Immune, Philipp Dettmer
Immune, Philipp Dettmer
30 Rating(s)
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Immune
A Journey into the Mysterious System That Keeps You Alive

Bestseller

Author: Philipp Dettmer

Narrator: Steve Taylor

Unabridged: 10 hr 28 min

Format: Digital Audiobook Download

Published: 11/02/2021


Synopsis

A 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.
 
So what, exactly, is your 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 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

Goodreads review by Allyson on July 29, 2021

When it comes to books on medical subjects, I tend to be a snob. Consequently, it is rare that I will give a medical book a five star rating (last one was Emperor of All Maladies) but this book deserves it. To say that I loved this book is an understatement. Immunity is a very complicated subject bec......more

Why do you have allergies? It might be because your ancestors were infested with parasitic worms. Humanity evolved as one ingredient in a thick, hearty stew of life but today most of us live in a thin broth. We are mostly healthier as a result, but our immune system long ago reached a détente with a......more

Goodreads review by David on June 16, 2022

The human immune system is very complex. So complex, that the author starts out by writing, "The immune system is too complicated for you to understand so I'm going to talk down to you." What a statement! And it's true--the writing is definitely easy to understand, because all of the interactions an......more

Goodreads review by Erin on August 22, 2021

The immune system is unfathomably complex, but Philipp Dettmer made it a delight to learn about. Just like the Kurzgesagt videos, this book uses colorful art, clear explanations, enchanting metaphors, and a dash of wit to express the elaborate, beautiful symphony of the immune system. The stories and......more

Goodreads review by Mircea on December 21, 2023

Sistemul imunitar uman este foarte complex. E alcătuit din mai multe componente care lucrează împreună, își modifică activitatea și se coordonează una cu cealalta. Poate că este nevoie de această complexitate, având în vedere rolurile și funcțiile pe care trebuie să le îndeplinească. Sistemul imunit......more


Quotes

Immune is science communication at its most lucid and exhilarating, a tour de force of demystification. Dettmer maintains an intimate relationship with the reader while revealing the Homeric dramas that routinely unfold within us. It has a vivid clarity that never comes at the expense of the science—or the wonder, as if an entire scientific field had been translated into human.”—Ann Druyan, author of Cosmos: Possible Worlds

“Philipp Dettmer has a unique skill to show us the beauty and complexity of our world as it is revealed through a scientific understanding of it. In Immune he takes us on a tour through our own body and allows us to see and understand how our immune system actually works. A beautiful book about a complex system that our life depends on.”—Max Roser, founder of Our World in Data

Immune reads like it’s a riveting sci-fi novel, as Philipp Dettmer takes you on a journey into the body for an up-close look at the armies of expert warriors, rogue gladiators, and stealthy detectives that protect you in the daily war against trillions of ruthless microbe enemies. By the end of the book, I understood my entire body far better than I ever had before. Immune is a delightful treat for the curious.”—Tim Urban, creator of Wait But Why

“Bringing both insight and humor to an important and relevant topic, Dettmer’s book is essential reading, especially in light of the COVID-19 pandemic.”Library Journal