An Elegant Defense: The Extraordinary New Science of the Immune System: A Tale in Four Lives

by Matt Richtel

Pulitzer Prize winning author Matt Richtel puts his journalistic expertise to an exploration of the complex subject of human immunology

Having just recently read and reviewed the excellent book, “A Journey into the Mysterious System That Keeps You Alive” by Philipp Dettmer, I was skeptical that author Richtel’s book would tell me something I didn’t know.

Whereas author Dettmer takes an in-depth look at the human immunity system, author Richtel describes the journeys of several patients and concentrates on his childhood friend who has lymphoma.

What I most enjoyed was the history of the discovery of immunology and some of its secrets. While I was familiar with the details of immunology, I wasn’t aware of all the scientists and their contributions.

I found that the book started out slow and honestly, had I not been interested in the subject, I probably would have abandoned it. However, I can say that I’m glad I stuck with it because I eventually found it a worth-while read.

An Elegant Defense: The Extraordinary New Science of the Immune System: A Tale in Four Lives isn’t for everyone but if you have a curiosity about immunology, you’ll likely enjoy this read.

4/5 stars

Review posted: 03/02/2022