The Body

A Guide for Occupants

By: Bill Bryson

Narrated by: Bill Bryson

AN INSTANT NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • A BEST BOOK OF THE YEAR BY THE WASHINGTON POST • LONGLISTED FOR THE PEN E.O. WILSON LITERARY SCIENCE WRITING AWARD
"Glorious. . .You will marvel at the brilliance and vast weirdness of your design." —The Washington Post

Bill Bryson, bestselling author of A Short History of Nearly Everything, takes us on a head-to-toe tour of the marvel that is the human body. As addictive as it is comprehensive, this is Bryson at his very best, a must-read owner's manual for everybody.

Bill Bryson once again proves himself to be an incomparable companion as he guides us through the human body--how it functions, its remarkable ability to heal itself, and (unfortunately) the ways it can fail. Full of extraordinary facts (your body made a million red blood cells since you started reading this) and irresistible Bryson-esque anecdotes, The Body will lead you to a deeper understanding of the miracle that is life in general and you in particular. As Bill Bryson writes, "We pass our existence within this wobble of flesh and yet take it almost entirely for granted." The Body will cure that indifference with generous doses of wondrous, compulsively readable facts and information.

Very well done

I learned a lot. Detailed, but not boring. Bryson did his research, but kept it interesting.

Wonderful learning experience

This book had been on my radar for quite some time, but I kept putting it off. After dealing with COVID, I decided maybe it was indeed time to understand a bit more about my body - and this was a wonderful learning experience. My only “negative” - if it can be called that - is the author’s unwillingness to even consider Intelligent Design. To my recollection it was only mentioned once, and then in a manner which dismissed it entirely. But I expected that coming in - so it didn’t disappoint me much. Great book!

A Masterpiece!

Another amazing read by my favorite Author! Keeps you entertained and engaged the entire way from cover to cover.

Single most interesting book I've ever read!

I actually purchased this by mistake. But, I was immediately drawn in. If school had been this interesting, I'd have been a doctor. The body. The myths. The stuff we know that just ain't so. Amazing! Absolutely amazing!

Surprised how interesting Bryson made this book.

For subjects like proteins, the circulatory system and the gut - I was unable to put this one down. Bryson’s research and inimitable writing style made this one of his best in my opinion.