• An Elegant Defense

  • The Extraordinary New Science of the Immune System: A Tale in Four Lives
  • By: Matt Richtel
  • Narrated by: Fred Sanders
  • Length: 12 hrs and 33 mins
  • 4.6 out of 5 stars (706 ratings)

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An Elegant Defense  By  cover art

An Elegant Defense

By: Matt Richtel
Narrated by: Fred Sanders
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Publisher's summary

A magnificently reported and soulfully crafted exploration of the human immune system - the key to health and wellness, life and death. An epic, first-of-its-kind audiobook, entwining leading-edge scientific discovery with the intimate stories of four individual lives, by the Pulitzer Prize-winning New York Times journalist.

An Elegant Defense by Matt Richtel is one of those rare nonfiction books that transcends the genre. On one level it is a fascinating and engrossing account of the latest, and quite astonishing, discoveries involving the human immune system and how it works. But it is also a story about people facing mortality, about the passion of scientists searching for truth, and a meditation on death and how all of us struggle with the ultimate mystery. Heartfelt and moving, full of compassion, love, and the human drama, this is the work of a writer of high ethical character who is grappling with big issues and deep humanistic problems. What an inspiring and wonderful read. I highly recommend this extraordinary book.” (Douglas Preston, number-one best-selling author of The Lost City of the Monkey God)

©2019 Matt Richtel (P)2019 HarperCollins Publishers

What listeners say about An Elegant Defense

Average customer ratings
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  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
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Good science but too much biography

Very good discussion of the immune system. Could have done without the personal accounts. M

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Laymen’s way to immunology

Inspiring and quite an informational book on immunology. Simplified for someone who doesn’t have a background in biology

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    5 out of 5 stars
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book of the year!

a story of life intermingled with the latest knowledge of the immune system: a book for those with no prior knowledge of medicine

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1 person found this helpful

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    5 out of 5 stars
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fascinating

a fascinating story
a great narration
an accurate science
a must for anyone who wants to learn about immunotherapy

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    5 out of 5 stars
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Book of the year

The best science and health book I have ever read, with story, emotional sometimes, funny other times, very interesting. A must read for everybody

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    5 out of 5 stars
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Brilliant

It’s been a while that I simply could not put a book down. Refreshing and sobbing

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1 person found this helpful

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Great book, great writing

Very few people can make a book on microbiology read like a gripping narrative. Richtel does. It’s fascinating and important.
And the narrator is superb.

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    5 out of 5 stars
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Great... if you can retain information

I loved this book! It had so much information that I didn't even know I had questions for. If you are like me, and you tend to doze off when things go slow, then I recommend listening at 1.4x speed... the narrator is a little bit slow and it's easy to miss a few minutes of material, which results in the next few minutes of you wondering what was just said. Overall, a great listen!

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    4 out of 5 stars
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    3 out of 5 stars

worth reading

interesting but could have done without the politicalization of the immune response. good reading and interesting information.

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3 people found this helpful

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    5 out of 5 stars
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Excellent

Loved this book. I think everyone should read it! He did an amazing job of explaining a complicated subject.

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1 person found this helpful