The Body:
A guide for occupants
Book Review
If humans came with manuals, Bill Bryson’s latest foray into how the body works would be the quick-start guide we’d all want (and need) Writing | Bonnie Evie Gifford
I
’ve never been a fan of science-y books. For someone who enjoys reading textbooks for fun (don’t judge, we all have our quirks), when it comes to the more scientific side of things, I tend to switch off. If you’ve ever felt the same way, Bill Bryson’s latest book might just be able to change that.
What’s it about?
Have you ever thought your body should come with an owner’s manual? If it did, I’m pretty sure The Body: A Guide for Occupants would be the volume you’d pick. We all live in our bodies, yet how many of us really know how all the parts are connected? Or, frankly, what they’re all called, much less what they do. In his latest book, Bryson has
successfully turned a daunting, heavy subject into something not only understandable, but entertaining and engaging. Best known for his travel books and the award-winning A Short History of Nearly Everything, Bryson’s latest book aims to help us understand how our bodies work, evoking a rare sense of wonder and awe.
Back to basics and exploring unknowns
Weaving in anecdotes and personal experiences, Bryson manages to make a tricky subject feel educational, without seeming pompous. In the audiobook version, available via Audible, Bryson narrates the book himself, taking listeners on a journey into the wonders and evolutions of the
body through history, and how we have come to our modern understanding of how our bodies work. Refreshingly, Bryson never pretends that scientists have all the answers. Embracing the many mysteries that still surround our anatomy, he speaks of common quirks – such as why we have goosebumps, fingerprints, and pubic hair, and why we blush when we are angry.
The dark side of medical advancements In places, The Body: A guide for occupants may have the potential to be triggering. Rather than shying away from some of the darker corners in medicine’s history, Bryson speaks candidly on topics such as lobotomies. He quotes letters that share first-hand accounts of seeing and performing
the procedure, which had few benefits for patients, and led to many deaths. It’s a fascinating and stark reminder of how far mental health care, treatment, and understanding has come – and how far it still has to go. As well as exploring the many sides of mental health history, Bryson looks at uncomfortable past views on race, gender, and intelligence. He explores outdated ideas, such as how, in early criminal anthropology, the shape and size of one’s head was thought to signal if you were a criminal or not.
It’s all in the details
Whether you’re listening to the audiobook, or picking up a copy in print, you’re bound to come across numerous surprising details.
