“Ravella’s writing style keeps even the most dense page engaging. She breathes life into biological functions…the book is perfect for those looking to delve deeper into the history and intricate workings of immunology, diet and disease.”
“Ravella’s prose is clear, nuanced, and restrained. Readers fascinated by the science behind her assertions will be satisfied, while those more interested in the takeaways can access them easily…[her] ability to connect the concrete and the abstract makes this a worthwhile study of a complex process.”
“A spellbinding tale taking us from the early Greek physicians to the COVID-19 pandemic…The insights Ravella reveals point to a pathway that can enhance both our personal well-being today and that of the planet we pass on to our grandchildren.”
“Compelling, thoughtful and rigorously researched…Ravella fuses scientific history with something more in the line of a self-help guide…if your new year’s resolution involves a promise to take care of yourself, this book might just help it stick too”
“Ravella has a gift for writing about science in a way that anyone could understand yet from a position of deep authority and knowledge and with the human empathy of a medic. As gripping as a mystery story and as useful as a self-help book.”
“Ravella’s fascinating, poetic, exploration of the body, food, and history, will sweep you up sentence by sentence. A book that could not only reshape readers’ understanding of their own systems and choices, but possibly medicine itself.”
“Inflammation is a double-edged sword that heals and destroys; it has already saved your life, but most likely will contribute to ending it…Shilpa Ravella takes us on a grand tour of the medical science and the personal cases that have advanced our understanding of the whys and ways of this fundamental process.”
“A must read for anyone interested in cutting-edge medicine. It is no exaggeration to say that low-level inflammation may be an insidious factor contributing to numerous diseases of aging, and Shilpa Ravella, a gastroenterologist with a writer’s gift for translating complex science into clean, beautiful prose, is the perfect person to tell this gripping tale.”
–Kathleen McAuliffe, author of This Is Your Brain on Parasites
“Critical to our health is understanding how to stave off inflammatory diseases…Shilpa Ravella makes this complex topic accessible and engaging, winding together a wonderful historical perspective with cutting-edge science.”
“Here is a fascinating medical murder mystery…drawing on evidence from history, with illuminating case studies, she stacks up the evidence…bottom line: ‘we must eat and live in ways that respect the language of the immune system.’ Deep, erudite, intensely readable.”
–Saga Magazine (UK)
“A beautiful and authoritative deep dive into one of the most important scientific frontiers of our time. Big new ideas in health and medicine are explained brilliantly. Every page is fascinating.”
“[this] deeply researched, far-ranging book shows us how inflammation links the pathologies of modern life…[it] has the power to change the way we think and eat.”
“Controlling inflammation is the key to good health and this beautifully written and researched book is the best way to understand it”
“Ravella paints a captivating portrait of one of our body’s most ingenious and intimate acts, sharing the formidable force of inflammation within us all. The way she charts forward is spot-on: curbing the rampant plague of modern maladies calls for diets and doctoring that protect the human body and its intrinsic power to keep us well.”
“Beautifully written debut.”
-The Bookseller (UK)