Autoimmune diseases, which affect 5 to 10 percent of the
population, are as unpredictable in their course as they are
paradoxical in their cause. They produce persistent suffering as
they follow a drawn-out, often lifelong, pattern of remission and
recurrence. Multiple sclerosis, lupus, rheumatoid arthritis, and
type 1 diabetes--the diseases considered in this book--are but a
handful of the conditions that can develop when the immune system
goes awry.
"Intolerant Bodies" is a unique collaboration between Ian
Mackay, one of the prominent founders of clinical immunology, and
Warwick Anderson, a leading historian of twentieth-century
biomedical science. The authors narrate the changing scientific
understanding of the cause of autoimmunity and explore the
significance of having a disease in which one's body turns on
itself. The book unfolds as a biography of a relatively new concept
of pathogenesis, one that was accepted only in the 1950s.
In their description of the onset, symptoms, and course of
autoimmune diseases, Anderson and Mackay quote from the writings of
Charles Dickens, Edgar Allan Poe, Joseph Heller, Flannery O'Connor,
and other famous people who commented on or grappled with
autoimmune disease. The authors also assess the work of the
dedicated researchers and physicians who have struggled to
understand the mysteries of autoimmunity. Connecting laboratory
research, clinical medicine, social theory, and lived experience,
"Intolerant Bodies" reveals how doctors and patients have come to
terms, often reluctantly, with this novel and puzzling mechanism of
disease causation.
General
Is the information for this product incomplete, wrong or inappropriate?
Let us know about it.
Does this product have an incorrect or missing image?
Send us a new image.
Is this product missing categories?
Add more categories.
Review This Product
No reviews yet - be the first to create one!
Welcome to Loot.co.za!
Sign in / Register |Wishlists & Gift Vouchers |Help | Advanced search
