Looking for a good read? Here is a recommendation. I have an unusual approach to reviewing books. I review books I feel merit a review. Each review is an opportunity to recommend a book. If I do not think a book is worth reading, I find another book to review. You do not have to agree with everything every author has written (I do not), but the fiction I review is entertaining (and often thought-provoking) and the non-fiction contain ideas worth reading.
Book Review
Blood Types and Groups From A to Z
Reviewed by Mark Lardas
September 17, 2023
“Bloody Blood Groups!” by Hugh Graham, Matador, 2023, 152 pages, $15.99 (paperback), $8.99 (ebook)
Blood is the essence of life. It forms an important part of our culture. If it bleeds, it leads. Blood is thicker than water. Blood will have blood. The word carries spiritual significance. But what do you actually know about blood?
“Bloody Blood Groups!” by Hugh Graham explains blood. Graham is a Fellow of the Institute of Biomedical Science, and a leading Biomedical Scientist in Haematology and Blood Transfusion.
Don’t let his credentials intimidate you. He discusses this topic in a conversational manner everyone can understand… He writes with humor and candor. In the process he reveals himself as someone enthusiastic and knowledgeable about his field of study.
He starts out explaining what blood is and what the major blood groups are. The opening chapter introduced readers to the ABO blood groups, describing what makes each blood type distinctive. He includes a history of blood typing. This is followed up by a chapter on Rhesus (Rh) blood groups. He explains the difference between Rh positive and Rh negative blood and its significance.
Most know their blood type and its Rh factor. Did you know there are other blood groupings? While primarily of interest to doctors, Graham introduces readers to the nine main blood group systems, and their significance.
He then explores what your blood type means – and does not mean – to you. In one of the books more amusing passages Graham shows using blood types to reveal personality traits has about as much validity as using your zodiac sign. More seriously, he shows how your blood type might predispose you or protect you from different diseases.
Along these lines he shows how geography can be destiny when it comes to your blood type. He spends a chapter each exploring the blood transfusion history, rare blood groups and their significance and how cross-matching works.
Blood contains antibodies. Graham shows how these work and discusses monoclonal antibodies and the promise they hold for health. This is followed by an examination of animal blood groups and blood components that can be extracted from seeds and plants. He then dives into a lighthearted section on the blood types of famous people.
If you want to know what blood is, how it works, and what your blood group might mean for you, this book is for you. “Bloody Blood Groups!” offers every reader insight into the subject of blood, in an entertaining and informative narrative.
Mark Lardas, an engineer, freelance writer, historian, and model-maker, lives in League City, TX. His website is marklardas.com. This review appeared in a different form in American Essence magazine and Epoch Times.