"This is a forward-looking book. The two authors provide their synthesis of a very broad and dense field in most interesting ways. Their writing is elegant and annotated. That they can interpolate research and comments made 20 years ago into what is being discovered today is a manifestation of their excellent mastery of the area. They bring it all together in the last chapter by describing what they think would be interesting areas of research in the future. The comments about how caloric restriction may work in the body's resistance to infectious diseases, and the relationship of the gut to overall immune function are profound and insightful. How refreshing it is to see a really good example of scientific writing and thinking." -Doody's Health Sciences Book Review Journal "This book thoroughly reviews bacterial and viral infections, the innate and adaptive immune responses that occur in infection, and the effect of age on infection. This book is also a good review of host-pathogen interactions, even for those not interested in age-related defects in immune function." -American College of Physicians