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Title details for The Remarkable Life of the Skin by Monty Lyman - Available

The Remarkable Life of the Skin

An Intimate Journey Across Our Largest Organ

by Monty Lyman
Matthew Spencer
Audiobook
1 of 1 copy available
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Providing a cover for our delicate and intricate bodies, the skin is our largest and fastest-growing organ. We see it, touch it, and live in it every day. It is a habitat for a mesmerizingly complex world of micro-organisms and physical functions that are vital to our health and our survival. It is also a waste removal plant, a warning system for underlying disease and a dynamic immune barrier to infection. One of the first things people see about us, skin is crucial to our sense of identity, providing us with social significance and psychological meaning. And yet our skin and the fascinating way it functions is largely unknown to us.
In prose as lucid as his research underlying it is rigorous, blending in memorable stories from the past and from his own medical experience, Monty Lyman has written a revelatory book exploring our outer surface that will surprise and enlighten in equal measure. Through the lenses of science, sociology, and history—on topics as diverse as the mechanics and magic of touch, the close connection between the skin and the gut, what happens instantly when one gets a paper cut, and how a midnight snack can lead to sunburn—Lyman leads us on a journey across our most underrated and unexplored organ and reveals how our skin is far stranger, more wondrous, and more complex than we have ever imagined.

  • Creators

  • Publisher

  • Release date

    June 2, 2020

  • Formats

    • OverDrive Listen audiobook

      • ISBN: 9781494537715
      • File size: 251764 KB
      • Duration: 08:44:30

  • Languages

    • English

  • Reviews

    • AudioFile Magazine
      Narrator Matthew Spencer voices Monty Lyman's fascination with our largest organ as he asks listeners to take a look at their own skin. As the audiobook turns to skin conditions, the effects of sleeplessness, and how mental stress affects the skin's immune system, many a listener will be doing just that. Lillard covers a wide range of topics, so listeners might find themselves focusing on a particular segment that is relevant to them or one that is simply intriguing--such as the advantages of head lice. The author covers topics such as STDs, so it's not the best choice for family road trips. Still, the facts can start listeners on the path to healthier skin, even if they won't head into dermatology, as Lyman did. J.A.S. © AudioFile 2020, Portland, Maine
    • Publisher's Weekly

      April 27, 2020
      Lyman, a doctor of acute general medicine, presents a panoramic view of human skin in his excellent debut. Lyman discusses a plethora of skin ailments, from acne to leprosy, and describes the ideal skin care regimen (using sunscreen, abstaining from smoking, and eating a balanced diet high in fruits and veggies that contain the carotenoid pigment). To illustrate that skin is, as one chapter’s title has it, “The Swiss Army Organ,” Lyman shares fascinating information about its intricate workings, describing how the four kinds of “mechanoreceptors,” highly sensitive and specialized cells, work together to create the ability to touch and feel. He goes beyond medicine and biology, however, to discuss how skin shapes and defines identity. In addition to touching on race, in terms of how naturally occurring variations in human pigmentation have taken on outsize significance, Lyman examines the marks that people make on themselves, such as the Tā moko tattoos of the Maori, which encode detailed familial and personal histories. Whether one’s interests are in science and medicine, or in sociology and anthropology, there is something for a wide range of readers in Lyman’s skillful work. Agent: Charles Viney, Viney Agency. (June)Correction: An earlier version of this review incorrectly referred to the author as a dermatologist.

Formats

  • OverDrive Listen audiobook

subjects

Languages

  • English

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