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From highly respected microbiologist and the creator of the YouTube sensation “Dumb Ways to Die,” comes this exploration of the immune system, what keeps it running, and how germs are destroyed…
So how come we’re not dead yet? In this lively and accessible book, Idan Ben-Barak tells us why. He explores the immune system and what keeps it running, how germs are destroyed, and why we develop immunities to certain disease-causing agents. He also examines the role of antibiotics and vaccines, and looks at what the future holds for our collective chances of not being dead.
This is entertaining and thoughtful science writing to inspire the student interested in a career in medicine or immunology, or to inform the reader who just wants to understand more about their body while having a laugh along the way.
“This surprisingly ambitious, eminently accessible book brilliantly summarizes the essential features of the immune system for a lay audience. The quirky humor masks an underlying authority and competence. The work is right up to date, even incorporating recent Nobel Prize winning insights into the evolutionarily ancient innate immune system. It is a triumph of popular medical science.”
—Sir Gustav Nossal, former Chairman of the Strategic Advisory Council of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation Children's Vaccine Program
“An accessible account of a complex and important topic.”
—Prof. Peter C. Doherty, Nobel Prize Winner
“The book is hilarious in a science-nerd kind of way, and the personal notations and anecdotes from Ben-Barak put a real human touch on information that can sometimes come off as clinical and complex.”
—Adventures in Poor Taste
“[F]riendly and engaging…accessible to anyone who's curious about the mechanics of the human body.”
—The Age
Introduction
1. Encounter Time
2. Developmental Time
3. Evolutionary Time
4. Research Time
5. Intervention Time
Epilogue: Future Time
Acknowledgements
Glossary
Further Reading