Immune

August 1, 2017

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 Journal, LLC Used with permission.

Starred review from September 4, 2017
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.

September 1, 2017
A British immunologist explores "the incredible arsenal that lives within us and how it kills off a plethora of diseases, from the common cold to the plague."Currently a health policy researcher at Harvard, Carver begins with our "innate" immune system, the cells and chemicals that roam the bloodstream or are found on cell surfaces or in secretions like tears or saliva. They're also in the stomach making hydrochloric acid, which spells death for invading bacteria, and even populate ear wax, which exists to eliminate bacteria and remove debris. In the bloodstream, neutrophils and macrophages are on patrol to seek and destroy the enemy. They are aided by whole families of circulating proteins that are able to destroy invaders as well as a population of chemical messengers that orchestrate events, including the triggering of inflammation. There are also inherited proteins that serve as bar codes to tell immune cells to ignore them because they not foreign. Without that identification or a good match, a transplanted organ will be rejected and necessitate immunosuppressant drugs. Carver ably explains it all, including why a fetus is not rejected during pregnancy or why a transplant sometimes attacks its host. The author then moves on to the "adaptive" immune system, comprised of T cells that learn, remember, and can kill specific pathogens or cancer cells, and the B cells, which generate disease-specific antibodies. Catastrophe occurs when the immune system goes into overdrive, which can lead to allergies, autoimmune disease, or even death. Carver agrees that allergies may be on the rise given the hygiene hypothesis--i.e., our overly sanitized lives. She also decries the growth of antibiotic resistance. In the final chapter, she points to some new approaches to killing bacteria, including the use of bacteriophages, viruses that infect bacteria, to do the dirty work. Not easy going for general readers given the depth, breadth, and detail Carver brings to a complex subject, but credit her for the wits--and wittiness--she uses to enlighten us.

COPYRIGHT(2017) Kirkus Reviews, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

October 15, 2017
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 unnervingfor 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 discussion of some promising areas for drug research that are crucial in an era of antibiotic-resistant infections.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2017, American Library Association.)