James L. Cook, M.D., Professor of Med\
"Most of us prefer novels over textbooks for the ease of reading and the joy of great storytelling. Dr. Sompayrac combines both traits in this innovative new book on immunology in which he teaches the state of the art by making key concepts easy and fun to understand."


Linda Clayton, Ph.D., Senior Scientist, Immunology and Inflammation Section, Biogen Cambridge, Mass.
"This book does an excellent job of giving a comprehensive overview of the basic concepts of immunology in a highly readable style; even practicing immunologists will benefit from the overall perspective presented."


Daniel G. Tenen, M.D., Associate Professor of Medicine, Harvard Medical School; Member, Harvard Medical School Program in Immunology
"This is the book that every student (regardless of level) should read as he or she begins to study immunology."


Book Description
Not just another immunology book, Blackwell now offers the 2nd edition of How the Immune System Works. Written in the same offbeat, "lecture-style" you're familiar with, the second edition provides a perfect introduction to the essential principles of the immune system, covered in 9 humorous but highly informative "lectures." Perfect as exam-prep review or an enjoyable overview of a difficult subject. This revised edition features: · New updates on the Pathophysiology of immunology · System-based approach that examines immunology as a system · Unique and engaging style for quick and easy learning


Book Info
Univ. of Colorado, Boulder. Review to the essential principles of the immune system, in nine lectures. Features extensive updates on the pathophysiology of immunology, more than 20 new or updated figures outlining key concepts, and questions for discussion. Review text is written in a lecture-style format. Previous edition: c1999. Softcover. DNLM: Immune System--physiology


Card catalog description
Not just another immunology book, How the Immune System Works is an irreverent, entertaining way to learn immunology. This 128-page, 2-color text covers the essential principles of the immune system - how it works and what happens when things go wrong - in nine humorous but highly informative "lectures." A perfect introduction for medical, science, and nursing students seeking an enjoyable overview of a difficult subject, this up-to-date book also serves as the ideal exam-prep review.

ANNOTATION

The book contains predominantly two-color illustrations, with some black-and-white illustrations.

FROM THE PUBLISHER

Blackwell now offers the 2nd edition of How the Immune System Works. Written in the same offbeat "lecture-style" you're familiar with, this new edition provides a perfect introduction to the essential principles of the immune system, covered in 9 humorous, but highly informative, "lectures." Perfect as an exam-prep review or an enjoyable overview of a difficult subject.

FROM THE CRITICS

Marion C. Cohen

This book is a description of the overall basic rules by which the immune system protects us from disease. It attempts to put rather complicated concepts into a simple—but not simplistic—""big picture"" and is intended to be used either as a freestanding introduction to immunology or as a companion to other texts. The purpose is to provide students with an overall view of the immune system. The author felt that a short book that tells how the various parts of the immune system fit together in a style free of jargon and details was needed. Many students who have taken immunology would agree that their texts generally do not fit this description and that most books do not take such a determined integrated approach. For some students this is an excellent introduction to a very complicated topic. The author suggests that this book could be useful for both undergraduate and graduate students who are being introduced to immunology. Another audience could be medical and dental students who are studying immunology for the first time and need an uncomplicated approach by which they can assimilate a lot of data very quickly. This latter group of students is usually being deluged with a lot of information by different instructors, and a significant number of these neophytes are confused. The author has presented the ""big picture"" for students who may need some extra help in focusing on basic concepts. He is a retired professor at the University of Colorado at Boulder. This book suggests that he has had considerable experience in teaching. This short book is written as if the author is talking personally to each student. About 80 percent of it is focused on basic immunologicalconcepts. The remaining 20 percent deals with immunopathology. This section provides only a very bare outline of the role of the immune system in disease. There is a glossary of important terms presented in a nontechnical manner. The primary shortcoming is the lack of detail that would make it a suitable text for a basic course in immunology. However, this lack of detail is also its major strength, since it provides a context in which students can add more of the specific details of the immune system after they have become comfortable with the elementary information. There is a lack of textbooks that provide an easily understood overview of the very complicated field of immunology. For those students who are lost in confusing theories and arcane terminology, this book may provide comforting assistance. Students are often unable to articulate their problems with immunological concepts. Although this text does not provide sufficient data for a student to become familiar with many important—and still basic—details, it does provide a starting point for understanding as well as for asking meaningful questions.

Doody Review Services

Reviewer: Marion C. Cohen, PhD (University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey-NJMS)Description: This book is a description of the overall basic rules by which the immune system protects us from disease. It attempts to put rather complicated concepts into a simple:but not simplistic:"big picture" and is intended to be used either as a freestanding introduction to immunology or as a companion to other texts. Purpose: The purpose is to provide students with an overall view of the immune system. The author felt that a short book that tells how the various parts of the immune system fit together in a style free of jargon and details was needed. Many students who have taken immunology would agree that their texts generally do not fit this description and that most books do not take such a determined integrated approach. For some students this is an excellent introduction to a very complicated topic. Audience: The author suggests that this book could be useful for both undergraduate and graduate students who are being introduced to immunology. Another audience could be medical and dental students who are studying immunology for the first time and need an uncomplicated approach by which they can assimilate a lot of data very quickly. This latter group of students is usually being deluged with a lot of information by different instructors, and a significant number of these neophytes are confused. The author has presented the "big picture" for students who may need some extra help in focusing on basic concepts. He is a retired professor at the University of Colorado at Boulder. This book suggests that he has had considerable experience in teaching. Features: This short book is written as if the author is talking personally to each student. About 80 percent of it is focused on basic immunological concepts. The remaining 20 percent deals with immunopathology. This section provides only a very bare outline of the role of the immune system in disease. There is a glossary of important terms presented in a nontechnical manner. The primary shortcoming is the lack of detail that would make it a suitable text for a basic course in immunology. However, this lack of detail is also its major strength, since it provides a context in which students can add more of the specific details of the immune system after they have become comfortable with the elementary information. Assessment: There is a lack of textbooks that provide an easily understood overview of the very complicated field of immunology. For those students who are lost in confusing theories and arcane terminology, this book may provide comforting assistance. Students are often unable to articulate their problems with immunological concepts. Although this text does not provide sufficient data for a student to become familiar with many important:and still basic:details, it does provide a starting point for understanding as well as for asking meaningful questions.

RATING