Metchnikoff and the Origins of Immunology From Metaphor to Theory

"Tauber and Chernyak have produced a scholarly and detailed study of the origins of the deep and long controversy between the cellular and humoral basis of immunity."
– Fred S. Rosen, Harvard Medical School, Nature, Vol 356, 12 March 1992

"In their important, original, and, indeed, definitive contribution to the history of science and philosphy, the authors [...] meticulously trace the evolution of these radical and generally misunderstood ideas [...] careful and thorough scholarship [...] this well-crafted book also provides tactile and visual pleasure."
– Debra Jan Bibel, University of California, ASM News, Vol. 58, No. 2, 1992

"The richness of this book is due to a fruitful interaction between the American immunologist Tauber and the Russian philosopher Leon Chernyak [...] An absorbing book for historians of science and medicine as well as professional immunologists."
– Aslib Book Guide

"This book has the merit of exposing the originality of Metchnikoff's claims by setting them against examples from the orthodox literature of the period. Tauber and Chernyak have written an important book [...] , this book offers a rich reward."
– Times Higher Education Supplement

"It is a thorough study of the life of Metchnikoff, supplemented with extensive citations from his works and other biographical literature, including the original Russian source [...] the book Metchnikoff and the Origins of Immunology provides an excellent example of the fruitful approach to the history of science [...] It can serve both as a comprehensive biography of the great scientist and an interesting case study of one of the brightest discoveries in biology. It also contributes greatly to our understanding of the history of biology and the deep historical roots of modern immunology; this feature distinguishes the book from standard biographical literature and makes it especially useful for everybody interested in immunology and related fields."
– Boris Reizis, The Weizmann Institute of Science, Israel, Molecular Immunology, Vol. 29, No. 10, 1992

"a very important work [...] a fascinating glimpse into the world of geology and immunology in Russia since the end of the last century [...] a welcome addition to the growing English language sources on this neglected field of scientific endeavour"
–Christopher Williams, University of Central Lancashire