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Immune
NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • A gorgeously illustrated deep dive into the immune system that will forever change how you think about your body, from the creator of the popular science YouTube channel Kurzgesagt—In a Nutshell
“Through wonderful analogies and a genius for clarifying complex ideas, Immune is a truly brilliant introduction to the human body’s vast system for fighting infections and other threats.”—John Green, #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Fault in Our Stars
You wake up and feel a tickle in your throat. Your head hurts. You’re mildly annoyed as you get the kids ready for school and dress for work yourself. Meanwhile, an epic war is being fought, just below your skin. Millions are fighting and dying for you to be able to complain as you head out the door.
But most of us never really stop to ask: What even is our immune system?
Second only to the human brain in its complexity, it is one of the oldest and most critical facets of life on Earth. Without it, you would die within days. In Immune, Philipp Dettmer, the brains behind the most popular science channel on YouTube, takes readers on a journey through the fortress of the human body and its defenses. There is a constant battle of staggering scale raging within us, full of stories of invasion, strategy, defeat, and noble self-sacrifice. In fact, in the time you’ve been reading this, your immune system has probably identified and eradicated a cancer cell that started to grow in your body.
Each chapter delves into an element of the immune system, including defenses like antibodies and inflammation as well as threats like bacteria, allergies, and cancer, as Dettmer reveals why boosting your immune system is actually nonsense, how parasites sneak their way past your body’s defenses, how viruses work, and what goes on in your wounds when you cut yourself.
Enlivened by engaging full-color graphics and immersive descriptions, Immune turns one of the most intricate, interconnected, and confusing subjects—immunology—into a gripping adventure through an astonishing alien landscape. Immune is a vital and remarkably fun crash course in what is arguably, and increasingly, the most important system in the body.
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Reviews
Love the book and the illustrations included in depicting the immune system/cells. I absolutely love the Kurzgesagt channel and can’t wait to read their next book.
By Arredondo567
This is hands down one of the best books I’ve listened to (Audible). It was well written and full of hilarious analogies that truly make it hard to forget. I’ve recommended this book to a lot of people and find myself talking about it frequently. If you love all of the great wonders of science such as cells, this is a fantastic read.
By Rchl91
I imagine the feeling or reading a book like this that is simple enough to understand, yet complex enough to incite further curiosity and spark interest in a whole new topic; all while knowing that this is barely scratching the surface of what you are truly beholding. Is very similar to the feeling a normal person felt while reading Euclid’s compendium of mathematics. This is a book for the ages.
By hberumen
I find myself so excited to read this every morning. It’s so easy to read, and everything is explained so simply. Great for children and adults alike. I highly recommend to every human being.
By ReviewByEliW
Transforms a daunting subject into a captivating read, expertly unraveling the complexities of immunology with engaging narratives and innovative metaphors. It was a joy for me, start to finish. It's a remarkable feat of science communication.
By YostFx