At War Within: The Double-Edged Sword of Immunity (Paperback)

by William R. Clark (Author)
Key Phrases: dialogue between the brain, primary immune deficiencies, baboon liver, United States, Baby Fae, The Immunology of Self-Destruction (more...)

Editorial Reviews

From Library Journal
Today the news informs us that our collective health is under attack. Tuberculosis is on the resurgence, AIDS continues its onslaught, and allergies plague many people. Clark, who teaches immunology at UCLA, unites these subjects and others in a lucid discussion of our body's immune system. Devoting each chapter to a unique malady or condition, he provides the details needed to understand our immune structure, particularly when it unravels and turns on itself. These details do not overwhelm the general reader's grasp of the topic; instead they support it. Clark's presentation is straightforward, arranged well, and includes historical background. Highly recommended for all collections.?Michael David Cramer, Virginia Polytechnic Inst. & State Univ. Libs., Blacksburg
Copyright 1996 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

From Booklist
The immune system is a lifesaver, but it can overkill--that is, attack its possessor's friends as well as its enemies. Clark explains this highly technical subject clearly; nevertheless, readers will have to actively cogitate as they read. The brain and the immune system are the only parts of the body that have memory, and the immune system's can become confused if the signals it receives are unclear or if it misinterprets them. In such situations, autoimmune diseases occur, also the assaults on the body related to AIDS as well as to other infections. The immune system is basically bipartite, consisting of B cells and antibodies on the one hand, of T cells and lymphokines on the other; as knowledge of these two systems has grown, theories about them have changed accordingly. Although microbial pathogens can mutate incredibly quickly, immunologic diversity enables speedy response to virtually any form of attacker. Clark sees communication between the brain and the immune system as the most fascinating aspect of the complex, vitally important part of our being that the immune system is. William Beatty --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 288 pages
• Publisher: Oxford University Press, USA (May 29, 1997)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0195115686
• ISBN-13: 978-0195115680
• Product Dimensions: 8.4 x 5.5 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 13.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #388,999 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

13 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Clark is a gem., June 14, 2001

By	Earl Dennis (San Francisco, California United States) - See all my reviews

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.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Our Immune System: A Mixed Blessing., December 16, 2004

By	wry and mighty (Davis, CA) - See all my reviews

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!

14 of 18 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars It made knowing the body so easy I was a professor when done, March 19, 1999

By A Customer

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.