An excellent book for anyone looking to live a healthier lifestyle, it provides digestible information that's easy to put into practice!

Scientist Daniel M. Davis’s Self-Defense - A Myth-Busting Guide to Immune Health is an excellent guide to achieving immune health. This book helps us understand how and why our immune health works and how we can strengthen our immune systems. In a world of misinformation, this book is not only needed but is a necessary read! I highly recommend this book to anyone who cares about your health. I voluntarily read and reviewed a complimentary copy of this extremely helpful book, one that I will refer to often on my health journey.

Intolerably Annoying Presentation of Immunity Myths
Daniel M. Davis, Self-Defense: A Myth-Busting Guide to Immune Health (Chicago: University of Chicago Press, September 2025). Hardcover. 286pp: $26. ISBN: 978-0-226-83937-0.
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“…Analysis of what it takes to have good immune health—helping readers navigate what can really help, what is a complete myth, and why. Does orange juice help ward off colds? And how does our age affect our ability to recover from one? When it comes to immunity, are we really what we eat? Or how much we eat?” While I am hopeful this book offers thoughtful commentary, this note on the quantity-of-food consumed and its association with disease being a myth suggests that this book leans towards science-fiction, instead of a serious exploration of the facts. It is not in-dispute: obesity causes disease. “…How do we tell the fiction from the facts? And, ultimately, what can we do to reduce our chances of getting sick?... Immunologist Daniel M. Davis offers answers in this… guide to the effects of stress, age, exercise, weight, nutrition, sleep, vaccines, and mental health on our immune health. Taking us to the cutting edge of immunology research and explaining both what we know and how we know it, Self-Defense helps readers spot phony claims and make informed choices. Davis shows us that everyone’s immune system is entirely unique, and that’s why we should be wary of one-size-fits-all ‘cures.’” This is a common generalization made by people who have nothing concrete to say on this topic. If no “cures” can be offered; a text is then just offering hot-air or a bunch of contradictions in myths, instead of deriving what the rational “cures” are that indeed apply to all humans. The biology, chemistry etc. of humankind is far more consistent between people, than the few differences between our individual immune-systems. “We learn how exercise, for example, has all sorts of different, even opposing, short- and long-term effects on our immune health. And while our gut microbes are vitally important, it’s unlikely that yogurt drinks can really boost your immune system to stop you getting ill… Distinguishing bogus and beneficial health claims about everything from vitamin D to inflammation and cancer therapies…”
I began with chapter “3: The Evidence of Weight—or, Does Weight Affect Immune Health?” The capitalization is incorrect: I’ve corrected it. The author also uses contractions (“it’s”), and conversational language with almost no citations. The first paragraphs philosophize about the politics of even mentioning weight, without any new points raised. There’s a complaint about the “obsession with thinness”… What does this have to do with answering the central question the book promises to deliver: is weight related to immunity problems? The first citation appears on the second page of this chapter in a reference to “unfair generalizations”. And after a bunch of hot-air content, there seems to be a pro-fat conclusion: “If we have an excess of fat, the immune cells which reside within our fat tend to become more active.” If a reader skims the rest of this paragraph; they might assume that the more fat there is the more a body is able to resist problems with a stronger immune system. Those who keep reading will find the clarification: “Various molecules produced by fat itself, and immune cells living within fat, can trigger unwanted inflammation elsewhere in the body, which in turn, increases our risk of disease such as cardiovascular problems or rheumatoid arthritis.” At least the following section confirms that being overweight leads to an increased chance of type 2 diabetes. But none of this is helpful information I did not already know. I do not know what kind of a reader would benefit from these general reflections. Specialists in this field would find this to be too general. Those with no knowledge of immunology/ disease are likely to find it difficult to read through an entire book on this topic. I do not think this book should be purchased, or read. This is an important topic to study, but this is the most annoying manner of presenting it possible.
--Pennsylvania Literary Journal: https://anaphoraliterary.com/journals/plj/plj-excerpts/book-reviews-summer-2025/

"Your immune system is, in some ways, the most unique thing about you."

Intriguing bird's eye view of what is currently known in the field of immune science. While at times dense, Daniel Davis does his best to explain concepts and terminology in an approachable way. I wouldn't call this a "light read," but worthwhile.

I learned a lot of helpful information, like that vitamin A and D have more evidence for immune support than vitamin C. There was also a very helpful review of how vaccinations work, what adjuvants are, and why malaria vaccination has reduced deaths but not transmission.

Davis also disentangles commonly held beliefs and theories that are frequently held as facts. Some commonly believed theories turn out to be true, such as that one is more likely to pass away shortly after their spouse does and that mental health and immune health are closely linked, while others turn out to be false or unsupported, such as yogurt and probiotic drinks ensuring a healthy biome.

Overall, Davis emphasizes that immune systems are incredibly intricate and subject-specific; therefore, there is no one-size-fits-all when it comes to supplements and routines. In fact, some aspects, such as lifespan, are highly genetically linked from the very start. He promotes making healthy choices consistently, such as exercising in moderation, avoiding obesity, getting rest, reducing long-term stress, and thinking carefully before falling for the hype of overpriced health products. I would recommend this for anyone curious about preventing or ameliorating autoimmune disorders and/or interested in a deep-dive analysis of many old wives' tales about healthy living.

Thank you, NetGalley and University of Chicago Press, for the opportunity to read an advanced reader's copy of this book in exchange for my honest opinion.

4 ⭐️ Self-Defense: A Myth-Busting Guide to Immune Health by: Daniel M. Davis is Publishing September 25, 2025 with University of Chicago Press

This was very informative and I appreciated the notations of the studies mentioned. It makes you think and brings questions to mind. Honestly it was a good read that you feel walking away with a few to many take perspectives that you carry on with.

Thank you NetGalley and University of Chicago Press for the opportunity to read before publishing and shares my honest thoughts.

Discussions of boosting the immune system come up frequently and lots of claims are made. But what is the reality of this boosting? This is what Dr.Davis addresses in this book. I found the writing to be conversational and well-paced. The book isn’t a deep dive into immunology but goes into enough depth that readers will gain insight into “boosting” claims. Dr. Davis is very clear that there are rarely simple answers and sometimes more medical research is required, despite the desire for simple yes/no answers. Overall this is a great read that I thoroughly enjoyed. Thank you to Netgalley and University of Chicago Press for the advance reader copy.

Very informative and gives you something to g to think about with all this information we are fed about better health. I liked the perspective and it made me think.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an early copy in exchange for an honest review.

Review: As someone recently diagnosed with an autoimmune disease, I have been in search of any immune related information. Self-Defense was the perfect book for my research. The author is humble, explores diversity in research (as a trans person felt really important) and felt very personable. I really appreciated that this wasn't a book written from ego. It was a book written to try to help dispel a lot of myths around immune health especially in the wake of capitalism and social media. I got a lot out of this book and highly recommend it.

I was excited to read this book because I have an autoimmune disorder and there is a lot of confusion about what is or is not good for people with autoimmune issues. I had no idea until recently that taking things to boost your immune system is actually bad for us. This book talks about that some. It has a lot of useful information backed by research. It did get a little too scientific for me a lot though and I skimmed through those parts. I guess if you’re interested in the scientific aspect of “why” things are bad for you or whatever, you may like it. But I just want someone to tell me good or bad and that’s it.