The Body: A Guide for Occupants

Mostly fantastic but was disappointed he seems to believe the ‘fat is bad for you' outdated advice. Otherwise entertaining as usual.

As someone who didn't think a think book about human biology would be that entertaining, this book blew me away (with one exception). It is written so fluidly with humour and is the perfect balance of covering all the important parts and systems of the body with fascinating facts, historical anecdotes and context, and practical information (with one glaring exception I will explain) so that it never becomes dry. It was absolutely a 10/10 for the majority of the book. My one criticism is that, despite writing a chapter dedicated to eating and frequently mentioning chronic diseases for which the main contributor is poor diet, the author grossly ignores the role of food in health and any real tangeable advice on this matter. Heart disease, stroke, cancer, type 2 diabetes, and obesity are all known to share the main contributing factor of diet and all come up multiple times throughout the book (though the author does focus on obesity disproportionately). Despite this, the most that is said about what one can do to avoid these terrible, often deadly conditions is the same vague thing you might hear from anyone off the street: don't eat too many calories, too much fat, salt, or sugar, eat more vegetables and fruit, and a SINGULAR, indirect reference to not eating too much meat (with absolutely no indication at all on how much might be too much). If you want the latest science on living a long, healthy life and preventing and reversing today's top killers, I highly recommend How Not to Die by Dr. Michael Greger or even just visit his incredible non-profit site, NutritionFacts.org for free videos and transcripts with accessible information on thousands of nutritional topics. Bill Bryson evidently did not want to rock the boat and provide the "hard truth" of life-saving information by saying just a little more in just a little more of a direct way and instead wrote a book anyone can read without feeling much personal discomfort (unless you are obese or have any fat you feel uncomfortable with, because he keeps going on about that). So, I would definitely recommend this book, but would just say it essentially has nothing at all to say about the current science on practical human nutrition and you can and should look elsewhere for that essential information.

Fantastic story telling of the human body as told by Bryson. Given we all occupy one it's worth the read.

This book was actually fantastic as an introduction. That said, the problem I have with books written about scientific topics but not written by scientists is that they often don't delve deep enough for my liking. I realise this may be a tall order given that this is a whistle-stop tour of the human body and not a thesis, but I nevertheless did feel like I was reading a collection of semi-popular facts at times. There were a few chapters from which I made no notes (with my note-taking policy being only write down things you didn't know previously). 
The tone and language were excellent, however, and I did still manage to take away some newfound knowledge.
P.S: What about the lymphatic system?!

Title: A Captivating Journey Through the Human Body

The Body by Bill Bryson is a captivating exploration of the intricacies of the human body, presented in Bryson's signature blend of wit, curiosity, and meticulous research. Delving into the marvels of anatomy, physiology, and medical history, Bryson takes readers on an enlightening journey from head to toe, unraveling the mysteries that lie beneath our skin.

One of the book's greatest strengths is Bryson's ability to distill complex scientific concepts into accessible and engaging narratives. Whether he's discussing the inner workings of cells, the wonders of DNA, or the fascinating evolution of human physiology, Bryson's clear and engaging prose makes even the most daunting subjects comprehensible to readers of all backgrounds.

Moreover, The Body is not merely a dry recitation of facts; it's imbued with Bryson's trademark humor and wit. His anecdotes and personal observations pepper the text, infusing it with warmth and personality. From quirky historical anecdotes to amusing tidbits about the quirks of the human body, Bryson keeps readers entertained while imparting a wealth of knowledge.

Additionally, Bryson demonstrates a commendable commitment to accuracy and thoroughness throughout the book. He meticulously cites his sources and consults a wide array of experts, ensuring that his exploration of the human body is grounded in rigorous scientific evidence. This dedication to factual accuracy enhances the credibility of the book and instills trust in the reader.

However, despite its many merits, The Body occasionally suffers from pacing issues. Some sections feel overly long or meandering, detracting from the overall flow of the narrative. While Bryson's enthusiasm for his subject is evident, there are moments when tighter editing could have improved the book's cohesion and readability.

In conclusion, The Body is a thoroughly enjoyable and informative read that offers readers a fascinating glimpse into the inner workings of the human body. Bryson's accessible prose, combined with his depth of research and infectious curiosity, makes this book a standout addition to the genre of popular science writing. While it may not be flawless, its strengths far outweigh its minor shortcomings, earning it a solid four out of five stars.

I reckon this book covers most everything a normal person needs to know about the human body. Bryson elucidates the present state of our knowledge with a lot of history about how we got there.
Witty, informative, and very well written – recommended.
4+ stars.

Bill Bryson is one gifted writer who could translate science into something anyone finds interesting to read. We are who we are by random chance, and this book attempts to show the order in it.

I'm glad I picked this book up. It made me realise my passion for health and curiosity for science. I'm now pursuing a career in health, and this book gave me the nudge I needed.

Entretenido, pero creo que por momentos pretende abarcar mucho (demasiados detalles) y en otros temas se queda muy corto.

Lo mejor sin duda son las historias de personas con las que “rellena” los temas tratados.

No es una obra maestra pero se disfruta.

Bryson does not disappoint; informative and clever, with a touch of philosophy about our own mortality.

I decided to read this because Brahm mentioned in his review that this was more breadth over depth, which was something that was opposite to his preference. I, however, don't read a ton of non-fiction and when I do I prefer a wide range of topics around a theme, such as Freakonomics or a Malcolm Gladwell book, so I grabbed the audiobook from the library.

This was a fun, easy read even if it wasn't super enlightening or anything. Each section on different parts/functions of body is generally basic enough that a high school biology class likely covered it, but almost every one of these sections also includes a fun anecdote about an early pioneering doctor or researcher that made discoveries in that area.

Things that did surprise me were the things that we still don't have answers for. Did you know that we don't have a good scientific explanation for why we sleep still? I assumed there was a specific regenerative process or something that I just forgot the details about when I wasn't paying attention in a class, but nope, we just need sleep for... some reason.

Glad I listened to this though! Was a great book to drive to and do chores to.

Not bad, just ... basic? I'm not sure what I wanted it to be instead, maybe deeper instead of so broad, but this didn't quite hit the spot for me like I was hoping it would, unfortunately.

Un libro lleno de information interesante y de anecdotas.
Hay bastante informacion de la historia de la medicina, si esto no te interesa, quiza se hace pesado a veces.
Cada capitulo esta dividido en partes y cada una tiene inmumerable anecdotas, lo que lo hace muy llevadero.
Por ejemplo:
Capitulo: Sangre
Parte 1: El corazon
- El corazon es un musculo....
- Se relaciona con el tamaño ...
- Todos los animales tienen el mismo numero de latidos en vida ...
- Primero estudiado por alguien metiendose un cable por un brazo....
- El primer transplante ...

Parte 2: Tipos

Y asi, lo que lo hace muy entretenido, nunca estas mas de una pagina en un lugar especifico, es como ir navegando la wikipedia donde solo te das un par de minutos por articulo.

3.5 stars. Good overview of both the body and history of the doctors and scientists that did the research. First Bryson book I've read; not a big fan of the writing style and I prefer to read books that dive deeply into specific areas of study. Personal preference. Read this if you'd like a fascinating overview with history.

Another fantastic read from Bill Bryson.

Worth rereading!

a potpourri of fascinating facts about the body. No kind of narrative theme, but biographies were excellent.

The body is so cool! This was a great crash course in human biology - basically everything I've forgotten since I last took it in high school. Peppered with medical history, interesting (and sometimes very disturbing) anecdotes from around the world, myth-busting and current expert opinion, this was a great informational read. Written in Bryson's distinctive clever and dry voice, I found it accessible as well. Now I'm loaded with great trivia that I will inevitably forget in a few weeks.

I liked this for the historical info, but found several sections with old science

Amazing read, I learned new things about the human body. Educational, terrifying and entertaining all at the same time. I'm grateful how medical science has gotten us this far, and aghast at some of the included history and stories of what it took.

Since I've returned from my self-imposed Science Book Club exile, I've been reading this book which I was planning on owning and reading anyway since Bill Bryson is awesome. I will read pretty much anything he has written and will be entertained. The human body is a great subject! So much fun stuff to learn about here. Here's one bit:

For years, Britain operated a research facility called the Common Cold Unit, but it closed in 1989 without ever finding a cure. It did, however, conduct some interesting experiments. In one, a volunteer was fitted with a device that leaked a thin fluid at his nostrils at the same rate a runny nose would. The volunteer then socialized with other volunteers, as if at a cocktail party. Unknown to any of them, the fluid contained a dye visible only under ultraviolet light. When that was switched on after they had been mingling for a while, the participants were astounded to discover that the dye was everywhere–on the hands, head, and upper body of every participant and on glasses, doorknobs, sofa cushions, bowls of nuts, you name it. The average adult touches his face sixteen times an hour, and each of those touches transferred the pretend pathogen from nose to snack bowl to innocent third party to doorknob to innocent fourth party and so on until pretty much everyone and everything bore a festive glow of imaginary snot.

Entertaining collection of trivia about the flesh vessel we all occupy.

Twee sterren voor de moeite. Teveel een boek met weetje na feitje na weetje, met bij een hele hoop van deze weetjes en feitjes “Waarom, dat weten we eigenlijk nog niet”.

Nu zitten zijn boeken altijd wel vol met feitjes en weetjes, maar ik denk dat het probleem hier is dat het onderwerp van het boek te “narrow” is waardoor het al snel te veel van hetzelfde wordt.

“Altogether it takes seven billion billion billion [...] atoms to make you. No one can say why those seven billion billion billion atoms have such an urgent desire to be you.”

“If everybody else in the world would became the size of Americans it would be equivalent to adding one billion people to the world's population.”.

“Male ignorance of female anatomy is quite arresting, it appears, particularly when you consider how keen they are to get to know it in other respects.”

“America has about 80o,000 practising physicians, but needs twice that number of people to administer its payment system.”

Bill Bryson teaches you everything you didn't know you wanted to know about the human body in this book. Bryson takes on the brain and skin and hair and the skeleton and the immune system and lungs and food and guts and sleep and birth and nerves and pain and disease and cancer and death. He tells the stories of the scientists behind the discoveries about the body. Everything is backed with science and footnotes, and that's part of the delight in this book, but the other part are the anecdotes about the body and the people studying the body, and that's a true joy.

This is the kind of book that (probably) drives everyone else in your family crazy; you read a little and you can't help yourself from reading parts of it aloud, and then you laugh together and walk away, and you read some more, and then you share some more, and on and on to the end.

A new favorite nonfiction read.