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The Angel and the Assassin
- The Tiny Brain Cell That Changed the Course of Medicine
- Narrated by: Melinda Wade
- Length: 10 hrs and 8 mins
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The Angel and the Assassin
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Publisher's Summary
A thrilling story of scientific detective work and medical potential that illuminates the newly understood role of microglia - an elusive type of brain cell that is vitally relevant to our everyday lives.
"The rarest of books: a combination of page-turning discovery and remarkably readable science journalism." (Mark Hyman, MD, number one New York Times best-selling author of Food: What the Heck Should I Eat?)
Named one of the best books of the year by Wired
Until recently, microglia were thought to be helpful but rather boring: housekeeper cells in the brain. But a recent groundbreaking discovery has revealed that they connect our physical and mental health in surprising ways. When triggered - and anything that stirs up the immune system in the body can activate microglia, including chronic stressors, trauma, and viral infections - they can contribute to memory problems, anxiety, depression, and Alzheimer’s. Under the right circumstances, however, microglia can be coaxed back into being angelic healers, able to make brain repairs in ways that help alleviate symptoms and hold the promise to one day prevent disease.
With the compassion born of her own experience, award-winning journalist Donna Jackson Nakazawa illuminates this newly understood science, following practitioners and patients on the front lines of treatments that help to “reboot” microglia. In at least one case, she witnesses a stunning recovery - and in others, significant relief from pressing symptoms, offering new hope to the tens of millions who suffer from mental, cognitive, and physical health issues.
Hailed as a “riveting”, “stunning”, and “visionary”, The Angel and the Assassin offers us a radically reconceived picture of human health and promises to change everything we thought we knew about how to heal ourselves.
Critic Reviews
"A fascinating deep dive into the unsung heroes (and villains) inside our skulls.... Donna Jackson Nakazawa has a journalist’s eye for story, a scholar’s understanding of the research, and a patient’s appreciation for how high the stakes truly are." (Susannah Cahalan, New York Times best-selling author of Brain on Fire)
“In a stunning show of precision and heart, Jackson Nakazawa offers a captivating, page-turning story of scientific discoveries that overturn centuries of medical dogma and fundamentally reshape psychiatry, medicine, and the treatment of mental and physical illnesses. The Angel and the Assassin offers extraordinary promise and heralds hope in a time of skyrocketing rates of ‘microglial’ diseases - including depression, anxiety, Alzheimer’s, and addiction. It is paradigm-shifting reading for us all!” (Christina Bethell, PhD, MPH, director of the Child and Adolescent Health Measurement Initiative and professor at Johns Hopkins University)
“I can think of no topic more fascinating or exciting than microglia, the long-misunderstood brain cells whose power over brain health may hold the promise of cure for so many. The Angel and the Assassin is riveting, engaging, and visionary.” (Terry Wahls, MD, author of The Wahls Protocol)
What listeners say about The Angel and the Assassin
Average Customer RatingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Jody inouye
- 29-06-2023
Great information, well researched
For anyone who has autoimmune issues, psychiatric issues it’s well worth having a read. Very well researched and written in an easy to understand way without dispensing with the scientific side.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Anonymous User
- 03-02-2020
Easy and informative science!
I absolutely love this book by Donna Jackson Nakazawa. I am a health professional working with patients diagnosed with neurodegenerative diseases. This information is the cutting edge of neuroscience / neuro immunology, meets neuro hacking meets neuro feedback, and is presented in such a comprehensive and concise way that I plan to recommend it to all my patients. And unlike the reference in the book to wanting to throw it away upon finding out about the links of concussion to MS and other diseases, instead I felt a sense of relief to know that maybe having MS wasn’t actually my fault. That in itself is a gift. Thank you for this great book!
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Overall3 out of 5 stars
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Performance1 out of 5 stars
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Story4 out of 5 stars
- Anonymous User
- 25-10-2020
Robotic narrator
Amazing subject matter and well written but the cold monotonous drone of the narrator is almost unbearable. I may as well have asked Siri or Alexa to read me a bedtime story to get the same effect. Even on 1.75x speed I had to take a week off in the middle to grit myself for more emotionless text-to-speech robot narration. Do yourself a favour and just buy the physical book.
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2 people found this helpful