{"product_id":"9781555977207","title":"On Immunity : An Inoculation","description":"\u003cstrong\u003eOn Immunity\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eAuthor(s): Eula Biss\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003e“\u003ci\u003eOn Immunity\u003c\/i\u003e 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. Written before COVID, it nonetheless speaks directly to the concerns of the pandemic era—to the fact that we are dangerous as well as vulnerable, to the way collective well-being and individual self-interest are configured at odds to one another when they are fundamentally intertwined.”—Jia Tolentino\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eIn this bold, fascinating book, Eula Biss addresses our fear of the government, the medical establishment, and what may be in our children's air, food, mattresses, medicines, and vaccines. Reflecting on her own experience as a new mother, she suggests that we cannot immunize our children, or ourselves, against the world. As she explores the metaphors surrounding immunity, Biss extends her conversations with other mothers to meditations on the myth of Achilles, Voltaire's \u003ci\u003eCandide\u003c\/i\u003e, Bram Stoker's \u003ci\u003eDracula\u003c\/i\u003e, Rachel Carson's \u003ci\u003eSilent Spring\u003c\/i\u003e, Susan Sontag's \u003ci\u003eAIDS and Its Metaphors\u003c\/i\u003e, and beyond. \u003ci\u003eOn Immunity\u003c\/i\u003e is an inoculation against our fear and a moving account of how we are all interconnected-our bodies and our fates.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eReview(s):\u003cbr\u003e\u003cp\u003e“Subtle, spellbinding . . . Sontag said she wrote \u003ci\u003eIllness as Metaphor\u003c\/i\u003e to ‘calm the imagination, not to incite it,' and \u003ci\u003eOn Immunity\u003c\/i\u003e also seeks to cool and console . . . [Biss] advances from all sides, like a chess player, drawing on science, myth, literature to herd us to the only logical end, to vaccinate.” —\u003ci\u003eParul Sehgal, The New York Times Book Review\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e“By exploring the anxieties about what's lurking inside our flu shots, the air, and ourselves, [Biss] drives home the message that we are all responsible for one another. \u003ci\u003eOn Immunity\u003c\/i\u003e will make you consider that idea on a fairly profound level.” —\u003ci\u003eEntertainment Weekly (Grade: A)\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e“\u003ci\u003eOn Immunity\u003c\/i\u003e . . . weaves metaphor and myth, science and sociology, philosophy and politics into a tapestry rich with insight and intelligence.” —Jerome Groopman, \u003ci\u003eThe New York Review of Books\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e“A philosophical look at the history and practice of vaccination that reads like Joan Didion at her best. If you are yourself a nonfiction author, your initial response to this book might be to decide immediately on another line of work; Biss is that intimidatingly talented . . . .This is cultural commentary at its highest level, a searching examination of the most profound issues of health, identity and the tensions between individual parenting decisions and society.” —\u003ci\u003eThe Washington Post\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e“[An] elegant, intelligent and very beautiful book, which occupies a space between research and reflection, investigating our attitudes toward immunity and inoculation through a personal and cultural lens.” —\u003ci\u003eLos Angeles Times\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/i\u003e“\u003ci\u003eOn Immunity\u003c\/i\u003e 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. Written before COVID, it nonetheless speaks directly to the concerns of the pandemic era—to the fact that we are dangerous as well as vulnerable, to the way collective well-being and individual self-interest are configured at odds to one another when they are fundamentally intertwined.”—Jia Tolentino\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e“Eula Biss's \u003ci\u003eOn Immunity\u003c\/i\u003e is informative, thought-provoking, and beautifully written. It's one of those rare books that has become more relevant with time.”—Elizabeth Kolbert\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eNominated National Book Critics Circle Award - Nominee (2014), Long-listed New York Times Book Review Notable Books of the Year (2014), Long-listed Los Angeles Times Holiday Books Guide (2014), Long-listed Buzzfeed Best Books of the Year (2014), Nominated National Book Critics Circle Awards - Nominee (2014), Long-listed Kirkus Reviews Best Books of the Year (2014), Long-listed Publishers Weekly Best Books of the Year (2014), Long-listed New York Magazine Best Books of the Year (2014), Long-listed Time Out New York Best Books of the Year (2014), Long-listed Entertainment Weekly Best Books of the Year (2014)\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eISBN:  9781555977207\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e ","brand":"Graywolf Press","offers":[{"title":"Paperback \/ softback","offer_id":40631474684110,"sku":"9781555977207","price":16.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0600\/7029\/7806\/products\/getimage_f80d127b-129f-44e4-a76b-bf53ceb0ebda.jpg?v=1638844209","url":"https:\/\/pickwickbookshop.com\/products\/9781555977207","provider":"Pickwick Bookshop","version":"1.0","type":"link"}