But, I felt the book didn't quite work for me. I agree with Rebecca's review below. On Immunity by Eula Biss, 9781555976897, available at Book Depository with free delivery worldwide. They include important material but they’re buried at the back of the book, and there is no indication in the text that you’ve just read something on which there is further comment. I expected a historical record of the development of vaccines as well as a debate about whether or not parents should vaccinate their children and I got that -- for the first few chapters. I've often wondered why people--privileged, educated people, no less--choose not to vaccinate their children, disregarding scientific evidence and social responsibility. It's rarely productive. I thought so too. Kim Roberts is the author of five books of poetry, most recently The Scientific Method (WordTech Editions, 2017). A meditation on American culture's conception of illness, On "On Immunity is a book I've recommended too many times to count--a searching, empathetic, ultimately unassailable argument, not just for vaccination but for thoroughly acknowledging our interdependence, and for all that becomes necessary and possible once we do. Macrophages: These have the ability to move across the walls of the circulatory system. Wait...weren't we supposed to be talking about vaccinations? The problem? ...or should I say it is like a vampire quoting Sontag but only to support Kierkegaards theories about Dr. Bob and Frankenstein. It was filled with all kinds of stats and facts, of course, but there was also a lot of personal details about the author's life and young son so that made it more readable and identifiable. I don’t know what the Times base’s its decision on but this one has got to be the worst I have read in a long time! Upon becoming a new mother, Eula Biss addresses a chronic condition of fear--fear of the government, the medical establishment, and what is in your child's air, food, mattress, medicine, and vaccines. For example, early in the book, Biss moves from Kierkegaard, to the Doppler effect, to O negative blood and then to the idea we owe each other our bodies. Biss is sympathetic where I would have been arrogant. In a wide-ranging cultural history reminiscent of Susan Sontag’s, Despite the fact that this book has been deemed one of the best non-fiction books of 2014, it completely took me by surprise. She does this so gently, so expertly, that surely not even the anti-vaccination faction could take offense. Chennai: Anup Malani, professor at the University of Chicago Law School and the university's Pritzker School of Medicine, is a visiting senior fellow at IDFC Institute, an economic development-focused think-tank in Mumbai.Malani conducts research in law and economics, development economics and health economics, and has been leading a series of COVID-19 sero-surveys in cities and states … So my question is: why is this allowed to go on? I didn't think I'd like it as much as I did. This elliptical strategy allows her to include a range of reflections, but as a reader I did find myself feeling lost, from time to time. It talks a great deal about vaccines and why people are afraid of them, about Dracula, and about her son, but I still don’t know what she was trying to get at. She goes on and on about her son, his birth, his vaccines, his allergies, etc. What is different is how Eula Biss pieces together fact and mythology (Greek and vampirical) together with her own experiences as a first time mother to make a case for vaccination. . On Immunity: An Inoculation is a nonfiction book by Eula Biss published by Graywolf Press in 2014. I was wanting a more factual/historical read, but instead this book was ALL OVER THE PLACE. For example, early in the book, Biss moves from Kierkegaard, to the Doppler effect, to O negative blood and then to the idea. Most people who commit crimes eat bread. Biss brings in lots of historical examples of how people have tried to prevent disease. — Rincey Abraham, This is a thoughtful discussion of illness and immunity that pays particular attention to the controversies surrounding vaccines. Both were part of a comprehensive response by Law School scholars, many of whom have been at the forefront in pushing for reforms through both … And there is no doubt the author invested a great deal of research and thinking in this. I feared that my cups of early pregnancy green tea could cause spinal bifida; I meticulously removed the feta cheese from a dining hall sandwich, knowing that there was virtually no chance that institutional dairy was unpasteurized. 4.5 stars -- this was a very emotional read for me, one that I almost resented. I decided to read this book because it was considered one of the best 10 books of 2014 by the New York Times. Honestly, the book should have been called "Transfusion" because she never shut up about it. A New York Times Best Seller A National Book Critics Circle Award Finalist A New York Times Book Review Top 10 Book of the Year A Facebook "Year of Books" Selection One of the Best Books of the Year * National Book Criti… By combining historical information and personal essays, Biss takes on the hot button topic of vaccinations and brings it to a level that can appeal to anyone. You'd think no o. My biggest problem is with the transitions to literary references like Dracula and Candide. Beautiful writing, indeed. This book is not yet featured on Listopia. I'm much more "into" fiction and so I was worried this book was going to be too dry. But based on, Wow, not what I expected. I'm much more "into" fiction and so I was worried this book was going to be too dry. What is different is how Eula Biss pieces together fact and mythology (Greek and vampirical) together with her own experiences as a first time mother to make a case for vaccination. I feared that my cups of early pregnancy green tea could cause spinal bifida; I meticulously removed the feta cheese from a dining hall sandwich, knowing that there was virtually no chance that institutional dairy was unpasteurized. The novice can learn immunology from this book while the professional will appreciate Dr. Paul’s role in the history and enjoy his erudition and judgment." Refresh and try again. It talks a great deal about vaccines and why people are afraid of them, about Dracula, and about her son, but I still don’t know what she was trying to get at. FEula Biss is the author of The Balloonists, Notes from No Man's Land: American Essays, which received the Graywolf Press Nonfiction Prize and the National Book Critics Circle Award in Criticism, and On Immunity.Her essays have appeared in The Best American Nonrequired Reading and The Best Creative Nonfiction, as well as in the Believer and Harper's. She talks way too much about vaccinating her son, her father being a doctor, and a blood transfusion she once received. She’d never given it much thought before, but in an American culture of paranoia about everything from bird flu to food additives, it was impossible not to ask what risks she was exposing her son to, and whether they were worth it. I have read about them before. Her arguments are profoundly compelling, and her narratives are braided together with beauty and elegance. Then Biss launched into a serious of personal essays about the birth of her son, taking him for shots and obsessing about the transfusion she had to get following labor. She talks way too much about vaccinating her son, her father being a doctor, and a blood transfusion she once received. On Immunity: An Inoculation by Eula Biss, published by Graywolf Press in September 2014. I didn't think I'd like it as much as I did. "Immunity is at once an informative history of immunology with numerous personal asides and a brilliant introduction to the wonders of this key field of medical science. I'd recommend the book to everyone but I think it's especially important for parents of young children to read it. Print length. It's not even a book about vaccination. One side braying about "science and research" while the other side spouts nonsense about a worldwide conspiracy of silence and "vaccine injuries." English. 239 pages. Welcome back. But, I felt the book didn't quite work for me. On Immunity on Amazon.com. Start by marking “On Immunity” as Want to Read: Error rating book. We're faced now with measles outbreaks, pertussis clusters which have killed infants, even mumps outbreaks in college kids this year. Instead of focusing on being thankful for a modern day medical marvel, she worried herself to death about the process. How can we allow this to go on? The problem? This is astounding! Because we're so passionate, and because the other side is equally passionate, debates can devolve into shouting matches. Thank you to Eula Biss for pushing me to return to goodreads. I liked the section focused on perceptions of risk, where the belief of the validity of a particular risk by many people in society is often at odds with quantifiable facts. She does this so gently, so expertly, that surely not even the anti-vaccination faction could take offense. I read this as part of my Book Riot Read Harder challenge (it fulfills the "a-book-published-by-an-indie-press" requirement). At first they declined, but finally they acquiesced. I agree with Rebecca's review below. I have never read anything like this in my life. I was wanting a more factual/historical read, but instead this book was ALL OVER THE PLACE. The father spoke to other parents who complained of the same bad effects from vaccines for children. On Immunity book. Capitalism has already impoverished the working people who generate wealth for others. . I also enjoyed the metaphorical comparisons that Eula Biss makes in our language and our exaggerated scientific studies, both of which contribute to our general fear of vaccinations. Instead, “Immunity is a shared space – a garden we tend together.”, When I was pregnant with my daughter, I was obsessed with what I consumed. It talks a great deal about vaccines and why people are afraid of them, about Dracula, and about her son, but I still don’t know what she was trying to get at. The intergenerational approach added with current political environment over vaccination makes it an interesting read. The author is the daughter of a physician father and poet mother. Just lovely: so thoughtful and empathetic and intellectually wide-ranging. By using our website you agree to our ... Goodreads is the world's largest site for readers with over 50 million reviews. 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