A review by sigo
An Epidemic of Absence: A New Way of Understanding Allergies and Autoimmune Diseases by Moises Velasquez-Manoff

5.0

One of the best science writing that I have ever read. The idea that Manoff puts forward is one that has the potential to change how we think about the afflictions of modern life; allergy, autoimmunity, possibly even autism. I read this book for my immunology class and it drastically changed how all of us, even our teacher, thought about the immune system and how it works. Basically, changes that have happened since the Industrial Revolution, even ones that we think are beneficial like better hygiene practices, could be causing an increase in the risk of allergies and autoimmune disorders. The author does a very good job of laying out how the immune system normally functions and how it has gone wrong, turning in on itself or attacking unnecessarily. Highly recommended for anyone interested in biology.