Immune Health: A Myth-busting Guide

Daniel M Davis

May 2026 · Random House

Ebook

304

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Eligible

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About this ebook

Discover the truth about our immune system and learn how to stay healthy – from the world-leading scientist our health experts turn to.

‘Astounding. Will change how you think about your body and live your life’ – CHRIS VAN TULLEKEN, author of Ultra-Processed People

‘Incredibly impressive ... Brilliant’ – LIZ EARLE, author of How to Age

‘A great book from a world expert’ – TIM SPECTOR, author of Food for Life and co-founder of ZOE

Is it true that orange juice wards off colds? Are mental health and inflammation really connected How do we distinguish bogus claims from useful advice – and what can we actually do to support our immune system and stay healthy?

Globally renowned immunologist Daniel M. Davis cuts through the noise to reveal the truth about our immune system – from the effects of diet, exercise and the microbiome to stress, sleep and old age. In an era of misinformation and marketing slogans, this ground-breaking guide equips us all with the key insights we urgently need to make wiser decisions for our health.

‘Illuminating ... fascinating’ – DAILY MAIL ** BEST BOOKS OF THE YEAR 2025 **

‘Bridges the gap between scientific research ... and what people want to know about immunity’ – TIMES LITERARY SUPPLEMENT

‘Exceptional’ – SCIENCE

*Published in hardback as Self Defence: A Myth-busting Guide to Immune Health

Discover the truth about our immune system and learn how to stay healthy – from the world-leading scientist our health experts turn to. ‘Astounding. Will change how you think about your body and live your life’ – CHRIS VAN TULLEKEN, author of Ultra-Processed People ‘Incredibly impressive ... Bri...

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About the author

Daniel M. Davis is Head of Life Sciences and Professor of Immunology at Imperial College London. His previous books include The Beautiful Cure, which was shortlisted for the Royal Society Science Book Prize 2018 and described by Henry Marsh as ‘one of the best accounts I have yet come across of the nature of biological science and discovery’; The Secret Body: How the New Science of the Human Body Is Changing the Way We Live; The Compatibility Gene, which was longlisted for the Royal Society Science Book Prize and shortlisted for the Society of Biology book prize; and Self Defence: A Myth-Busting Guide to Immune Health, which was a Book of the Year in the Daily Mail. Davis has published over 150 research papers and is a Fellow of the Academy of Medical Sciences. In 2025, he was awarded an MBE for services to science communication.

Daniel M. Davis is Head of Life Sciences and Professor of Immunology at Imperial College London. His previous books include The Beautiful Cure, which was shortlisted for the Royal Society Science Book Prize 2018 and described by Henry Marsh as ‘one of the best accounts I have yet come across of t...

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