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 system. … Richtel illuminates a complex subject so well that even physicians will learn.” — Kirkus , STARRED review
“Richtel approaches this essential subject with awe, his writing meticulous and empathic.” — Booklist, STARRED Review
“Award-winning reporter Matt Richtel examines the scientific and human realities of immune anomaly through four case studies. … Through these harrowing accounts, Richtel interweaves the research history.” — Nature, “Best Science Picks”
“A deeply reported and entertainingly written exploration of the human immune system and how it works.” — USA Today (”5 Books Not to Miss”)
“Plumbs the enormous impact of the human immune system. … Despite the topic’s staggering complexity… the heart and craft of a fine storyteller emerges most memorably.” — Mercury News
“A remarkable journey of exploration inside the human body. … Richly informative and engaging. … Eminently readable and with so many important takeaways, An Elegant Defense is well worth one’s investment of time.” — Shelf Awareness
“An engaging deep dive into our immune system.” — Men’s Health
“Richtel’s new book is so useful. ... Give[s] lay readers a means of understanding what’s known so far about the intricate biology of our immune systems.” — The Week, “Book of the Week”
“Compelling. … Richtel enthusiastically and compassionately demystifies the science and the story of one of the most intricate and misunderstood landscapes of human biology. … A celebration of life and the journey we all share.” — Washington Independent Review of Books
“Enlightening. … Readers who suffer from challenged immune systems will welcome validation for the physical and emotional trials they endure, gain deeper understanding of their ailments, and find hope for the future. Readers who are interested in the human body’s capacity to both harm or heal itself will be fascinated.” — New York Journal of Books
“A deeply reported account of how the immune system works. … Richtel weaves dense, complex research into suspense and human drama; his book reads, at times, like a harrowing mystery novel.” — Spirituality and Health magazine
“A hard-to-put-down account of the body’s first line of defense.” — Publishers Weekly
“A sweeping overview of immunology’s history. ... The prose in An Elegant Defense is vibrant, conversational, direct and often funny. … The content is captivating and useful.” — Science News
“[An] entertaining and a worthwhile read.” — The Missourian
“Fascinating. ... Rooted in evidence-based research. ... Compelling.” — AudioFile
"Books like An Elegant Defense give mainstream readers insights into that process, insights that run deeper than those a textbook might provide. When we understand how science really works, perhaps we will be a bit less susceptible to anti-scientific seductions. Richtel’s elegant analogies and compelling human stories will help us remember the basic concepts of modern immunology long after the jargon and acronyms have been forgotten." — Commentary
“A mind-blowing page-turner with moving yet playful human dramas.” — MindBodyGreen
"Fascinating read, especially in the context of a pandemic. Through four personal stories, you discover the captivating complexity of our immune system, written in such a way that it’s an easy read for the layman." — Bloomberg News, A Best Book of 2020
“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
A thorough, richly entertaining and just-wonky-enough beginner’s class in immunology through the case studies of four patients.
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.
“10 Books to Read This Month” BBC
A thorough, richly entertaining and just-wonky-enough beginner’s class in immunology through the case studies of four patients.
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.
"Fascinating read, especially in the context of a pandemic. Through four personal stories, you discover the captivating complexity of our immune system, written in such a way that it’s an easy read for the layman."
A valuable read that will help you understand what it takes to stop COVID-19. … A super interesting look at the science of immunity.
Fascinating. ... Rooted in evidence-based research. ... Compelling.
Richtel’s new book is so useful. ... Give[s] lay readers a means of understanding what’s known so far about the intricate biology of our immune systems.
[An] entertaining and a worthwhile read.
Compelling. … Richtel enthusiastically and compassionately demystifies the science and the story of one of the most intricate and misunderstood landscapes of human biology. … A celebration of life and the journey we all share.
Washington Independent Review of Books
An engaging deep dive into our immune system.
A deeply reported account of how the immune system works. … Richtel weaves dense, complex research into suspense and human drama; his book reads, at times, like a harrowing mystery novel.
Spirituality and Health magazine
A sweeping overview of immunology’s history. ... The prose in An Elegant Defense is vibrant, conversational, direct and often funny. … The content is captivating and useful.
01/14/2019
New York Times reporter Richtel (A Deadly Wandering ) takes on “one of the world’s most complex organic systems” in this entertaining survey of the science of immunology. In punchy prose (“Picture a festival—a wide-open, take-all-comers bash. This is life inside your body”), Richtel covers the history of research into the field, including Jacques Miller’s thymectomies on mice in the 1950s and ’60s, which led to the discovery of T cells, a key immune system component; Peter Doherty’s more recent work on the major histocompatibility complex or MHC, “the single most varied or polymorphic of all human genes”; and, in the ’90s, the contributions of multiple scientists to HIV research. He also provides close-ups on the case histories of four people, including two women suffering from autoimmune disorders, interwoven through discussions of myriad present-day concerns: the recent spike in allergies in children; the dangers of overprescribed antibiotics; the problems that modern, antiseptic, and stress-filled lifestyles pose for the immune system; and the growing importance of monoclonal antibody therapeutics. In the course of examining “the broader environment surrounding our immune systems,” Richtel creates a hard-to-put-down account of the body’s first line of defense. Agent: Laurie Liss, Sterling Lord Literistic. (Mar.)
Remarkable. … Richtel is a gifted storyteller. … A story about cutting-edge science, humanely told.
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.
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.
Richtel approaches this essential subject with awe, his writing meticulous and empathic.
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
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.
Vividly told. ... Explicates for the lay reader the intricate biology of our immune system. ... Richtel succeeds in this formidable task.
"Books like An Elegant Defense give mainstream readers insights into that process, insights that run deeper than those a textbook might provide. When we understand how science really works, perhaps we will be a bit less susceptible to anti-scientific seductions. Richtel’s elegant analogies and compelling human stories will help us remember the basic concepts of modern immunology long after the jargon and acronyms have been forgotten."
Plumbs the enormous impact of the human immune system. … Despite the topic’s staggering complexity… the heart and craft of a fine storyteller emerges most memorably.
Award-winning reporter Matt Richtel examines the scientific and human realities of immune anomaly through four case studies. … Through these harrowing accounts, Richtel interweaves the research history.
“Best Science Picks” Nature
A deeply reported and entertainingly written exploration of the human immune system and how it works.
USA Today (”5 Books Not to Miss”)
A mind-blowing page-turner with moving yet playful human dramas.
A remarkable journey of exploration inside the human body. … Richly informative and engaging. … Eminently readable and with so many important takeaways, An Elegant Defense is well worth one’s investment of time.
Enlightening. … Readers who suffer from challenged immune systems will welcome validation for the physical and emotional trials they endure, gain deeper understanding of their ailments, and find hope for the future. Readers who are interested in the human body’s capacity to both harm or heal itself will be fascinated.
New York Journal of Books
A deeply reported and entertainingly written exploration of the human immune system and how it works.
USA Today ("5 Books Not to Miss")
An engaging deep dive into our immune system.
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.
Fred Sanders’s narration provides a comforting yet informed tone to Richtel’s fascinating discussion of the human immune system, the biological realities of humanity, and why some suffer illness while others stay healthy despite their environments. Throughout, Richtel’s audiobook is anchored by four compelling stories of individuals negotiating medical challenges, including a healthy, active woman hit with rheumatoid arthritis and a free-wheeling optimist facing lymphoma. The case scenarios provide listeners with a human perspective on the dynamic nature of the immune system, which Richtel describes as “the festival of life.” Rooted in evidenced-based research, Richtel’s compelling audiobook is enhanced by Sanders’s inviting performance and is accessible to curious listeners. S.P.C. © AudioFile 2019, Portland, Maine
Fred Sanders’s narration provides a comforting yet informed tone to Richtel’s fascinating discussion of the human immune system, the biological realities of humanity, and why some suffer illness while others stay healthy despite their environments. Throughout, Richtel’s audiobook is anchored by four compelling stories of individuals negotiating medical challenges, including a healthy, active woman hit with rheumatoid arthritis and a free-wheeling optimist facing lymphoma. The case scenarios provide listeners with a human perspective on the dynamic nature of the immune system, which Richtel describes as “the festival of life.” Rooted in evidenced-based research, Richtel’s compelling audiobook is enhanced by Sanders’s inviting performance and is accessible to curious listeners. S.P.C. © AudioFile 2019, Portland, Maine
★ 2019-01-13
An expert examination of the immune system and recent impressive advances in treating immune diseases.
Scientists describe the brain as the most complex organ, but novelist and Pulitzer Prize-winning New York Times journalist Richtel (A Deadly Wandering: A Tale of Tragedy and Redemption in the Age of Attention , 2014, etc.) maintains that our immune system gives it a run for its money. Around 3.5 billion years ago, the earliest cells developed means to identify alien threats and (usually) fight them off. As organisms evolved greater complexity, their immune systems kept pace with mammals, humans included, which possess a dazzling collection of organs, tissues, wandering cells, DNA, messengers, and chemicals keeping watch on our "festival of life." "The thymus makes T cells," writes the author. "The bone marrow is the origin of B cells….The T cells, when alerted by dendritic cells, behave as soldiers, spitting out cytokines; the B cells use antibodies to connect to antigens as if they are keys in search of a lock. Macrophages, neutrophils, and natural killer cells roam the body, tasting, exploring, and killing." In the first of many jolts, Richtel downplays the claims of enthusiasts who urge us to attain the strongest possible immune system. Immunity resembles less a comic-book superhero than a trigger-happy police force, equally capable of smiting villains and wreaking havoc on innocent bystanders. To illustrate, the author devotes equal space to its role in fending off threats (infections, cancer) and attacking healthy tissues during allergies and autoimmune diseases such as asthma, diabetes, colitis, rheumatoid arthritis, and lupus. Scientific breakthroughs in producing specific antibodies have led to spectacularly effective—if toxic and wildly expensive—treatments for many. A newsman's truism insists that readers love articles that include real people, so the author introduces us to four. All illustrate the good and bad features of modern immunotherapy, but the courses of their diseases are too bizarre to be typical.
Richtel illuminates a complex subject so well that even physicians will learn.
