Immune - Philipp Dettmer

Immune

By Philipp Dettmer

  • Release Date: 2021-11-02
  • Genre: Life Sciences
Score: 4.5
4.5
From 120 Ratings

Description

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.

Reviews

  • What an amazing read!

    5
    By BecauseImEliana
    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.
  • Characteristic Dettmer Wit

    5
    By YostFx
    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.
  • Amazing Book

    5
    By heuehbdhrhdh
    Before I read this book, I knew little to nothing about the immune system. After, however, I felt like I’m an expert in immunology (I’m definitely not). Even with all the simplicity, it was very complex at times. Personally, I like complex things, so this book was a blast to read. Also, I have watched many videos produced by Kurzgesagt, and they’re pretty specific and complex, while also being easy to understand. I would highly suggest you go watch there videos (and maybe hit the Subscribe button?). Thank you Kurzgesagt and Philipp
  • SUPA DUPA GOOD!!!

    5
    By ryansharky13
    I really like how you put a hard to draw picture into a good easy picture people like a kid can understand! I loved reading it and I learned a lot about it!
  • Awesome!

    4
    By Political Revolution
    I absolutely adore and have a great respect for how complicated and complex, yet beautiful evolution made our immune system. Given that, I am a graduate student studying cancer so I found it a fun way to refresh on my immunology concepts!! However, the analogies did get a little dramatic at times, but still fun!!
  • Easy and educational

    4
    By JA2023
    The author’s use of metaphors were a bit distracting initially but later I understood they were an important part of the narrative. For instance, appreciating the number of immune related parts in one drop of blood gave me more insights on how to read an allergen test in context. All in all, an easy and educational read.
  • an engineers review

    4
    By jakedma1
    Pretty decent easy read
  • Simply Amazing!!!

    5
    By WhateverNameIsFineOMG
    This book, after I read pages of the sample version, I think I am ready for an unprecedented journey of my own defense system... Came from the video
  • Amazing

    5
    By Glitch Alerts
    This is a Truly Amazing Book
  • Very well written

    5
    By Mark VY
    I’m about one thirds of the way through; its fun and I’m learning a lot

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