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A riveting investigation of inflammation—the hidden force at the heart of modern disease—and how we can prevent, treat, or even reverse it.
Shortlisted for the Phi Beta Kappa Award in Science
In A Silent Fire, gastroenterologist Shilpa Ravella investigates hidden inflammation’s emerging role as a common root of modern disease—and how we can control it. With fascinating case studies, Ravella debunks common myths about “anti-inflammatory” lifestyles and reveals how we can reform our relationships with food and our microbiomes to benefit our own health and the planet’s.
Synthesizing medical history, cutting-edge research, and innovative clinical practice, Ravella unveils inflammation as one potential basis for a unifying theory of disease. A paradigm-shifting understanding of one of the most mysterious, buzzed about topics in medicine and nutrition, A Silent Fire shows us how to live not only long, but well.
Read an excerpt in the Wall Street Journal and a related original article in TIME Magazine.
“[a] fascinating, case-oriented story of inflammation, diet and disease.”
“Ravella’s writing style keeps even the most dense page engaging. She breathes life into biological functions…the book is perfect for those looking to delve deeper into the history and intricate workings of immunology, diet and disease.”
“Ravella’s prose is clear, nuanced, and restrained. Readers fascinated by the science behind her assertions will be satisfied, while those more interested in the takeaways can access them easily…[her] ability to connect the concrete and the abstract makes this a worthwhile study of a complex process.”
“A spellbinding tale taking us from the early Greek physicians to the COVID-19 pandemic…The insights Ravella reveals point to a pathway that can enhance both our personal well-being today and that of the planet we pass on to our grandchildren.”
“Compelling, thoughtful and rigorously researched…Ravella fuses scientific history with something more in the line of a self-help guide…if your new year’s resolution involves a promise to take care of yourself, this book might just help it stick too”
“Ravella’s fascinating, poetic, exploration of the body, food, and history, will sweep you up sentence by sentence. A book that could not only reshape readers’ understanding of their own systems and choices, but possibly medicine itself.”