AN ELEGANT DEFENSE by Matt Richtel

Magnificently reported and soulfully crafted, An Elegant Defense is an epic, first-of-its-kind exploration of the human immune system and the secrets of health, by the Pulitzer Prize–winning New York Times journalist

“One of those rare nonfiction books that transcends the genre. ... Fascinating and engrossing. ... I highly recommend this extraordinary book.” —DOUGLAS PRESTON

“Vividly told. ... Explicates for the lay reader the intricate biology of our immune system." —JEROME GROOPMAN, New York Review of Books

A terminal cancer patient rises from the grave. A medical marvel defies HIV. Two women with autoimmunity discover their own bodies have turned against them. Matt Richtel's An Elegant Defense uniquely entwines these intimate stories with science’s centuries-long quest to unlock the mysteries of sickness and health, and illuminates the immune system as never before.

The immune system is our body’s essential defense network, a guardian vigilantly fighting illness, healing wounds, maintaining order and balance, and keeping us alive. Its legion of microscopic foot soldiers—from T cells to “natural killers”—patrols our body, linked by a nearly instantaneous communications grid. It has been honed by evolution over millennia to face an almost infinite array of threats.

For all its astonishing complexity, however, the immune system can be easily compromised by fatigue, stress, toxins, advanced age, and poor nutrition—hallmarks of modern life—and even by excessive hygiene. Paradoxically, it is a fragile wonder weapon that can turn on our own bodies with startling results, leading today to epidemic levels of autoimmune disorders.

Richtel effortlessly guides readers on a scientific detective tale winding from the Black Plague to twentieth-century breakthroughs in vaccination and antibiotics, to the cutting-edge laboratories that are revolutionizing immunology—perhaps the most extraordinary and consequential medical story of our time. The foundation that Richtel builds makes accessible revelations about cancer immunotherapy, the microbiome, and autoimmune treatments that are changing millions of lives. An Elegant Defense also captures in vivid detail how these powerful therapies, along with our behavior and environment, interact with the immune system, often for the good but always on a razor’s edge that can throw this remarkable system out of balance.

Drawing on his groundbreaking reporting for the New York Times and based on extensive new interviews with dozens of world-renowned scientists, Matt Richtel has produced a landmark book, equally an investigation into the deepest riddles of survival and a profoundly human tale that is movingly brought to life through the eyes of his four main characters, each of whom illuminates an essential facet of our “elegant defense.”

[virtuosodm]

Just heard this guy make a statement on the coast to coast radio program, although he does make some logical statements about "creativity" on the radio program.He make a statement that was very bizzare and perplexing to me, He said that he, would argue that" we are in the most creative "era" in our history"(?), First of all, before he said this they were talking a good amount about music/art, etc...I myself having been a very serious instrumental musician for decades, understand the Art of music very well in terms mostly of Creativity, which can really only be understood to a high degree by those whom have dedicated thousands of ungodly hours dedicated to transcribing, writing, committing to memory, executing, etc...various genres of music in many different aspects of skill/technique, inspired, artistic phrasings of chords, notes, etc...That can really only come from one who has learned to be "at one" with the "inner ear" we all have, but many, including musicians fail to tap into, simply because it is work, a meditative process, if you will, that requires a form of wirk/discipline All that being said, His comment is 180° off.Music in general, whether it being mainstream popular music or the less popular(for obvious reasons, people not having the insight, intellect, etc) very Artistic and/or complex genres of music, are really not very creative at all nowadays.The Classical music being written nowadays by modern composers is unlistenable to someone like myself who resonates with what music should be about( in my opinion), beauty, harmony, melody, order of notes, along with conviction, emotion, etc....same thing with most popular, trendy music.The problem with today's music is exactly that, lack of creativity, due to laziness.This is why rap type of "music" is so popular.Anybody, can write words that rhyme, and press start on a dtum machine, and not really put much thought or work into it.Even Classical or Jazz or other forms of highly skilled music/musician have a certain degree of technique and/or knowledge of their genre, and possess maturity in their playing, emotion, etc... but the phrasings of their notes are usually very "empty", or cliche, monotonous, etc ..Back in the 18th century in the Baroque period J S Bach was composing Artistic music in the highest order that I myself have ever heard, on a skilled and Artistically inspired level, as well as many other composers before and after him, many different times in our "known" history, there have been highly Artistic people in music in many different genres, The 80's was at an all time high in my opinion, as far as popular music goes, more than any other time in the United States of our "known" history.Even Artists of antiquity are usually prized more than modern artists in other artistic fields such as painting, sculpture, etc....It seems that way, but then again, people are nostalgic and jump on band wagons, etc....There are "trends" everywhere.So I do not say myself that those Artists of paintings, sculptures, authors, etc....are superior to modern day artists if those types, because I simply am not schooled in those fields.But I am in music, Hence my statements about music.I know I have went off on a rant about th e initial statement and geared it towards Art in music, but it just bothers me when people make statement that are either completely wrong, because they're ignorant, or they just simply didn't elaborate specifically on their subjective statement.Now if he was referring to technology, then I would agree to a certain degree that technology is at a highly creative time, but then again, one must take into consideration that all this technology was a process of learning and utilizing other people's slow progression of scientific and engineering developments over many years, or due to just a few geniuses that raised the bar for everyone else to base what they have to learn and work from, and that does not make the people of today more "creative", it only means that they have more advanced, user friendly tooks, ideas, technological bases to wirk from at their starting point.Overall, considering all of this truly insightful way of logically looking at his original statement, I'd say that I can argue that we are at one of the lowest points in our "known" history, when it comes to creativity in general terms.

[clavo]

The biome is a wonderful thing to learn about by reading Richtell's 409 page book. It's like every person is actually two people; their DNA self and their bacterial Biome self; and then, that biome self is two biomes! The book could use a few illustrations to ease the understanding of how things attach to cells but I made my own illustrations in the margins and that works great on the re-read. You know of course that you cannot read for understanding on the first read; right? It takes 3 readings for a good understanding one to familiarize yourself with the material and look up unfamiliar words (i counted 95 and there isn't a glossary with this book because Richtel sort of defines as he goes along); a second time to make sure the things you underlined on the first read make sense. Finally a third time to see if you really agree with the inferences of the author and the thinking of the subjects: people, doctors in this case, in the book. I've come up with my own unique insights but there's no one to tell. After learning, from the book, what huge money some of the medical companies are making; they aint getting it for free from me! Maybe I'll patent my understood method.

[johndorflinger]

As I'm waiting to go into Duke health for a stem cell transplant, this is the best read on Earth.