Comments (16)

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Apr 27, 2022LPL_TheresaB rated this title 4.5 out of 5 stars
Written in 2014, Biss notes that, "Knowledge is, by it's nature, always incomplete." She expresses our interconnectedness in novel frames. Biss argues for an ethics of what it means to protect our individual bodies, which inevitably…
Aug 06, 2021becker rated this title 3.5 out of 5 stars
This book is a series of essays about a variety of topics and issues that all pertain to immunity and vaccination. It is a timely read although it was published in 2014 and therefore contains no discussion of Covid. Although this book has…
Apr 19, 2020BraveNOTPerfect rated this title 4 out of 5 stars
Definitively Is worth of reading, even better listening this book.
Aug 21, 2018WestSlope_TheaH rated this title 5 out of 5 stars
In one of my favorite books of science writing, Biss examines the pervasive fears and myths surrounding vaccines from a mother’s perspective and identifies the historical and cultural factors that cause people to doubt government…
Apr 02, 2018DBRL_Jeremiah rated this title 5 out of 5 stars
This book about vaccination will inoculate you, maybe, from bad thinking. All sorts of myths, bad metaphors, and lies get attached to vaccination, and Biss investigates them critically and creatively. What is herd immunity? What is the…
Oct 09, 2017OGReadmore rated this title 5 out of 5 stars
On Immunity explores the charged issue of vaccination, an issue that as a new mother she was about to face. Biss writes a beautiful, thoughtful, intelligent response to those who would drive a stake through the heart of caring for the…
Oct 25, 2016meheller rated this title 5 out of 5 stars
Other, lesser books have tried to answer the question of whether and how to vaccinate. This one invites us to deeply consider the larger implications of immunity, vaccination, the ties that bind us to others (both human and non-human) -…
Jul 22, 2015Liberryian rated this title 5 out of 5 stars
A well balanced book useful for parents thinking about immunising.
May 14, 2015puzumaki rated this title 3 out of 5 stars
I appreciated the brevity and coverage of the main points regarding the vaccination debate. I did not enjoy past the first reference the constant referral of Dracula, as if it is a source of importance. Which it isn't. It was brought up at…
May 12, 2015StarGladiator rated this title 2 out of 5 stars
I am not convinced this is a fair and balanced, or well researched book. Sure, I am pro-vaccinations, as long as stringent medical oversight is observed, but that has again and again been proven severely lacking. Examples, at least three…
mamabadger56
Apr 27, 2015mamabadger56 rated this title 4 out of 5 stars
In the completely polarized public conflict over childhood vaccination, this book fills a niche, and may be something that can reconcile the two warring "sides" in the issue. Biss is a woman who, as a new mother, researched the safety and…
Apr 01, 2015JCLEmilyW rated this title 4 out of 5 stars
Eula Biss skillfully tackles the hot-button topic of childhood vaccinations with a insightful combination of cultural history and personal essays. Although she comes down strongly in favor of vaccinations, the book also explores the…
Dec 29, 2014elliskirsch rated this title 5 out of 5 stars
Science colored by poetry and art.
Nov 17, 2014stephaniedchase rated this title 2 out of 5 stars
I found ON IMMUNITY self-absorbed and meandering; what could have been a wonderful, relatively slim volume on the fears about disease and vaccination and the lack of understanding about immunity crossed with scientific achievements and…
ksoles
Nov 01, 2014ksoles rated this title 4 out of 5 stars
"Birth is the original inoculation" writes Eula Biss. Passing from our mothers' bodies exposes us to microbes that both threaten us and ensure our survival, a paradox which sparks this thoughtful, elegant book exploring the risks and…
Oct 18, 2014eferry rated this title 4 out of 5 stars
A short book, but full of relevant thoughts and personal anecdotes concerning both the history of inoculation and more recent debates over vaccinations and childhood disease. A worthwhile read!