“A hard-to-put-down account of the body’s first line of defense.”

'Richtel illuminates a complex subject so well that even physicians will learn.' “Richtel approaches this essential subject with awe, his writing meticulous and empathic.”

Publisher: William Morrow (March 12, 2019) Joining the ranks of The Emperor of All Maladies and I Contain Multitudes, An Elegant Defense is an exhilarating and wondrous exploration of the immune system that transforms our knowledge of the human body and offers advice to help improve wellness. An Elegant Defense is the first work of popular science to look at this vital human system that is as complex and intricate as the brain yet remains widely misunderstood. He also warns that we are weakening the system that protects us: rather than trusting the bodies’ natural defenses, many people turn to antibacterial soaps, immune boosters, and other products, resulting in the development of dangerous drug-resistant microbes that threaten health. Providing a clear look at the forces that drive survival and the body’s evolutionary history, Richtel details how immunologists are advancing medical breakthroughs illuminates the close connection between the immune system and mental health, beauty, and weight examines the latest findings about diet and nutrition on immunity and offers us a glimpse of a future in which we lead longer, more comfortable lives. The result has been an explosion of autoimmune disorders. While modern life has freed us from many of the diseases that plagued humans in the past, it also puts unprecedented stress on the very system that keeps us healthy. He also explains how, sometimes, this wondrous system that is our first line of defense can become a threat, attacking our organs and other systems. In this vivid narrative, Richtel builds on his acclaimed stories on immunotherapy in the New York Times, combining the latest science with interviews and engaging anecdotes from the world’s leading researchers to reveal how the body marshals its forces to fight bacteria, viruses, parasites, and tumors.

Richtel uses the stories of these four people to tell the incredible story of the human immune system. Two “invisible” women suffering the frustration and pain of autoimmunity. An HIV patient considered a medical marvel.

An elegant defence