The Body: A Guide for Occupants

　　比爾．布萊森是當今最後讀者喜愛的非小說作家之一，寫作素材廣泛，旅遊、文化、語言、科學無所不寫。《哈！小不列顛Notes From a Small Island》被英國人們自己票選為最能道盡民族性的代表作，長達500頁的科普代表作《萬物簡史》則獲得英國艾凡提斯獎Aventis Prize和歐洲權威笛卡兒獎Descartes Prize。不過這些光輝獎項肯定並不足說明為什麼讀者這麼喜愛他的作品，讓知識變得平易近人，使閱讀變成欲罷不能，布萊森的幽默的寫作風格──得理不饒人的嘲諷功力絕對功不可沒！

　　《萬物簡史》陪我們仰望世界，探索宇宙以及與之相關的各種科學。新作《The Body》帶我們向內看，了解大自然最不凡的奇怪東西──沒錯，就是我們！

　　我們每天都與自己的身體為伍，但我們真的認識自己嗎？多虧了這副軀體，我們可以移動、有所作為、受了傷還能痊癒，但這副皮囊並非無敵，也有衰亡的一天。比爾．布萊森帶我們認識身體是如何運轉、自癒，而在什麼樣的狀況下，身體機能會每下愈況。從基因到語言能力，奧秘的大腦到靈巧的手，我們的身體是令人驚嘆的成就。而人類學習探索生物學、擊退疾病的長久歷史裡，有著很多被忘記的英雄豪傑，當然也不會缺少值得被拿出來好好說一下的奇聞趣事（如在讀這段文章時，你的身體已經製造了數百萬個紅血球）

　　認識你我身體奇妙的的生理與神經構造，讓我們對自己的身體有更深層的認識，不再視上天的餽贈於理所當然。《The Body》是給所有皮囊之下的住客─每一個你我─一趟驚豔的身體導覽之旅，也是布萊森再創新高度的精采之作！（文/博客來編譯）

　　‘What I learned is that we are infinitely more complex and wondrous, and often more mysterious, than I had ever suspected. There really is no story more amazing than the story of us.’ Bill Bryson

　　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.

Review

　　"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

　　"[Bryson] describes the often bewildering mystery of diseases, the science of pain, and the advances made in medical treatment, all with care and concern. Bryson's tone is both informative and inviting, encouraging the reader, throughout this exemplary work, to share the sense of wonder he expresses at how the body is constituted and what it is capable of." —Publishers Weekly, starred review

　　"A pleasing, entertaining sojourn into the realm of what makes us tick."—Kirkus Reviews

Author

　　BILL BRYSON's bestselling books include A Walk in the Woods, The Life and Times of the Thunderbolt Kid, and A Short History of Nearly Everything (which won the Aventis Prize in Britain and the Descartes Prize, the European Union's highest literary award). He was chancellor of Durham University, England's third oldest university, from 2005 to 2011, and is an honorary fellow of Britain's Royal Society.