The Beautiful Cure

By Daniel M Davis
Review by Emily (Biochemistry)

Why is it better for men to be vaccinated in the morning? Why is a child in Russia less likely to have an autoimmune disease than a child in Finland? And why can some people fight off cancer with only their immune system?

All these questions, along with a brief history of the landmark discoveries in immunology, are neatly packaged up in The Beautiful Cure. It is clearly written, engaging, and also provides a high level of detail, making it fairly easy to pick up points that you find interesting and research them further!

The book is divided into two sections. The first focuses on the history of immunology and gives a general overview of how our current understanding was developed. Starting with Charles Janeway’s work, which is considered to have helped to create the modern field of innate immunology, Davis gives a narrative of many of the breakthrough discoveries in immunology, using these to piece together a general picture of the immune system. The second section picks up on questions that have only recently been answered, or only partially answered, and finally ends with some of the big unanswered questions that research still needs to solve.

The Beautiful Cure develops the understanding of the immune system you can get from A-Level or GCSE Biology and extends it so much further, demonstrating the intricacies of a delicately balanced system that we all take for granted. It gives both a basic overview of the field while at the same time exploring specific areas in great detail. This detail can be a bit overwhelming at times, but you don’t need to understand it all in order to enjoy the book. Whether you’re reading it because you are interested in the history of science, or to try and answer some of the questions you might have about immunology, it’s a captivating journey, written with clarity and understanding that brings this fascinating part of biology to life. I would fully recommend it to anyone with even the slightest interest!

The Beautiful Cure: Harnessing Your Body’s Natural Defences by Daniel M Davis
ISBN-10 : 1847923747
ISBN-13 : 978-1847923745

Try checking the availability of this book at your school or local library or explore second hand bookshops and websites. You may also wish to purchase from either Amazon or Blackwell’s.

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