Short Synopsis
Some colds are like mice, timid and annoying; others like dragons, accompanied by body aches and deep misery. In Ah-Choo! Jennifer Ackerman explains what, exactly, a cold is, how it works, and whether it's really possible to "fight one off."

Full Synopsis
Scientists call this the Golden Age of the Common Cold because Americans suffer up to a billion colds each year, resulting in 40 million days of missed work and school and 100 million doctor visits. They've also learned over the past decade much more about what cold viruses are, what they do to the human body, and how symptoms can be addressed. In this ode to the odious cold, Jennifer Ackerman sifts through the chatter about treatments—what works, what doesn't, and what can't hurt. She dispels myths, such as susceptibility to colds reflects a weakened immune system. And she tracks current research, including work at the University of Virginia at Charlottesville, a world-renowned center of cold research studies, where the search for a cure continues.

"In the hands of gifted science writer Ackerman, the cold is addressed with dry wit while she covers every detail from soup (chicken, of course) to nuts (folk remedies)." ---Booklist Starred Review

"Durante brings a lot of fun to a book about illness with her chatty voice." ---AudioFile

Booklist Bestseller

Booklist Review