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At War Within: The Double-Edged Sword of Immunity

Average customer rating:

Should have read this one a long time ago!
Our Immune System: A Mixed Blessing.
Clark is a gem.
It made knowing the body so easy I was a professor when done

At War Within: The Double-Edged Sword of Immunity
William R. Clark
Manufacturer: Oxford University Press, USA
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | History & Philosophy | Science | Subjects | Books

Immunology | Basic Science | Medicine | Subjects | Books

General | Medicine | Subjects | Books

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ASIN: 0195115686

Book Description

In the seventeenth century, smallpox reigned as the world's worst killer. Luck, more than anything else, decided who would live and who would die. That is, until Lady Mary Wortley Montagu, an English aristocrat, moved to Constantinople and noticed the Turkish practice of "ingrafting" or inoculation, which, she wrote, made "the small- pox...entirely harmless." Convinced by what she witnessed, she allowed her six-year-old son to be ingrafted, and the treatment was a complete success--the young Montagu enjoyed lifelong immunity from smallpox. Lady Montagu's discovery would, however, remain a quiet one; it would be almost 150 years before inoculation (in the more modern form of vaccination) would become widely accepted while the medical community struggled to understand the way our bodies defend themselves against disease. William Clark's At War Within takes us on a fascinating tour through the immune system, examining the history of its discovery, the ways in which it protects us, and how it may bring its full force to bear at the wrong time or in the wrong place. Scientists have only gradually come to realize that this elegant defense system not only has the potential to help, as in the case of smallpox, but also the potential to do profound harm in health problems ranging from allergies to AIDS, and from organ transplants to cancer. Dr. Clark discusses the myriad of medical problems involving the immune system, and he systematically explains each one. For example, in both tuberculosis and AIDS, the underlying pathogens take up residence within the immune system itself, something Clark compares to having a prowler take up residence in your house, crawling around through the walls and ceilings while waiting to do you in. He discusses organ transplants, showing how the immune system can work far too well, and touching on the heated ethical debate over the use of both primate and human organs. He explores the mind's powerful ability to influence the performance of the immune system; and the speculation that women, because they have developed more powerful immune systems in connection with childbearing, are more prone than men to contract certain diseases such as lupus. In a fascinating chapter on AIDS, arguably the most deadly epidemic seen on Earth since the smallpox, Clark explains how the disease originated and the ways in which it operates. And, in each section, we learn about the most recent medical breakthroughs. At first glance, it may appear that our immune system faces daunting odds; it must learn to successfully fend off, not thousands, but millions of different types of microbes. Fortunately, according to Clark, it would be almost impossible to imagine a more elegant strategy for our protection than the one chosen by our immune system, and his At War Within provides a thorough and engaging explanation of this most complex and delicately balanced mechanism.

Customer Reviews:

Should have read this one a long time ago!.......2006-08-03

This was one of those books I purchased quite a while ago when I was in an HIV lab and I put it aside, and never quite got around to reading it. In the midst of a summer heatwave where I didn't want to go out to the library, and was browsing for something I hadn't read, I got back to this book. And...what a book it is!!! Immunology can be one of the most mind-boggling difficult things to understand, yet Clark, who is obviously at the forefront of this area of medicine, really knows how to make this information accessible to even the least scientifically-minded laymen.

I actually pick up the book and was looking at something specific in the middle of the book. I couldn't put it down again til I read the rest of the book and then went back and read the first part of the book. It still made sense, and that's not easy to do coming into a science like this. This book should be required reading for all those in immunology or any of the side fields that end up using antibodies in their work, like we did to determine what type of growth factors were being churned out by the introduction of HIV to nerve and astrocytes. It makes the work much more understandable and interesting to those doing the technical work. It would be great if they could get Clark to update the book if he is around, with what new information has been discovered over the last few years in this field.

This is also a must-read for anyone interested for self or family members undergoing autoimmune problems, as it explains why the body would turn around and attack itself. Since so many diseases are being determined to have an autoimmune part (as well as a trigger from a virus or bacteria) this becomes essential reading.

Earl Dennis' review of this book is also a must-read, as I agree with everything he says and he says it so humorously!

Karen SAdler

Our Immune System: A Mixed Blessing........2004-12-16

Clark's description of the war being waged within all of us demarcates the front lines: where our immune system (however functional or dysfunctional it may be) must constantly react to foreign microorganisms and our own cells. Not only does Clark discuss congenital immune diseases that leave some of us in various states of vulnerability, he also goes into detail about allergies, asthma, TB, viral hepatitis B, and other diseases in which the immune system wreaks havoc in the body, causing more damage than the intruding antigens.

Prior to his description of the war within, he provides a brief history of vaccination and an overview of the immune system's anatomy. The second half of the book contains chapters on the devastation of AIDS, the ethical dilemmas surrounding immunosuppresants and organ transplantation, and an insightful description of the electrochemical dialogue between the brain and immune system. The final chapter of the book explains how immunological thought developed during the 20th century, culminating in Burnet's clonal selection theory - which explains how we can protect ourselves (usually) against a seemingly infinite universe of pathogens without destroying our own bodies (usually). Great read, great book!

Clark is a gem........2001-06-14

Most neurosurgeons and astrophysicists are busy constructing the future. Some of these overacheivers suffer from a mild mental disorder called hypergraphia and compulsively write stuff down. Fortunately Dr. William Clark suffers from hypergraphia and we benefit hugely because we can look into his mind by reading his books, and what a view it is. This book is essentially about mammalian immunology. Immunology is an odd subject to get because its quite dynamic, meaning its operation is determined by a wide array of parts. Clark's book is short, sweet and to the point. He covers the basics and proceeds with case studies that bring the lay reader close to his profession without having to spend years in postdoc research doing so. His opening account of the rancerous competition between France's Louis Pasteur and Germany's Robert Koch is fantastic reading for the bonified dork. Most interestingly, Clark primes us with some genetic engineering technique in his marvelous description of SCID, severe combined immune deficiency, and its concomitant 'magic bullet' cure based on the gene therapy associated with a monogenetic disorder; interesting stuff here. His coverage of autoimmune disorders alone makes this brief, action packed essay worth the price. Clark makes the mind numbing world of immunology a little bit friendlier here.

It made knowing the body so easy I was a professor when done.......1999-03-19

This is a fantastic book if you want to begin to know how your body and immune system work. From colds to cancer, It simplified and helped me to know how to begin the course of a natural cure. It put years of study about disease in real focus.

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The Traitor Within (Sword Series)
Alan Savage
Manufacturer: Severn House Publishers
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

Contemporary | General | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books

Historical | Genre Fiction | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books

War | Genre Fiction | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books
ASIN: 0727854097

Book Description

Sicily, 1943. After the glorious victory at El Alamein, Warrey's military record boasts an enviable string of accolades -- even praise from Monty himself. Which is why British Intelligence cannot afford to let him go to waste -- particularly when there are signs of Italian unrest to be exploited. Such underground turmoil, if properly co-ordinated, could well mean the end of the volatile accord between II Duce and the Reich. So, with the coldly beautiful Annaliese Copparo posing as his wife, Warrey must somehow unite the partisans in Northern Italy in time for the Allied invasion of Sicily on 10 July.

But Warrey's mission has an unwelcome observer. Someone who has served -- and suffered -- by his side before: Margo Cartwright cannot forget the cruel contrast between Warrey's decoration and her own demotion. Disillusioned and resentful, she has every reason now to desire his downfall, and with her background, she could be incredibly useful to certain people. Those people who were once the enemy...

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A New Life
Great Read
AWESOME BOOK!

A Sword Within
Greg Allen O'Neal
Manufacturer: PublishAmerica
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Anthologies | Poetry | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books

General | Poetry | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books
ASIN: 1413738206

Book Description

A Sword Within is a collection of poetry about the sword within us all (the human soul). Defeating loss of love, faith, and physical strength, and only having his soul as his own personal sword within, the writer allows you to take a glance at his own spiritual path. You will be deeply inspired with a more enlightened view of the world as you get lost within these pages. Read these symbolic words from the writer of his loss of almost everything and how his sword within allowed him to regain himself and to possess, once again, his faith in love and his will to live. Use these symbolic works for entertainment and to also help you discover your own personal sword within to conquer over your own fear and doubts. A Sword Within shall surely take you on a symbolic flight into the wisdom, love, and joy within everyone's spirit.

Customer Reviews:

A New Life.......2006-03-04

This young man has discovered a life without fear through his poetry. His poems will touch your heart and make you realize that to know life is to know joy. His poetry will make you laugh and it will make you cry, but you will become a better person by reading it.

Great Read.......2005-05-18

This book was really great. Theres certain books that you walk away from with a feeling of hope and promise. This is definately one of them. Very moving. It's an inspiration and a must read!

AWESOME BOOK!.......2004-11-26

This is an amazing book. This author takes you on a journey through love, life and dealing with something that you cannot control. His poetry screams with emtion and makes you as the reader FEEL and EXPERIENCE the pitfals, the bounce backs and the feeling of perpecual motion and growth that he conveys so well. I found this author to be both intellegent and well spoken and cant wait to see more work by him in the future!

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At War Within : The Double-Edged Sword of Immunity
William R. Clark
Manufacturer: Oxford University Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000OK80H6

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