Thank you to NetGalley for a free eARC copy of this book, in exchange for my honest review.

This audiobook was a really fun listen. I work in the medical field, so I had some knowledge of the medical side. Hearing how Reisman wove in environmental biology and travel made the book truly unique and enjoyable.

I chose this one for the cover and it didn't disappoint. The patient stories were really interesting and well written. It was an easy, enjoyable read.

Jonathan Reisman is an amazing guy! I received The Unseen Body on audiobook and have since bought hardcover books for me and all my medical friends. Reisman gives you an in-depth look at how he became the doctor he is. He’s unconventional, forward thinking, and humorous…you know, everything you wish your doctor was! His travels all over the world and experiences are brought to life through his stories and the patients he has treated. I thoroughly enjoyed the audiobook, which I have also purchased for myself and cannot tell enough people about this book and how to get it. A truly enjoyable and learning experience.

Thank you so much to NetGalley and McMillan audio for my copy of The Unseen Body A Doctor's Journey Through the Hidden Wonders of Human Anatomy
by Jonathan Reisman Narrated by Robert Petkoff In exchange for an honest review. It published November 9, 2021.
First off, I have to say, that the narration was very well done. Secondly, this book was so charming and interesting that I made sure to find things to do just so I could listen to it. I found it so informative, but in such an approachable, anecdotal way that I was just drawn to it. I highly recommend this book to anyone who is interested in the body, medical science, and just overall curious about life. There is some icky stuff in here, but what would you expect? It is from a doctor’s perspective!

*received for free from netgalley for honest review* Really great read! loved it and it was funny and fact filled

One of the hardest parts when it comes to science writing is to get the reader engaged and interested in a topic that you love, but they might not be in love with. The Unseen Body overflows with Dr Reisman’s fascination and wonder at the complexity and beauty that can be found in the parts, and the sum of it’s parts. Even when you personally might feel a little queasy at his story of eating a meal of lungs, or field dressing a deer, you can hear his respect for the part of the body he’s talking about, and his appreciation for how it keeps us alive. And also for how things can go wrong with it can cause failures.
Nothing in it was too much for me, but I have watched medical dramas before, even if I don’t really know all that much aside from general anatomy. It is part world travelogue, part body travelogue, and it will help give you an appreciation that your body is a wonderland. *finger guns* Thank you to NetGalley and Flatiron Books for the copy of this audiobook.

I read and listened to this amazing book alongside my daughter, who is in premed. She was just so inspired by the book, and just validated her calling for the field of medicine.

Within the book we’re true stories and anecdotes by Dr Reisman’s experiences in life and in practice, taking us through a visual tour of the human body through his eyes as a physician, adventurer and lover of nature.

There was just something about the way Dr Reisman taught in his writing, that just feels as if in every chapter, you are sitting with him over coffee as he tells you about the intricacies of the human body, and where in the end you are so much smarter, and with a better understanding. I have been a nurse for many years and have learned so much.

This is a great read for anyone and everyone who has a body - and of course for you or anyone you know looking to go into the healthcare field, this is a must read. If only all textbooks were written this way…

It’s just so fun and I highly recommend!!

This book was both informative and entertaining. It provided non-fiction information about the human body and it’s functions with real life anecdotes from the author. I learned a lot from the book and enjoyed the author’s stories. There were a few chapters and stories that I found hard to stomach, but overall I enjoyed this book. I listened to the audiobook version of this book and found the reader enjoyable to listen to.

This was cool! The physician-author had varied experiences around the world (including Nepal and Alaska). He described different body systems, telling a bit of history, and his experience with it. The history of the esophagus and lungs, for example, and the adage that pneumonia is an old man’s friend. Just a neat book. As a nurse, I loved the stories especially. Lovely.

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!

The Unseen Body: A Doctor's Journey Through the Hidden Wonders of Human Anatomy
Jonathan Reisman
⚡️ I was provided an audio-ARC by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review
🌟: 5 / 5
📚: Part anatomy text, part travelogue, and part medical memoir, Dr. Jonathan Reisman guides readers through the wonders of the body with empathy and enthusiasm.
💭: I’ve read my fair share of popular science books about medicine and anatomy, and, as one can expect from reading a lot on the same topic, it can and does get repetitive. When I say that this book is a massively pleasant surprise, I mean it.

Part of what made this book stand out to me from other medical memoirs is the genuine curiosity that Reisman brings to his work. No matter how small, gross, or obscure, every facet of anatomy discussed in this book is written about with enthusiasm and wonder. You can tell that anatomy is something that the author is truly fascinated by, rather than just being part of his job.

There’s a huge humanizing element in this story of the body, and it’s the people that Dr. Reisman works with when their bodies unexpectedly fail. Animal organs aren’t just a model to study in basic anatomy labs, they’re a connection to home in many immigrant kitchens. The liver isn’t just a lump of an organ that filters toxins in the body, it’s a desperately needed transplant for a dying father. Fat isn’t just a shameful tie to an obesity epidemic, it’s a way of life and staple food for indigenous Alaskans. A brain isn’t just an enigmatic lump of nerves, it’s the author’s own experience with the swelling and side effects of altitude sickness. With each chapter, Reisman offers anecdotes about different anatomical parts, from major organs to something as simple as snot, that helped him to humanize the human body and allows readers to glimpse a more empathetic view of the hard sciences of life.

Through a combination of science facts, patient anecdotes, travel stories, and personal reflections, The Unseen Body is the perfect balance of engaging and educational that all creative scientific nonfiction should try to be. There were so many new things that I learned, and it never felt too confusing or like I needed to know about topics ahead of time to understand what was being discussed. While some parts definitely made me feel queasy (sorry to everyone out there who are fascinated by eyeballs, but they are definitely not for me), this is an anatomy book that I will definitely highly recommend.

Favorite fun fact of the book: it’s illegal to buy or sell lungs as organ meat in the US!

Are you participating in Nonfiction November? I'm not officially, but I do have several nonfiction books on my review list this month. I work in the sciences so it shouldn't be shocking that a number of the books are science related. Today's recommendation is a perfect mix of memoir, medical history, and anatomy & physiology.

The Unseen Body: A Doctor's Journey Through the Hidden Wonders of Human Anatomy is interesting but also very accessible. Reisman intersperses the anatomy and physiology information with personal stories from his years as a doctor.

I'm a science geek so I really enjoyed this book, but I don't have a lot of medical or even anatomy knowledge. I took one physiology course as an undergraduate. I really liked how each chapter was focused on a certain body part or function. And the chapters weren't all what you would expect when you think of anatomy. There are, of course, the obvious parts like the throat, heart, and lungs. But he also discusses feces, urine, and pineal gland (this chapter has to do with sleep).

Reisman draws on his time as a medical student, resident, and staff hospitalist as well as his experiences in India, Russia, and high altitude Alaska. His stories are entertaining and informative.

I really enjoyed the audiobook. I'm usually doing something else while listening to a book. Sometimes, my task pulls my attention away from the book but with The Unseen Body, I found the book pulling my attention away from my task. I would get so engrossed with the story or fact being shared. Robert Petkoff does a wonderful job as the narrator.

This book is an excellent choice for anyone interested in science and medicine. But I think it would be especially interesting to students going into medicine as he does give some advice on how to improve patient care.

My review will be published at Girl Who Reads on Friday, Nov. 5 - https://www.girl-who-reads.com/2021/11/the-unseen-body-by-jonathan-reisman.html

What a fast-paced multi-faceted journey into the unseen body. For a naturalist turned doctor, this was quite the ride from learning about tanning animal hides to high altitude sickness to trekking through the wilderness in Russia. It was a perfect mix between anecdotes and medical terminology. Enough medical history and yet current medical references (Coronavirus as an example).

“Like skin; every part of the human body can be broken down into layers.”

Although the author has only been practicing medicine for 10 years, I was very surprised and impressed by his valuation of the current medical system. Having the foresight but also the resolve to discuss things such as not waking patients due to the importance of interrupted sleep was refreshing but at the same time irritating because so many physicians still do this. Another example was blood tests which require blood samples which in turn has the sometimes consequence of causing anemia.

I greatly appreciated his discussion of obesity and navigating the medical system. Again, l appreciated his “hot take” on fat shaming as well the mixed messages (some) physicians give overweight patients. The thoughtfulness of this section and WHY obesity is still seen as a choice when diseases like diabetes, high blood pressure, and even addictions do not have the same visceral reactions from the medical community as well as our community as a whole.

Overall, this book was a great surprise and I enjoyed every minute of it. This is definitely a 5/5 star non-fiction read (listen) for me and I will most definitely recommend this to others. This book would be a perfect Segway for lovers of “Body: An Guide for Occupants” by Bill Bryson.

Thank you to the author and NetGalley for an advanced copy to listen to and share my humble thoughts and opinions.

There's an ability shared by the best science writers. So much of nature is unseen--from the atom to galaxies, from bacteria to the inner workings of human bodies--and this leaves science writers needing a distinct set of tools to connect readers to the unimagined worlds they are describing.

In <i>The Unseen Body</i>, Jonathan Reisman wields these tools of analogy and simile with expert effect. His exploration of anatomy reminded me of Brian Greene's similarly illustrative writings on physics.

Reisman draws on two resources for his insights. His medical references are mostly from his medical residency in Boston, leading me to wonder how many years of medical practice he actually has. Still, the spirit of discovery infuses this work, and he's much closer in time to a layman's perspective than a more established doctor might be.

(I listened to this book as a confirmed layman. This is why I judge it for its ability to instruct. You'll need to find a review by someone else to evaluate his medical bona fides.)

The second resource is Reisman's experiences abroad. A kayak trip along Siberian rivers illustrates his description of the circulatory system. He travels to Israel where he legally eats lung and reports on that organ's properties. Other reports from Iceland and India are also illuminating.

The audiobook I listened to, read by Robert Petkoff, really helped me to appreciate the book, which was provided to me by MacMillan Audio and NetGalley in return for this review.

Thanks to Macmillan Audio and NetGalley for an advanced listening copy of this audiobook.

Dr. Jonathan Reisman takes readers/listeners on a journey through the human body but also through various world locales. He explains the functions of different organs while sharing unique anecdotes about medicine in other countries and even shares how some organs function differently in some extreme locations. Being the biology nerd that I am, a lot of this was not new information for me, but Dr. Reisman's presentation still made it interesting. It's great for science lovers. Upper elementary and high school teachers could also share some snippets/chapters with their students as well.

Quite an interesting collection of tales from Dr Reisman's very adventurous life. Given the vast wealth of experience from which he draws, a little grandiosity can be excused. Definitely worth the read if you enjoy medical anecdotes.

This was fascinating. If you have interest in medical stuff and don’t shy away from the gross parts of the human body, this it totally for you. Told from a doctor’s mouth, exploring different organs, ecosystems, and bits of the human body is made simple. I loved hearing Reisman’s tales of different cultures and how his experiences shaped his interpretation of common medicine. This also gives a realistic glimpse inside the ER from the doctor’s viewpoint. I will be endlessly interested in medicine and this gave me such a good understanding on how our organs function and coexist within our bodies. I now also have a healthy respect of keeping my right and left hands separate from now on.

THIS WAS TOTALLY MY JAM! 💯

I loved the medical information being imparted through funny, awkward & heartwarming real life studies. You will hear stories about different cultures, interesting places, even poop & so much more!

Dr Reisman takes you on a trip through your insides. You’ll learn something interesting & laugh while you’re at it. Kidneys are infinitely fascinated! I loved the book!!

Thank you NetGalley & Macmillan Audio, I pre-ordered the book!

This book is a sad and dangerous perpetuation of sexism and violates its own premise to journey through the unseen wonders of anatomy when it calls the path sperm travel to an egg "a vast darkness" and then illuminates it none at all. The chapter on pregnancy and birth is riddled with sexism that -- if no one else -- editors should have flagged and addressed. How sad that this would be published in 2021. When will it end? The author notes that his example case for the chapter, his wife's delivery, was the longest he has experienced, yet he wrote nothing at all of its impact on her body. He writes nothing at all of her body's recovery, likely an astonishing and engaging story. His telling ends with his son's cry. Here he perpetuates the erasure of non-male aspects human anatomy, as do all who were involved in this book's publication.

An amazing and fascinating journey through the body. Dr. Reisman explains and explores the body through personal stories and patient cases, making this book very interesting. An easy and enjoyable read. Would highly recommend this book to anyone who may have any remote interest in their body and how it functions. Thank you for the ARC of this book. #TheUnseenBody, #MacmillanAudio, #NetGalley