Immune

 I listened to a non-fiction book called Immune: A Journey Into The Mysterious System That Keeps You Alive. The author, Phillip Dettmer, is enthralled with the immune system. He complains about some of the confusing named immunologists use. The book was scientific but sprinkled with humor and easy to understand references to animals. I know much more about my immune system now than I did before. Also, despite advertising to the contrary, there is no way to boost your immune system. And you might not want to do that anyway. Keeping your immune system in balance is essential to our  health. He compared the health of a group of Hutterites in North Dakota to a group of Amish in Pennsylvania. Hutterites farm differently than the Amish. Amish tend to have old fashioned farms with a variety of animals. Hutterites use more machinery and farm more like corporations. The Amish have a significantly lower rate of auto immune disorders than the Hutterites. Also developed countries have a higher rate of auto immune disorders than underdeveloped countries. I guess the next time I catch a cold I will be more grateful to my swollen glands and fever.