Living with Germs
In Sickness and in Health
ISBN13: 9780192805812ISBN10: 0192805819
Hardback,
276 pages
Dec 2004,
In Stock
Price:
$39.99 (05)Description
The word germ is defined as 'a microbe that causes disease'. The vast majority of microbes do not infect us at all: it is pathogens that make us ill. These include bacteria, viruses, protozoa, fungi, worms, and prions. Living with Germs not only looks at all of these in detail, but also at the defense mechanisms by which we come to terms with pathogens, whether by eliminating them, stopping them from eliminating us, or simply learning to live with them. This is the first book to look at the subject of immunology in a relevant and approachable style. Using anecdotal and autobiographical material, John Playfair has produced a lively, well-written, and up-to-date look at immunology. Timely and topical, this will appeal to all those who want to know the facts behind the 'germ' scare stories.Features
- The clearest and most accessible book on immunology on the market
- An up-to-date, authoritative account of the workings of the immune system and the way it copes with pathogens, the microbes that make us ill
- Timely and topical: diseases caused by 'germs', from HIV to SARS, are rarely out of the news
- Abundant anecdotal and autobiographical material brings the story to life
- An highly regarded and influential author: John Playfair was Chairman of the Immunology Department at University College Hospital, where he established the immunology course, and he has written widely on the subjects of infection and immunity
About the Author(s)
Professor John Playfair was the Chairman of the Immunology Department at University College Hospital, where he established the immunology course, until his retirement a few years ago. He is the author of the highly respected textbook Infection and Immunity, soon to be published in its second edition (Oxford University Press, co-authored with Greg Bancroft).
