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Julie's Reviews > The Body: A Guide for Occupants
The Body: A Guide for Occupants
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by
Julie's review
bookshelves: non-fiction
Nov 17, 2019
bookshelves: non-fiction
Read 2 times. Last read April 29, 2020 to May 8, 2020.
A truly amazing compendium on the human body aka "a warm wobble of flesh!" Truly engaging and enlightening. Occasionally I wanted to fast forward to avoid the details, but mainly I was truly engaged, appalled or enthralled!
My personal favorite of Bill Bryson's anecdotal stories:
The emergency appendectomy on a US submarine during WWII. The ship's pharmacist assistant was ordered to operate without any knowledge or equipment, as he as was the senior medical personnel on board. This is a little mind-boggling to me, as I would expect that there would be a trained medical doctor on board at the very least. Anyway, the pharmacist assistant successfully anesthetized the patient by guessing at the quantity of anesthesia to administer. Then, he successfully performed the appendectomy "wearing a tea strainer lined with gauze as a surgery mask and guided by little more than a first aid manual." Truly amazing!
Surprising fact, which had somehow passed me by: women in labor today have the same pain relief options as their great grandmothers.
Conclusions:
1. We could avoid a lot of diseases by living more sensibly. LOL!
2. We have been successful in extending life, but not in improving the quality of life.
4/29/20 Update: Reading this for a second time with my hubby. Bill Bryson's matter of factness and humor make for a perfect listening experience during this stay-at-home time.
My personal favorite of Bill Bryson's anecdotal stories:
The emergency appendectomy on a US submarine during WWII. The ship's pharmacist assistant was ordered to operate without any knowledge or equipment, as he as was the senior medical personnel on board. This is a little mind-boggling to me, as I would expect that there would be a trained medical doctor on board at the very least. Anyway, the pharmacist assistant successfully anesthetized the patient by guessing at the quantity of anesthesia to administer. Then, he successfully performed the appendectomy "wearing a tea strainer lined with gauze as a surgery mask and guided by little more than a first aid manual." Truly amazing!
Surprising fact, which had somehow passed me by: women in labor today have the same pain relief options as their great grandmothers.
Conclusions:
1. We could avoid a lot of diseases by living more sensibly. LOL!
2. We have been successful in extending life, but not in improving the quality of life.
4/29/20 Update: Reading this for a second time with my hubby. Bill Bryson's matter of factness and humor make for a perfect listening experience during this stay-at-home time.
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Reading Progress
November 11, 2019
–
Started Reading
November 11, 2019
– Shelved
November 17, 2019
– Shelved as:
non-fiction
November 17, 2019
–
Finished Reading
April 29, 2020
–
Started Reading
May 8, 2020
–
Finished Reading
Comments Showing 1-11 of 11 (11 new)
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by
Jenna
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rated it 5 stars
Nov 17, 2019 06:11PM
Glad you loved this too, Julie. I was horrified, and awed, at that appendectomy!
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Look forward to reading it!
This one is already on my TBR list--
Eek! That's a shocking fact that we have made virtually no recent progress when it comes to pain management for women in labor! I've enjoyed other works by Bill Bryson, so I'll have to add this book to my TBR list. Great review, Julie! :)
The appendectomy was my favorite part, too!
I'm glad you enjoyed this so much too, Julie, and hope your hubby will as well!
Thank you, Jenna. He loves it so much he wants to own his own copy!
Sounds like an interesting review Julie. Thank you for this. I hope to read it too when life gets back to normal.
Leila, I hope that will be soon. Although, I think it will be a new 'normal.' I hope you enjoy this book as much as we did :)
Great review, Julie.
Liong wrote: "Great review, Julie." Thank you Liong!
