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AT WAR WITHIN

Name: AT WAR WITHIN
Author: William R. Clark
ISBN: 0-19-509286-4

THE DOUBLE-EDGED SWORD OF IMMUNITY

by William R. Clark ‧ RELEASE DATE: Jan. 1, 1996

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A lucid, up-to-date account of the body's immune system from a pro who has taught the subject at UCLA for 25 years. Infectious disease is news Big Time these days—it has been ever since AIDS appeared. What is fascinating is the game of catch- up that science has been playing—unraveling the intricacies of the body's immune system and, more recently, its intimate relation to the nervous system. Clark reminds us that just a generation ago the body's defenses were thought to consist only of antibodies: the molecules that destroy foreign invaders. Not only does Clark explain how the body can be stimulated, say, by vaccines, to make millions of antibodies, but he goes into detail about T cells—the other arm of the immune system. T cells (the T is for the thymus, where they are made) come in several varieties, of which the most noted today are the ``killer'' T cells that search and destroy aberrant cells and the CD4 ``helper'' T cells that are killed by the AIDS virus. Sometimes the immune system is overzealous, however, mounting an attack that adds insult and injury: There is a misreading of molecular markers, resulting in attacks on healthy cells, as happens in autoimmune diseases such as multiple sclerosis (the war within), and sometimes there is a need to suppress the system—in the case of organ transplants. Clark's upbeat outlook suggests that we can curb excesses as well as stimulate a weakened immune system with new drugs or gene therapy approaches. He is convinced that ongoing discoveries of the brainimmune system dialogue will lead to new approaches to therapy. He is also aware of the pressing need for organ transplants, raising provocative ethical issues but at the same time providing a valid Uniform Anatomical Gift Act donor card for readers to fill out. A good idea that, given his overall enthusiasm and mastery in explaining complex science, might persuade more than a few readers.

Pub Date: Jan. 1, 1996

ISBN: 0-19-509286-4

Page Count: 288

Publisher: Oxford Univ.

Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010

Kirkus Reviews Issue: Oct. 15, 1995

Categories:

GENERAL NONFICTION

- BOOK REVIEW
A MEANS TO AN END
by William R. Clark

- BOOK REVIEW
THE NEW HEALERS
by William R. Clark

- BOOK REVIEW
SEX AND THE ORIGINS OF DEATH
by William R. Clark

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NUTCRACKER

by E.T.A. Hoffmann ‧ RELEASE DATE: Oct. 28, 1996

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This is not the Nutcracker sweet, as passed on by Tchaikovsky and Marius Petipa. No, this is the original Hoffmann tale of 1816, in which the froth of Christmas revelry occasionally parts to let the dark underside of childhood fantasies and fears peek through. The boundaries between dream and reality fade, just as Godfather Drosselmeier, the Nutcracker's creator, is seen as alternately sinister and jolly. And Italian artist Roberto Innocenti gives an errily realistic air to Marie's dreams, in richly detailed illustrations touched by a mysterious light. A beautiful version of this classic tale, which will captivate adults and children alike. (Nutcracker; $35.00; Oct. 28, 1996; 136 pp.; 0-15-100227-4)

Pub Date: Oct. 28, 1996

ISBN: 0-15-100227-4

Page Count: 136

Publisher: Harcourt

Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010

Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 15, 1996

Categories:

GENERAL NONFICTION

- BOOK REVIEW
THE NUTCRACKER AND THE MOUSE KING
by E.T.A. Hoffmann ; adapted by Natalie Andrewson ; illustrated by Natalie Andrewson

- BOOK REVIEW
THE NUTCRACKER
by E.T.A. Hoffmann & illustrated by Julie Paschkis

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TO THE ONE I LOVE THE BEST

EPISODES FROM THE LIFE OF LADY MENDL (ELSIE DE WOLFE)

by Ludwig Bemelmans ‧ RELEASE DATE: Feb. 23, 1955

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An extravaganza in Bemelmans' inimitable vein, but written almost dead pan, with sly, amusing, sometimes biting undertones, breaking through. For Bemelmans was "the man who came to cocktails". And his hostess was Lady Mendl (Elsie de Wolfe), arbiter of American decorating taste over a generation. Lady Mendl was an incredible person,- self-made in proper American tradition on the one hand, for she had been haunted by the poverty of her childhood, and the years of struggle up from its ugliness,- until she became synonymous with the exotic, exquisite, worshipper at beauty's whrine. Bemelmans draws a portrait in extremes, through apt descriptions, through hilarious anecdote, through surprisingly sympathetic and understanding bits of appreciation. The scene shifts from Hollywood to the home she loved the best in Versailles. One meets in passing a vast roster of famous figures of the international and artistic set. And always one feels Bemelmans, slightly offstage, observing, recording, commenting, illustrated.