The Unseen Body: A Doctor’s Journey Through the Hidden Wonders of Human Anatomy

Reisman, a white American internist and naturalist, takes readers on a journey through the human body, with intriguing narratives about anatomy and treating patients around the world. Each chapter focuses on one part of human anatomy (skin; the lungs), its role, and what happens when it doesn’t function. Within these chapters, Reisman recounts practicing medicine outside the continental U.S. (working at an Iñupiat clinic in Arctic Alaska; studying altitude-induced headaches in Nepal) and shares his discoveries about the human body and its connections to the rest of the natural world; this is where the book’s greatest value lies. Reisman’s passion and inquisitiveness are engaging even when topics turn to feces and cadavers, but readers should be warned about the book’s detailed descriptions of invasive procedures.