The Body

A Guide for Occupants

By: Bill Bryson

Narrated by: Bill Bryson

Length: 14 hrs and 4 mins

Publisher's summary

An instant New York Times best seller

Named 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, best-selling 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-listen 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 listenable facts and information.

©2019 Bill Bryson (P)2019 Random House Audio

Critic reviews

"Bill Bryson is not so much a discoverer of new lands as a charismatic cartographer of existing ones, smartly mapping points of entry into territory that might otherwise remain impenetrable to curious travelers. With light footed prose, The Body winds its way through the dense terrain of anatomy, physiology, and biochemistry....The result is an absorbing catalog of the human body in all its firmness and fatality....The colossal roster of facts on display is dazzling.... Bryson's distinctive voice will likely delight readers eager to go sightseeing around the world they embody." (The American Scholar)

"A delightful tour guide...Bryson's stroll through human anatomy, physiology, evolution, and illness (diabetes, cancer, infections) is instructive, accessible, and entertaining." (Booklist starred review)

Amusingly informative." (Forbes)

Very well done

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

A Masterpiece!

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

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!

Bryson's The Body doesn't disappoint...

Bryson's The Body doesn't disappoint... I am a huge fan of Bryson's A Short History of Nearly Everything, and he clearly used the same blueprint to provide a deep dive exploration of the human body. I would place this on my REALLY INTERESTING list, especially if you have ever wondered any-little-thing about your body and how it works.

Fascinating, beautifully written and read

A fascinating insight into the body and its parts and functions. Too many facts to remember but I could hardly put it down. And now I am listening for the second time. I think I will periodically come back to it. It certainly changed my outlook on a number of things. It is written and narrated by Bill Bryson (beautifully). I want to buy more of his audible books. Highly recommended

another brilliant Bryson

my one complaint is that he pronounced some words in ways I'd never heard, like "EE-strogen" (for the hormone). other than that, LOVE.

Bryson hits it out of the park... again.

This was brilliantly researched and delivered. Just so many things I never knew I never knew. 🙂

Perfect Pandemic Subject

One of the best books I have ever read on Audible. With his slightly British accent, Bill Bryson was a wonderful narrator. His writing of a technical subject is extremely easy to understand. Bryson's style is witty anf engaging. Don"t miss this one.

Another Grand Slam from One of Our Best Writers

I love everything Bill Bryson has ever written. Let me say that up front. And I especially love listening to his Audible books where he narrates them himself. (I could listen to Bill Bryson read the phone book and I'd love it. He's that good.)

This book turned out to be much more interesting (fascinating, in fact) than I expected. My favorite Bryson will forever be The Life and Times of the Thunderbolt Kid and his sensational Summer 1927 (followed by A Walk in the Woods). So this one had a lot to measure up to going in. But it sure delivered.

Several chapters ought to be mandatory Public Health Announcements. The rest is just pure wonderful. Bryson is a treasure.

Makes one wonder...

Makes one wonder how this complex system called the human body could have possibly happened by accident...it’s a pure miracle is what it is; that we are even alive.