An Elegant Defense cover art

An Elegant Defense

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

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An Elegant Defense

By: Matt Richtel
Narrated by: Fred Sanders
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About this listen

A magnificently reported and soulfully crafted exploration of the human immune system - the key to health and wellness, life and death. An epic, first-of-its-kind audiobook, entwining leading-edge scientific discovery with the intimate stories of four individual lives, by the Pulitzer Prize-winning New York Times journalist.

“An Elegant Defense by Matt Richtel is one of those rare nonfiction books that transcends the genre. On one level it is a fascinating and engrossing account of the latest, and quite astonishing, discoveries involving the human immune system and how it works. But it is also a story about people facing mortality, about the passion of scientists searching for truth, and a meditation on death and how all of us struggle with the ultimate mystery. Heartfelt and moving, full of compassion, love, and the human drama, this is the work of a writer of high ethical character who is grappling with big issues and deep humanistic problems. What an inspiring and wonderful read. I highly recommend this extraordinary book.” (Douglas Preston, number-one best-selling author of The Lost City of the Monkey God)

©2019 Matt Richtel (P)2019 HarperCollins Publishers Biological Sciences Biology History History & Philosophy Physical Illness & Disease Science Heartfelt Immune System Science

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All stars
Most relevant  
The autor takes on a challenge to explain a complicated immune system to an average person, telling stories of 4 different people. It is a great book, that will leave you with some clues, ideas and sometimes more questions. It is a great wake up call for anyone who has forgotten that our body seeks balance, inside & out!

A great story

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So profound, touching and full of essential knowledge. Very grateful to have found this. Take a bow Matt Richtel

Absolutely outstanding

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I highly recommend this book. It was written pre covid and this makes it even more relevant today.

Supurb book.

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This is a clear and well-written book exploring the immune system through the stories of several people, including a dear friend of the author. Unfortunately I am not a big fan of the human interest backstory to this extent, and worse, didn’t warm to the friend at all. I was expecting something a little more in-depth so it’s not the book for me and I will return it. However, I think it is a good book of its kind.

The reader is very good.

Not what I expected

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