The Unseen Body: A Doctor's Journey Through the Hidden Wonders of Human Anatomy
Jonathan Reisman, M.D.
Nov 2021 · Flatiron Books
5.0star
4 reviewsreport
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208
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About this ebook
"A fascinating, lyrical book... Reisman's experiences in other cultures bring a richness and depth to The Unseen Body. The way he thinks about the body and medicine—the rivers and tributaries, the flowing and unclogging, the top-down organization of the brain—is extraordinary!"
—Mary Roach
In this fascinating journey through the human body and across the globe, Dr. Reisman weaves together stories about our insides with a unique perspective on life, culture, and the natural world.
Jonathan Reisman, M.D.—a physician, adventure traveler and naturalist—brings readers on an odyssey navigating our insides like an explorer discovering a new world with The Unseen Body. With unique insight, Reisman shows us how understanding mountain watersheds helps to diagnose heart attacks, how the body is made mostly of mucus, not water, and how urine carries within it a tale of humanity’s origins.
Through his offbeat adventures in healthcare and travel, Reisman discovers new perspectives on the body: a trip to the Alaskan Arctic reveals that fat is not the enemy, but the hero; a stint in the Himalayas uncovers the boundary where the brain ends and the mind begins; and eating a sheep’s head in Iceland offers a lesson in empathy. By relating rich experiences in far-flung lands and among unique cultures back to the body’s inner workings, he shows how our organs live inextricably intertwined lives—an internal ecosystem reflecting the natural world around us.
Reisman offers a new and deeply moving perspective, and helps us make sense of our bodies and how they work in a way readers have never before imagined.
—Mary Roach
In this fascinating journey through the human body and across the globe, Dr. Reisman weaves together stories about our insides with a unique perspective on life, culture, and the natural world.
Jonathan Reisman, M.D.—a physician, adventure traveler and naturalist—brings readers on an odyssey navigating our insides like an explorer discovering a new world with The Unseen Body. With unique insight, Reisman shows us how understanding mountain watersheds helps to diagnose heart attacks, how the body is made mostly of mucus, not water, and how urine carries within it a tale of humanity’s origins.
Through his offbeat adventures in healthcare and travel, Reisman discovers new perspectives on the body: a trip to the Alaskan Arctic reveals that fat is not the enemy, but the hero; a stint in the Himalayas uncovers the boundary where the brain ends and the mind begins; and eating a sheep’s head in Iceland offers a lesson in empathy. By relating rich experiences in far-flung lands and among unique cultures back to the body’s inner workings, he shows how our organs live inextricably intertwined lives—an internal ecosystem reflecting the natural world around us.
Reisman offers a new and deeply moving perspective, and helps us make sense of our bodies and how they work in a way readers have never before imagined.
Ratings and reviews
5.0
4 reviews
Kerstin
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October 30, 2022
a relatively easy read for someone with limited medical knowledge. my favorite parts were realizing the similarities between people and those I share my life with, my dog and cats, after all, we all have blood, mucus, urine and tissue. a treat for anyone interested in anatomy! thanks!
Janice Tangen
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November 11, 2021
Nurses unite and get a copy for yourself to enjoy and to give to all those friends and relatives who beg you to "translate medicalese"! This book is fun, entertaining, totally understandable for all English speakers, a travelogue, and gives a great understanding of the workings of our bodies. As a retired RN, I have been translating medicalese into English for patients, family, friends, and acquaintances since forever. Which means that I truly value this trip through ERs, The Frozen North, Nepal, slaughterhouses, ethnic foods, and more. I loved that it came in audio format that I could listen to as I multitasked and was performed in an enthusiastic manner by professional actor/narrator, Robert Petkoff. I requested and received a free temporary copy from Macmillan Audio via NetGalley. Thank you!
About the author
Jonathan Reisman, M.D., is a doctor of internal medicine and pediatrics who has practiced medicine in the world’s most remote places—in the Arctic and Antarctica, at high-altitude in Nepal, in Kolkata’s urban slums and among the Oglala Sioux in South Dakota. He speaks Spanish and Russian and heads a non-profit to improve healthcare and education in India. Jonathan’s writing has appeared in The New York Times, Slate, and The Washington Post. He lives in Philadelphia with his wife and children.
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