Title – The Body: A Guide For Occupants
Author – Bill Bryson
Pages, including bibliography – 452
First Edition – January 2021
This book in 3 sentences –
- Although human anatomy and physiology hasn’t changed much in the last few thousand years, our understanding of its workings continues to evolve.
- We still don’t know a whole heck of a lot about our inner workings.
- Life really is a miracle.
Who should read this book? Anyone interested in how the body works and how our understanding of its workings came to be.
A few quotes from the book:
“There are thousands of things that can kill us, slightly more than 8000…and we escape every one of them but one. That’s not a bad deal.” (9)
“Over a lifetime we eat about 60 tons of food, which is equivalent…of eating 60 small cars.” (239)
“Being depressed or worried will almost always increased perceived levels of pain. But equally pain is decreased by pleasant aromas, soothing images, pleasurable music, good food, and sex.” (314)
“The inescapable conclusion is that higher spending in America doesn’t necessarily result in better medicine, just higher costs.” (360)
“One person’s over-treatment is another’s income stream.”
If you are unfamiliar with Bill Bryson, you are in for a treat. Mr. Bryson is best known for his travel writing and good travel writers are usually very entertaining. And this book on the human body does not disappoint. With equal parts anatomy and physiology textbook coupled with great historical anecdotes and biographical sketches, Bill kept my attention, as he typically does, throughout the entire read.
I highly recommend it!!
We have a copy in the office or go here {The Body: A Guide for Occupants} to get one of your own.
Cheers,
ks