Blood is the essence of life. It also 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 we 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 that everyone can understand and 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 introduces readers to the ABO blood groups, describing what makes each blood type distinctive. He includes a history of blood typing and follows up with a chapter on Rhesus (Rh) blood groups, which 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 book’s more amusing passages, Graham shows that using blood types to reveal personality traits has about as much validity as using zodiac signs. 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 explains 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.
