Caroline's Reviews > The Body: A Guide for Occupants
The Body: A Guide for Occupants
by
by
![6257531](https://cdn.statically.io/img/images.gr-assets.com/users/1329765864p2/6257531.jpg)
We are darn well amazing. We've all heard that rather gooey truth "We are all made of stardust..." but read this book, and you will learn even more extraordinary truths. We are phenomenal creatures. If you aren't filled with a fantastic sense of wonder whilst reading this then pinch yourself hard, because something is missing.
As well as conveying a huge bundle of facts in a fascinating fashion, Bryson also makes his readers laugh. I love this guy's sense of humour. That eased off a bit towards the end as he started talking about the body in old age. I possess a 69-year-old body, and I quaked a bit when I learnt the degree to which us older folk are more prone to problems. I presumed that I knew that already, but to see it so clearly laid out in print is daunting. For instance "An eighty-year-old person is a thousand times more likely than a teenager to develop cancer." Whaaaaaat? Although he doesn't dwell overly on the negatives of being elderly, the book nevertheless brings home to you with a thump some of the downsides of ageing.
Here are a few of the topics discussed, just to give you a flavour of the book.....
RUNNING(view spoiler)
SWEATING(view spoiler)
ANTIBIOTICS (view spoiler)
VITAMINS (view spoiler)
TASTE(view spoiler)
APPENDIX(view spoiler)
TALKING (view spoiler)
STROKES (view spoiler)
BLEEDING PEOPLE(view spoiler)
AUTOIMMUNE DISEASES (view spoiler)
SMOKING (view spoiler)
BACTERIA (view spoiler)
As with Bryson's 'A Short History of Almost Everything' I'm amazed by the breadth of research and interviewing he must have done for this book. Add to this his hallmark of being wonderfully readable - and you have a great book. Highly recommended.
Later Add: Dr Abigail Zuger, who writes for The New York Times says that the book has several errors. (view spoiler)
(Link to this got from Carol.'s review)
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
As well as conveying a huge bundle of facts in a fascinating fashion, Bryson also makes his readers laugh. I love this guy's sense of humour. That eased off a bit towards the end as he started talking about the body in old age. I possess a 69-year-old body, and I quaked a bit when I learnt the degree to which us older folk are more prone to problems. I presumed that I knew that already, but to see it so clearly laid out in print is daunting. For instance "An eighty-year-old person is a thousand times more likely than a teenager to develop cancer." Whaaaaaat? Although he doesn't dwell overly on the negatives of being elderly, the book nevertheless brings home to you with a thump some of the downsides of ageing.
Here are a few of the topics discussed, just to give you a flavour of the book.....
RUNNING(view spoiler)
SWEATING(view spoiler)
ANTIBIOTICS (view spoiler)
VITAMINS (view spoiler)
TASTE(view spoiler)
APPENDIX(view spoiler)
TALKING (view spoiler)
STROKES (view spoiler)
BLEEDING PEOPLE(view spoiler)
AUTOIMMUNE DISEASES (view spoiler)
SMOKING (view spoiler)
BACTERIA (view spoiler)
As with Bryson's 'A Short History of Almost Everything' I'm amazed by the breadth of research and interviewing he must have done for this book. Add to this his hallmark of being wonderfully readable - and you have a great book. Highly recommended.
Later Add: Dr Abigail Zuger, who writes for The New York Times says that the book has several errors. (view spoiler)
(Link to this got from Carol.'s review)
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
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Finished Reading
March 20, 2021
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![Caroline](https://cdn.statically.io/img/images.gr-assets.com/users/1329765864p1/6257531.jpg)
The overuse of antibiotics, and the consequence of that, has known about since at least the 1990s and yet our societies persist with the practice. I suppose it's anoth..."
I think you are right. I think it's also a case of money, money, money....
Due to the great cost of any initiative to sort this out, I think what we need is government funded research into creating new antibiotics (perhaps an organisation spanning several governments, a sort of consortium. Maybe funding via the WHO?)
As for antibiotics being fed to farm animals as a matter of course... "Sweden banned the agricultural use of antibiotics in 1986. The European Union followed in 1999. In 1977, the US Food and Drug Administration ordered a halt to the use of antibiotics for purposes of fattening farm animals, but backed off when there was an outcry from agricultural interests and the Congressional leaders who supported them...." So, America has a lot to answer for in that respect.
I can't believe how blindly we continue to head for an antibiotic catastrophe.
![Caroline](https://cdn.statically.io/img/images.gr-assets.com/users/1329765864p1/6257531.jpg)
Thanks Fiona! :O)
![Caroline](https://cdn.statically.io/img/images.gr-assets.com/users/1329765864p1/6257531.jpg)
I'm afraid I cheated. I've always done reviews with copious notes, but nowadays I often read books on my Kindle - and that enables you to copy and paste segments of the book & email them to people. Well I email them to myself, so they end up on my computer, & I can use them as extracts to use in my reviews.
![Caroline](https://cdn.statically.io/img/images.gr-assets.com/users/1329765864p1/6257531.jpg)
I'm afraid I cheated. I've always done reviews with copious notes, but nowadays I often read books on my Kindle - and that enables you to copy..."
Thank you Jenna. I noticed that a ton of my contacts here had read the book..and it's well worth it.
![Emmkay](https://cdn.statically.io/img/images.gr-assets.com/users/1332465656p1/7135572.jpg)
![Caroline](https://cdn.statically.io/img/images.gr-assets.com/users/1698332963p1/3236194.jpg)
![Caroline](https://cdn.statically.io/img/images.gr-assets.com/users/1329765864p1/6257531.jpg)
He's a wonderful researcher/writer, and I love it when he writes on subjects you can really get your teeth into. I learnt a ton from this book - it's generated so many conversations with friends. What more can you ask for?
![Caroline](https://cdn.statically.io/img/images.gr-assets.com/users/1329765864p1/6257531.jpg)
Ha ha, yes the piece on bleeding people is daunting. It's unbelievable how the recent history of medicine was so bizarrely off track. As I said above to Emmkay, I learnt so much from this book..... It was absolutely fascinating.
![Cecily](https://cdn.statically.io/img/images.gr-assets.com/users/1480285828p1/1199525.jpg)
![C. (Comment, never msg).](https://cdn.statically.io/img/images.gr-assets.com/users/1720305231p1/10501026.jpg)
![Caroline](https://cdn.statically.io/img/images.gr-assets.com/users/1329765864p1/6257531.jpg)
You're only the second person I've met who doesn't like Bryson. I'd be very interested to see any review you may have done on one of this books. Perhaps I just need to read one of the reviews here on GR with one or two stars, and see what people don't like? I think he is possibly my favourite writer, and I am wholly smitten
and blinkered.
I found that review - by Carol., along with a link to a doctor critical of the book. (Added now to my review)
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
![Caroline](https://cdn.statically.io/img/images.gr-assets.com/users/1329765864p1/6257531.jpg)
Hi C, and thank you for stopping by.
Whilst there are some questionable attitudes in medicine - I nevertheless have a pretty traditional approach to illnesses and their treatments (I come from a very medical background, so that is no surprise.) I am however horrified about the ongoing issues around antibiotics.
![Cecily](https://cdn.statically.io/img/images.gr-assets.com/users/1480285828p1/1199525.jpg)
I don't want to tarnish the sheen of one of your favourite writers, especially in your own thread. I'll just say that in the three I've read (Small Island, Big Country, and Shakespeare), I found his chatty style irksome, rather than funny, and that he often spread a handful of facts very thin. The last of those clearly doesn't apply to this book.
![Ravi Gangwani](https://cdn.statically.io/img/images.gr-assets.com/users/1368857180p1/20462959.jpg)
![Mikey B.](https://cdn.statically.io/img/images.gr-assets.com/users/1641475883p1/1484029.jpg)
This is on my list - will get to it one day - hopefully before its too late...
![Daren](https://cdn.statically.io/img/images.gr-assets.com/users/1347678806p1/11995655.jpg)
Ha, you can add me to that short list. I will say I enjoyed his 'A Short History of Nearly Everything', which I suspect is much more like this book - jammed with facts. It is his travel I find chatty and picky and doesn't align with my reading. I would never begrudge someone else enjoyment of his books though.
![Ken](https://cdn.statically.io/img/images.gr-assets.com/users/1621963990p1/730754.jpg)
![Am Y](https://cdn.statically.io/img/images.gr-assets.com/users/1318873818p1/6695185.jpg)
![Caroline](https://cdn.statically.io/img/images.gr-assets.com/users/1329765864p1/6257531.jpg)
Good - it's a great read...
![Caroline](https://cdn.statically.io/img/images.gr-assets.com/users/1329765864p1/6257531.jpg)
I don't want to tarnish the she..."
I can well understand that if you find that sort of chatty style irritating - it could well get on your nerves after a while. He is remorselessly frivolous & chirpy.
![Caroline](https://cdn.statically.io/img/images.gr-assets.com/users/1329765864p1/6257531.jpg)
This is on my list - will get to it one day - hopefully before its too late..."
I've bumped into one or two people who don't like Bryson, but the rest of us find him addictive. Hopefully when you pick up the book you will find yourself in the latter category.
![Caroline](https://cdn.statically.io/img/images.gr-assets.com/users/1329765864p1/6257531.jpg)
Thank you Ken!
![Lisa Vegan](https://cdn.statically.io/img/images.gr-assets.com/users/1243394822p1/83445.jpg)
It looks like a great book. It's on my to read list.
I'm in the middle re the author. I love his sense of humor and like his books but sometimes I don't like it when he's what I consider to be cruel. I do like his writing/books anyway though and want to read all of them or at least most of them.
![Caroline](https://cdn.statically.io/img/images.gr-assets.com/users/1329765864p1/6257531.jpg)
It looks like a great book. It's on my to read list.
I'm in the middle re the author. I love his sense of humor and like his books..."
A medal to you for ploughing you way through those spoilers!
I can't really relate to what you said about him being cruel, and would be interested to hear more about what you mean. Generally I'm quite squeamish about cruelty of any sort.
![Lisa Vegan](https://cdn.statically.io/img/images.gr-assets.com/users/1243394822p1/83445.jpg)
![Caroline](https://cdn.statically.io/img/images.gr-assets.com/users/1329765864p1/6257531.jpg)
Gosh, isn't that strange. I'm fat, and usually pick up on these things. I probably did, but have since forgotten (I have a dreadful memory.) The person that really sticks out for me as saying nasty things about people is Paul Theroux, but his negative comments are like being hit over the head with a baton, and perhaps Bryson is a bit more subtle....; I think of Bryson as quite brusque. I probably forgive him a lot because I find him so funny (& that is not a particularly good thing.)
The overuse of antibiotics, and the consequence of that, has known about since at least the 1990s and yet our societies persist with the practice. I suppose it's another example of short-term gain outweighing long-term harm.