes many by name in the book, as if he's quoting old friends in his personal memoir. They are not--they are eminent researchers in their fields, and deserve more credit for their words and publications. The acknowledgements are less than 3 pages long, and about half devoted to the four major subjects of the book. It includes a thank you to "many other [scientists and doctors] whose names are not included here but whose time and wisdom proved invaluable to me". I truly wanted an exhaustive list of his sources. I wanted a list of all the doctors, researchers, and scientists he interviewed (preferably with their specialty and associated university or location, but that may be too much to ask). I wanted a list of other books and articles that he consulted. There is a thorough Index at the end, but that doesn't satisfy my researching heart or brain. This was a major failing, for me, of a science book meant for the general public. A bibliography wouldn't have scared away the readers--it just would have satisfied the more librarian-ish among us.
astridcat's review against another edition
emotional
informative
inspiring
sad
medium-paced
5.0
-very informative overview of the immune system/history of immunology
-prior knowledge not needed
-loved this book and made my dad read it
-people’s personal stories of cancer, AIDS, and autoimmunity intertwined with the facts
-prior knowledge not needed
-loved this book and made my dad read it
-people’s personal stories of cancer, AIDS, and autoimmunity intertwined with the facts