Book Reviews – The Body

The Body – A Guide for Occupants
By Bill Bryson

Having dealt brilliantly with everything you need to know about the universe and science in A Short History of Nearly Everything, Bill Bryson has now turned his insatiable curiosity and laconic humour to human biology, with a thorough and very intimate examination of The Body. Packed to the gills with astonishing – and quite often alarming – facts and tales about how human systems function, thrive and ultimately fail, this is another approachable, readable and frequently amusing layman’s guide to a very complex subject. There is analysis, too, of the history of disease, medicine and healthcare systems, including a grim snapshot of his native America (highest medical spend, poorest health outcomes).
Fascinating, informative and often very funny, this ultimate guide to navel-gazing would make a great gift. Be careful how you pay for it though – a flu virus can survive on a banknote for two and a half weeks …