It's probably safe to say that most of us are at least a little confused about the immune system, viruses, and illness. Especially with a pandemic on everyone's mind, your curiosity about how it all works may be at an all time high. Allow me to introduce you to An Elegant Defense, by Matt Richtel.
Richtel writes in a way that breaks down scientific jargon to a digestible level for the average humanoid by following the stories of four individuals living with chronic illness. Their lives are impacted in different ways by cancer, HIV, rheumatoid arthritis, and lupus. Along the way, the author weaves together their stories along with the ins and outs of cellular function, scientific discoveries, and Nobel Prize-winning advances in treatments. Even the widely recognized Dr. Fauci gets a mention!
There are a decent amount of funny and touching moments that might even bring a tear to your eye. In fact, this book strikes a balance between scientific and anecdotal evidence so well, that it may begin to feel like reading a biography or a great journal article. If you're up for a real exploration of human health and resilience, give An Elegant Defense a read, and let us know what you think by reviewing this book yourself, or leaving us a comment below.
Reader be warned: there are some themes such as animal-testing, violence, and death, which may be disturbing to some readers.
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