Sinijärv recommends books on immunity and Dutch crime fiction

National Library culture adviser Karl Martin Sinijärv recommends Philipp Dettmer’s book on the immune system and Herman Koch’s novel “The Courtyard,” ERR reports.

Dettmer’s “Immune: A Journey into the Mysterious System That Keeps You Alive” (Postimees Publishing), translated by Tiina Randus, has sold in large numbers around the world, Sinijärv writes. He says popular science is difficult to write well: it must make complex subjects accessible while remaining engaging and accurate.

Sinijärv praises the book’s lively pace, clear chapter structure, illustrations and humour. His favourite chapters include “The World’s Largest Library” and “Recipes for Tasty Receptors,” though he notes that readers may also be drawn to chapters about “master killers” or the “kingdom of sexes.” The book, he writes, could turn readers with little interest in immunity into curious ones, and may be one of the year’s best popular science books.

Koch’s “The Courtyard” (Pegasus), translated from Dutch by Kaari Antzon, combines several stories, some already written and others still taking shape. Sinijärv says it has elements of a crime thriller, but also explores the world behind literature, relationships and other subjects. He recommends it to readers with varied tastes, saying there is something for almost everyone.

Sinijärv says he has yet to revisit Koch’s earlier novel “The Dinner,” which made the author world-famous, but plans to do so. His encounters with Dutch literature have been positive, and he praises Koch’s many-sided view of a world full of surprises.