‘A world expert offers practical tips and dispels many myths’ TIM SPECTOR

We are surrounded by bold claims and quick fixes for ‘boosting’ our immune health. In this expert guide, leading immunologist Daniel M. Davis sorts the fact from the fiction.

• Is it true that orange juice can help ward off colds?
• How does age affect our immune system?
• Is mental health really connected to inflammation?

How do we separate the bogus claims from the useful advice? And given its sheer complexity, is there anything we can do to improve our immune system?

World-renowned immunologist Daniel M. Davis examines the effects of stress, diet, age, exercise, the microbiome and more on the immune system, punctures the key myths, and equips us to make informed choices for ourselves.

‘The best book on immune health I have ever read’ ALICE ROBERTS

‘Utterly absorbing. Nearly every paragraph brings a revelation’ BILL BRYSON

‘Empowers readers to make informed choices about their health’ RHIANNON LAMBERT

When antibiotics started to fail the race to save humanity from deadly antibiotic resistant infections began. Science journalist Lina Zeldovich reveals the remarkable history of bacteriophages or ‘phages’, through the colourful lives of the British, French, Soviet and American scientists who discovered, developed and are now reviving this unique living medicine for seemingly incurable diseases.

Starting with the original discovery of bacteriophages, or ‘phages’, in 1917, Zeldovich reveals how they were all but forgotten as antibiotics rose to medical stardom in the West and Stalin purged leading scientists behind them in the former Soviet Union. It was only when patients started dying from antibiotic resistant infections that those scientists who fled the former Soviet Union realised their unique knowledge of phages presented a safe and effective solution for the future of humanity. Today new work has begun to develop this cure to safeguard our future.

Eye-opening, gripping and impeccably researched, The Living Medicine is a remarkable portrayal of how curiosity, bravery and collaboration seeded one of the most important scientific discoveries of our time.

‘Superbly written with excellent insights… One of the best non-fiction books I’ve read!’ Dr Rupy Aujla, author of The Doctor’s Kitchen

‘Fascinating… A thoroughly thought-provoking read’ Dame Sarah Gilbert, author of Vaxxers

You’ve heard that a healthy body means a healthy mind – but why?

Following the exciting discovery of new anatomy in the brain, Dr Monty Lyman reveals the extraordinary implications for our physical and mental health.

Could inflammation cause depression, and arthritis drugs cure it?

Can something as simple as brushing your teeth properly reduce your risk of dementia?

Until a decade ago, we misunderstood a fundamental aspect of human health. Although the brain and the body have always been viewed as separate entities – treated in separate hospitals – science now shows that they are intimately linked. Startlingly, we now know that our immune system is in constant communication with our brain and can directly alter our mental health. This has opened up a new frontier in medicine.

In The Immune Mind, Dr Monty Lyman explores the fascinating connection between the mind, immune system and microbiome, offering practical advice on how to stay healthy. A specialist in the cutting-edge field of immunopsychiatry, Lyman argues that we need to change the way we treat disease and the way we see ourselves.

For the first time, we have a new approach to medicine that treats the whole human being.

When antibiotics started to fail the race to save humanity from deadly antibiotic resistant infections began. Science journalist Lina Zeldovich reveals the remarkable history of bacteriophages or ‘phages’, through the colourful lives of the British, French, Soviet and American scientists who discovered, developed and are now reviving this unique living medicine for seemingly incurable diseases.

Starting with the original discovery of bacteriophages, or ‘phages’, in 1917, Zeldovich reveals how they were all but forgotten as antibiotics rose to medical stardom in the West and Stalin purged leading scientists behind them in the former Soviet Union. It was only when patients started dying from antibiotic resistant infections that those scientists who fled the former Soviet Union realised their unique knowledge of phages presented a safe and effective solution for the future of humanity. Today new work has begun to develop this cure to safeguard our future.

Eye-opening, gripping and impeccably researched, The Living Medicine is a remarkable portrayal of how curiosity, bravery and collaboration seeded one of the most important scientific discoveries of our time.

What is our immune system, and how does it work? A vast array of cells, proteins and chemicals spring into action whenever our bodies are damaged, but immunity is not something you can see, touch or feel. It can fight off malicious bacteria and viruses, locate cancerous growths, and even re-wire our brains – but sometimes our own tissues can get caught in its crossfire, with catastrophic consequences.

Humans may be the most disease-ridden animals on the planet. Professor John Trowsdale shows how the immune system protects us, and how our bodies invest huge resources to keep it running. Immunity influences how we age, and controls how we learn to fight off recurring diseases, and how our bodies respond to chronic conditions such as heart disease and dementia. But, in the case of allergies and autoimmune conditions, it can also easily get things wrong.

What the Body Knows is a hugely readable account of a fascinating phenomenon-one which, for good or for ill, impacts every aspect of our lives.

‘The book that might change the world … This is luxury-class science writing’
TELEGRAPH

‘One of the best books of any genre that I’ve read in 2023, this superbly-written book … will fascinate absolutely everyone’
FORBES

‘A delight. To learn more about phages is to discover fascinating details about a hidden world’
NATURE

‘Outstanding’
CLIVE MYRIE

The viruses that do us harm are vastly outnumbered by viruses that can actually save lives. These good viruses are called ‘phages’, and they are the most abundant life form on Earth.

The Good Virus reveals how these weird and wonderful microbes shape our health, support our ecosystems and could be the future of medicine.

‘Fascinating… A thoroughly thought-provoking read’ Dame Sarah Gilbert, author of Vaxxers

You’ve heard that a healthy body means a healthy mind – but why? What exactly is going on in our immune system?

Delving into the discovery of new anatomy in the brain, Dr Monty Lyman reveals the extraordinary implications for our physical and mental health.

Could inflammation cause depression, and arthritis drugs cure it?

Can something as simple as brushing your teeth properly reduce your risk of dementia?

Until a decade ago, we misunderstood a fundamental aspect of human health. Although the brain and the body have always been viewed as separate entities – treated in separate hospitals – science now shows that they are intimately linked. Startlingly, we now know that our immune system is in constant communication with our brain and can directly alter our mental health. This has opened up a new frontier in medicine.

In The Immune Mind, Dr Monty Lyman explores the fascinating connection between the mind, immune system and microbiome, offering practical advice on how to stay healthy. A specialist in the cutting-edge field of immunopsychiatry, Lyman argues that we need to change the way we treat disease and the way we see ourselves.

For the first time, we have a new approach to medicine that treats the whole human being.

‘Controlling inflammation is the key to good health and this beautifully written and researched book is the best way to understand it’ TIM SPECTOR, #1 bestselling author of Food for Life

‘A beautiful and authoritative dive into one of the most important scientific frontiers of our time’ DANIEL M. DAVIS, Professor of Immunology and author of The Beautiful Cure
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Inflammation is the body’s response to injury and foreign microbes. But as our environments and diets have changed, low-level inflammation, simmering quietly and undetected, has been identified behind everything from heart disease and cancer to mysterious autoimmune conditions.

Shilpa Ravella is a doctor at the forefront of this field, specialising in gut transplants, nutrition and the microbiome. In A Silent Fire she interweaves the latest research with unusual case studies from her own practice and the history of immunology to explain what we know about this elusive phenomenon. She debunks common myths about ‘anti-inflammatory’ lifestyles and explains the simple principles by which we can reform our relationship with food and our microbiomes to benefit our health.
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‘As gripping as a mystery story and as useful as a self-help book’ BEE WILSON, author of First Bite

‘Compelling, thoughtful and rigorously researched’ The Times

‘One of the best books of any genre that I’ve read in 2023, this superbly-written book … will fascinate absolutely everyone.’
FORBES

‘A delight. To learn more about phages is to discover fascinating details about a hidden world’
NATURE

‘Outstanding’
CLIVE MYRIE

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Not all viruses are out to get us – in fact, the viruses that do us harm are vastly outnumbered by viruses that can actually save lives.

At every moment, within your body and all around you, trillions of microscopic combatants are fighting an invisible war. Countless times per second, ‘good’ viruses known as phages are infecting and destroying bacteria. These phages are the most abundant life form on the planet and have an incredible power to heal rather than harm. So why have most of us never even heard of them?

The Good Virus reveals how personalities, power and politics have repeatedly crashed together to hinder our understanding of these weird and wonderful life forms. We explore why Stalin’s Soviet Union embraced using phages to fight disease but the rest of the world shunned the idea. We find out why scientists only recently realised phages are central to all ecosystems on Earth. And we meet the often eccentric phage heroes who have shaped the strange history of this field and are unlocking its exciting future.

Faced with the threat of antibiotic resistance, we need phages now more than ever. The Good Virus celebrates what phages could do for us and our planet if they are at last given the attention they deserve.