Cover Image: A History of the World Through Body Parts

A History of the World Through Body Parts

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Member Reviews

I an unable to review this title, as it was archived before I had a chance to download and read it. This feedback is only to stop this title from adversely affecting my netgalley feedback rate. If in the future I have the opportunity to read this title, I will post a proper review here.

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Interesting, amazing and informative read. The human body and its part all have a purpose though not always the purpose we are familiar with. This book is written with details and odd factual bits. It is good for anyone interested in anatomy or the human body. These authors selected parts of individuals throughout history and will appeal to a wide range of readers. It is engaging and was an oddly enjoyable read.

Thank you NetGalley and Chronicle Books for the E-book edition in exchange for my review consideration. All views are my own.

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SUPER fun and informative book about our bodies and things that can happen to them. I really find that teaching ANYTHING is easier when it's relatable, fun, and even gross or quirky! My brain, in particular, typically will retain facts and information when I can pair it with an intriguing fact or story....ESPECIALLY when it's odd, gross, bloody, random, crazy and out of this world.

Such a cool book and I think it'd be a great coffee table read or addition to a teacher's room - it may entice students to see their world and learning through a new lens.

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Not really deep, but it is entertaining, informative, and thought-provoking. The list of resources at the end is a wonderful addition for those looking to explore further.

Received via NetGalley.

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One word describes A History of the World Through Body Parts--AWESOME!
This journey through history is not for the faint of heart but is a perfect journey for someone (of any age) who has the gnarly, gritty, show me the mummy's dried skin interest in life. Filled with well-researched snippets and images (not enough, in my opinion), this is a must-have for inquiring minds.

Thank you, NetGalley and Chronicle Books, for the opportunity to read an advance reading copy.

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Very quick and exciting read. It was interesting and simple to understand...not stuffy and long worded, and boring like most books of its character. I always enjoy learning something new and I loved the short chapters!

There are 27 chapters but as I said they are all fairly short. It has a cool numbered image (corresponding to the chapter that body part is discussed in) of the human body in the contents. So if you wanted to learn more about a certain body part it was totally possible but once you dive in and read some of these historical and fun facts you will want to read the entire book from cover to cover!

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"By focusing on body parts, we've tried to make history truly human in ways one might not expect and make people from the past come alive."

A History of the World Through Body Parts tells the stories of 27 body parts and how they influenced history. These include some bits you may know about - George Washington's fake teeth, Einstein's brain - as well as ones that may be less well known - Queen Hatshepsut's beard, Thi Trinh's breasts. The authors use these stories to also take a broader look at the time period in which they existed. The chapters are fairly short and many include sidebars. For example, the first chapter looks at paleolithic Pyrenean woman's hands (the cave art made using hands as stencils) and includes a sidebar looking at how we know the age of cave art like this.

I think non-fiction with unrelated chapters like this can be a refreshing break from other books, knowing that I can read a chapter and return whenever to continue without having to think "wait, what was going on before?" It reminded me of Sam Kean's The Disappearing Spoon which tells a story centered on each of the elements. This book also included a table of contents depicted as a labeled anatomical diagram which is a fun way to present the subjects! I would recommend this for folks who enjoy historical or medical non-fiction.

Thank you to Chronicle Books and NetGalley for the eARC. A History of the World Through Body Parts will be published August 30th.

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From Cleopatra to George Washington — Lenin’s preserved body to Byron’s calves — historical pop culture facts get their due in what’s best described as a “Reader’s Digest” in full length book form. Did you ever wonder why Greek statues have a very noticeable anatomically correct sizing issue? Or if George Washington really wore wooden teeth (he probably didn’t)? This is the quick & fun read to find all of that (ex. guess how & who was embalmed for political reasons, but bizarrely didn’t want to be) and more!

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A History of the World Through Body Parts: The Stories Behind the Organs, Appendages, Digits, and the Like Attached to (or Detached from) Famous Bodies (whew, what a mouthful!) is exactly what the title says. It is a brief look at the history of humanity and the certain body parts that played important parts in key moments.

From the stone age to the space age, the Petras trace the rise and fall of history and the accompanying body parts that played a role. There are twenty-seven chapters and each chapter focuses on a certain body part – such as Qui Jin’s feet, Anne Boleyn’s heart, or Charles II of Spain’s jaw. Each piece tells a story of the times and tells us not only what was popular at the time but also how the times were changing.

While each chapter is fairly short, there is also a good deal of information given. For me, this made the book enjoyable to read. The information is given in a way that is easy to take in, not relying on overly scientific terms that might push a more casual reader away.

A History of the World Through Body Parts is an entertaining as well as educational read. Some of these stories I already knew but there were just as many I did not know the whole truth behind. I definitely recommend it for any of my readers who are looking not only a fairly quick read but one that will help them learn something too.

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This little treatise is an entertaining and informative romp through art, history, and archeology that delivers on what the title promises. Herein you find a smattering of stories and facts from around the world and throughout history that focus on various famous body parts, their depiction in art, their apparent power to cause some to wax philosophical, etc. Historical, cultural, and linguistic connections are peppered throughout. It reads more like a light, amusing trivia book. There are short chapters and even shorter factoids interwoven throughout the text. My one niggle with the text is this:: Though carefully researched and an abundance of citations, quite a few of these are not primary sources. I can't help but get the nagging feeling that some of the stories mentioned in this text may be just that...tales that have been repeated so often they are now considered fact by those who fail to dig beyond the thin veneer of a fancy presentation. This stole a star from my rating. Otherwise, it is an all around amusing, stimulating read.

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This was so fun! Short chapters on how different parts of the body affected history. Some stories I was somewhat familiar with, but most I'd never heard of. I read lots of history and this book approached it from a unique point of view.

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From hand Prince in a cave, Cleopatra‘s big nose Wilhelms little arm and even a few private parts. I thought The stories were entertaining and even informative. I thoroughly enjoyed this book and wish it would’ve been longer. It was 200+ pages but went by so fast anyone who loves history is going to love this book. I certainly did and highly recommend it. I was given this book by net Gally and the publisher and I am leaving this review voluntarily. Please forgive any grammar or punctuation errors I’m blind and dictate my review but all opinions are definitely my own.

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I am a sucker for all things anatomy and physiology, the weirder the better. This book did not disappoint. It gives specific points throughout history and the famous body parts that played a role. Quite a delight to read.

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This book is a fascinating exploration of history through a lens that both adults and older youth will find relatable and fascinating: the human body. The field of heritage interpretation teaches that a key to conveying ideas to audiences is to help them make connections between tangible objects and intangible concepts, and this book does that well. Each chapter focuses on a different part of the body - typically belonging to a famous historical figure - and uses it as a window into exploring a specific set of historical and cultural experiences.

While this is a non-fiction history book, this is less a reference text and more of an introduction to a range of topics which that will serve to encourage curious readers to seek more resources to learn more about the people and places which make up its subjects. This will be a great addition to any library collection which seeks to stimulate interest about history among its patrons; I believe the attention-grabbing title and informative, entertaining and approachable writing style will lead to high engagement and circulation.

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I received an advance copy of this through netgalley! There were no pictures, although seemingly places for pictures? Which did have me wonder if this copy was merely missing them.

Overall I found the style of the book to be quite captivating. It’s easy to get lost in a book and be unable to stop reading when each story is just a few pages long. “Just one more”, repeat x 10. The author doesn’t shy away from grim stories—in a book about body parts, it would be hard to. From the unethical source of Washington’s teeth to the brutal childhood of Tubman there’s certainly nothing off limits. Repeatedly the theme: one’s body, and all it’s possible flaws or abnormalities, make one into who they are, for better or worse. History would certainly be very different if the featured people lacked the highlighted traits.

One thing I found unappealing were the full-page blue asides. Each was tangentially related to the current story, but interjected even mid-sentence, making it somewhat distracting. Additionally, the book really didn’t have an overarching narrative to bring it all together, leaving the individual stories feeling disconnected. I feel like there was a missed opportunity to tie it together — just like an actual body is more than just individual parts, so too could this book, and the history of body parts, have been. I still strongly recommend this book, but between this and the interjecting asides, 4/5.

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In this amusing book each chapter begins with a particular part on a particular person, for example, Martin Luther’s bowels or George Washington’s teeth. The authors discuss the target body part in historical context and in terms of wider importance, then also consider that same body part in other famous persons and people in general. The discussions range from ancient history to modern times. The tone is light—conversational with a sprinkling of academic style and snarky asides—yet there is real information here. Readers who want to know even more about a topic and consult the resources listed at the end of the book. I’m usually focused only on content, but I must say that the visuals in this book are very attractive. The mix of fonts and retro drawings work well with the tone of the text. One of my favorites is the alternative, visualized table of contents, which is a diagram of the human body with body parts labeled by the chapter number in which they are discussed. The chapter title pages, which include old-fashioned alternative chapter titles, are also really nice.
 All in all, this book is a keeper. I learned a lot and smiled a lot and am ready to reread because there is is so much of interest here. And who could resist Queen Hatshepsut’s beard?
 This review is based on an electronic ARC from Netgalley.

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This was such a fun bit of quirky history. I'm torn between loving how it was such a quick read and wishing there was more. I certainly went on a quest to deep dive into some of the stories. I would definitely recommend this to anyone who likes history and would like a great survey of world history that can give you lots of ideas for further reading.

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This book was exciting, informative, and just so much fun to read!

Starting with the title, the concept just pulls you in, leaving you excited to learn exactly what each body part was famous for, and precisely 𝘸𝘩𝘰 it was attached to! I have heard about ideas such as dark tourism before, specifically with people visiting Galileo’s middle finger in museums, and it growing to be a symbol. It was so exciting to learn about more interesting stories like that, in the immersive format that the authors crafted.

Thanks so much to Kathy and Ross Petras, as well as NetGalley for the chance to read the ARC!

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I was intrigued by the title of this book and surprised when I found that I really enjoyed the authors’ journey through the history of the world one body part at a time. Each chapter is devoted to one body part and can stand alone; no need to read the chapters in order (but if you are like me, you want to read them in order).

Each history of the body part is thoroughly investigated with plenty of sidenotes. The writing is very readable and sometimes a bit snarky, which is totally in keeping with the subject matter at hand.

This book would appeal to the casual reader who is nominally interested in history. It will definitely appeal to the science or medical nerds out there who enjoy their history with a bit of snark.

[Thank you to NetGalley and the author for the advanced ebook copy in exchange for my honest and objective opinion which I have given here.]

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I really enjoyed this book. It was informative, interesting and a quick read. The stories were interesting and touched the topics that one wouldn’t think about

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