Immunology at a Glance [Paperback]

J.H.L. Playfair (Author), Benjamin Chain (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: October 10, 2005 | ISBN-10: 1405131330 | ISBN-13: 978-1405131339 | Edition: 8

Immunology at a Glance provides a concise, and accessible introduction and revision aid for undergraduate medical and science students. Following the familiar, easy-to-use at a Glance format, each topic is presented as a double-page spread with key facts accompanied by clear, informative line diagrams illustrating the essential points.

This new edition of Immunology at a Glance:

• Contains a second colour throughout to enhance the visual appeal, making the subject even easier to understand
  
• Presents schematic diagrams on the left page and concise explanations of the right, showing the mechanisms involved in immunological processes
  
• Has been thoroughly revised and updated with brand new information on:
  
  
  
  • recognition and receptors
    
  • immunity and clinical medicine.

Immunology at a Glance will continue to appeal to all students of biomedical science and medicine who want a quick, yet thorough grasp of immunology.

Reviews of the last edition

"It is pitched at the right level for 2nd MB students and will also act as a useful reminder to those students embarking on Part IV Pathology."
St. Mary's Hospital Gazette

"Professor Playfair has succeeded in offering a condensed, readable notebook or dictionary of immunology whose greatest worth rests with the simple yet intricate figures which highlight the 34 chapters."
Trends in Biotechnology on the fourth edition

Editorial Reviews

Review

"It is pitched at the right level for 2nd MB students and will also act as a useful reminder to those students embarking on Part IV Pathology." St. Mary's Hospital Gazette

"Professor Playfair has succeeded in offering a condensed, readable notebook or dictionary of immunology whose greatest worth rests with the simple yet intricate figures which highlight the 34 chapters." Trends in Biotechnology on the fourth edition --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Book Description

Immunology at a Glance provides a concise and accessible introduction and revision aid for undergraduate medical and science students. Following the familiar, easy-to-use at a Glance format, each topic is presented as a double-page spread with key facts accompanied by clear, informative line diagrams illustrating the essential points. This new edition of Immunology at a Glance: contains a second colour throughout to enhance the visual appeal and present the subject even more clearly presents schematic diagrams and a brief text on the left page and concise explanations on the right to show the mechanisms involved in immunological processes has been thoroughly revised and updated with new chapters on: recognition and receptors immunity and clinical medicine. Immunology at a Glance will continue to appeal to all students of biomedical science and medicine who want a quick, yet thorough, grasp of immunology.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 104 pages
• Publisher: Wiley-Blackwell; 8 edition (October 10, 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1405131330
• ISBN-13: 978-1405131339
• Product Dimensions: 10.8 x 8.7 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12.3 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 3.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,952,396 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

16 of 16 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars simply excellent, March 29, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: Immunology at a Glance (At a Glance (Blackwell)) (Paperback)

This is complex stuff, and I don't think it could be made any more simple and clear than it is in this book. "At a Glance" does *not* mean that you'll be able to start with zero knowledge of immunology and come away an expert after glancing at this book. It means that it's all here and that each topic is fully covered in the space of two pages. Hence, by just glancing down at the open book you will see an entire survey of, say, "Acute inflammation". There are 41 such topics in all, grouped into several categories: natural immunity, adaptive immunity, potentially useful immunity, undesirable effects of immunity, and altered immunity.

The drawings are, as the author hints in the Preface, worth a million words or so (apiece). Because any given immune activity involves so many different cells, parts of cells, or molecules, the topic is far better understood through sketches of how the parts interact than through words alone. The sketches here are EXCELLENT -- clear, complete, well labeled... In short, just what any student wants. The material is right there in front of you for the pondering.

Each sketch is accompanied by a few paragraphs of text and a list of terms defined.

Here is what the author states in a section titled "How to use this book":

"Each of the figures... represents a particular topic, corresponding roughly to a 45-minute lecture. Newcomers to the subject may like first to read through the text (left-hand pages) using the figures only as a guide.... Once the general outline has been grasped, it is probably better to concentrate on the figures one at a time" (p.7).

A list of relevant textbooks, which provided some source material for this book, is provided.

Very highly recommended.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Get started learning immunology, December 2, 2009

By 

Richard Katz (Richmond California) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Immunology at a Glance, Seventh Edition (Paperback)

I never learned any immunology; never took a course in it, or read the textbook, just picked up what I picked up by reading peripheral journal articles. If you are like me, then buy this short book and read it cover to cover and study the pictures and you'll be amazed how much of your scattered knowledge of immunology will get pulled together. You won't want to admit to yourself how fuzzy your grasp of lots of things about the immune system is/was.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Not very useful....., August 20, 2009

By 

James M (Chicago, IL) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Immunology at a Glance (Paperback)

I enjoyed "Metabolism at a glance" immensely. So, I purchased this thinking it'd help me as well. This is a very poor book. For an example, for the complement system the index states that page 7 has information on this topic. However, page 7 is titled "How to use this book". Of the 4 times I've tried to use the index I was directed to a page that had nothing to do with what I was looking for. Each topic is devoted 2 pages, left and right of the open book form. The right page simply has definitions related to the topic. Left page has an illustration for the topic. But, I have yet to find clear explanation for any of the topic I wanted to learn. The cartoon illustrations are a bit too complicated and this confusion is compounded by the text saying things like "note the central role of such and such.....in the illustration" when the illustration is a bit too complex with too many arrows. I'd not buy this book.