The Body
Book description
NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • Bill Bryson, bestselling author of A Short History of Nearly Everything, takes us on a head-to-toe tour of the marvel that is the human body—with a new afterword for this edition.
Bill Bryson once again proves himself to be an incomparable companion as he guides…
Why read it?
5 authors picked The Body as one of their favorite books. Why do they recommend it?
Bryson guides us on an intriguing journey throughout the body and through our history of learning about its mysteries.
An impeccable researcher, Bryson succeeds in creating a work that is anything but boring. He unearths many anecdotes from the historical record that really did happen as implausible as they seem. I was intrigued by some of the bizarre experiments that doctors of yore performed on themselves or other willing subjects in their quest to understand the inner workings of the body.
And the humor! Bryson infuses virtually every page with his humorous and quirky style. You will find yourself wanting…
I had a terrible accident a few years ago, a close call, and I began to take better care of my body as a result.
Bryson’s wonderful guide helped me understand my amazing personal machine and how it functions, from skin to bones and everything in between. I came away from this book astounded and inspired by the intricate inner workings of the human body. Equally inspiring were the many stories of the medical scientists who figured out all that stuff.
Now turning to the human body, Bryson continues his long tradition of combining loads of engaging, thoroughly researched information with ironic humor.
He dissects his subject system by system, starting with the normal structure and function of the skin and eventually moving to the “nether regions.” He follows with chapters on what can go wrong and what can go very wrong. Whereas other books focus on single systems, e.g., skeleton or gut, The Body is broader in its scope but understandably not so thorough.
For a single book to heighten a reader’s marvel and understanding of the human workings, this…
From Roy's list on friend your body’s marvelous machines.
Bill Bryson is a national treasure and all of his books make seemingly mundane things incredibly interesting.
In The Body he takes us into ourselves in ways that made me appreciate how complex and fragile and robust our bodies are and gave me a new appreciation for the skin we call home. It’s funny, it’s unexpected, and it is powerful in some of its simplest observations.
One of those observations that shook me and will stay with me forever is how incredibly miraculous it is that any one of us exists because we are the result of a chain of…
From Rupal's list on changing the way you live your life.
Bill Bryson, in his imitable humor-filled style, takes us on a journey of the human body, exploring how it functions and its remarkable ability to heal itself. The book covers various organ systems and then proceeds with a short history of the immune system, disease, and medicines. Medical heroes, mavericks, and villains feature—from Karl Landsteiner who described blood groups, Frederick Banting who discovered insulin, Henry Gray the anatomist, and Nazi medical doctors who performed unthinkably cruel experiments. One fact that stood out in the book for me is, in general, poorer people have worse health outcomes. No surprise here, except…
From Sharad's list on help you understand and take charge of your health.
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