Publisher's Weekly Review
Carver, a science writer and researcher in public-health policy at Harvard, transforms a data-heavy research area into an entertainingly informative survey of the immune system: the "hidden army" that battles diseases ranging from the common cold to the plague. She starts by identifying immunity's defense system in human skin, lungs, tears, ears, and the stomach. Carver then moves on to the "killer cells" that destroy infectious invaders. Her survey explores immunology's role in the "complex challenge" of organ transplantation, as well as how it keeps people safe from the "bacterial-laden nature" of sex. She dives into humans' age-old battle with allergies, whether it's hypersensitivity to pollen, peanuts, or pets; unusual reactions, including one person's to stale pancake mix; and potentially deadly autoimmune diseases that can attack "every part of the body from knees to nerves, glands to gonads." Though yet-unvanquished cancers continue to evade our immune system's defenses, Carver remains hopeful about "immune-altering drug discoveries" being made that could potentially change "the face of medicine" and "cure the incurable." This splendid guide offers historical and scientific context on a subfield of biology that affects everyone and that is increasingly being harnessed to improve and save lives. (Nov.) © Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.
Booklist Review
It's a germy world. Fortunately, as Carver enthusiastically explains, a healthy immune system can battle countless killers. She starts out strong, explaining that skin, the largest human organ, typically adds about 27 pounds to the body. Who knew? She also spells out how adversaries such as cancer, Ebola, and anthrax can get the upper hand. Blame the mouth. Public-health expert Carver notes that just one 10-second French kiss is thought to transfer 80 million bacteria. All the Ripley's-believe-it-or-not elements in this far-ranging chronicle are fascinating, if unnerving for example: China executes more prisoners than any other country and until 2015 extracted the organs of executed prisoners without consent and distributed them to wealthy recipients. Overall, she strikes a reassuring tone, noting that, despite relatively limited options for fighting certain threats, the modern pharmacy is like a war chest for taking on diseases from cancer to carbuncles. And while she is no Pollyanna, Carver concludes with a discussion of some promising areas for drug research that are crucial in an era of antibiotic-resistant infections.--Springen, Karen Copyright 2017 Booklist
Library Journal Review
Every activity we engage in exposes us to potentially harmful invaders in the form of bacteria, viruses, fungi, and parasites. In fact, as Carver, who has written blogs for the Lancet and Scientific American, notes, "a single 10-second French kiss is thought to transfer 80 million bacteria." For the most part, our immune system protects us from this constant barrage of invaders. But how? Carver presents an in-depth exploration of the human immune system, beginning with an explanation of how neutrophils and other key cells function to thwart disease. Carver then investigates related topics, such as organ transplants (successful transplants are dependent on suppressing the immune system). Readers are left with hope for a future in which the functions of the immune system will be used to create even more effective drugs to battle illness. A curated list of chapter-specific references is included. This book is jam-packed with hard-core science, and Carver engages readers with her cheeky, playful style and the inclusion of fascinating human-interest anecdotes. VERDICT A comprehensive and absorbing work that will entice its audience (scientists and lay readers alike) with an interest in human biology.-Ragan O'Malley, Saint Ann's Sch., Brooklyn © Copyright 2017. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.