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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 (how much goes on in the simple act of taking keys out of a pocket and unlocking a door is astounding), 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.
306 pages, Kindle Edition
First published August 23, 2018
This book is for you if… you're interested in skin, skincare routine, the social / cultural / psychological significance of skin, skin diseases and more.
‘The skin – despite being our largest and most visible organ, despite us seeing and touching it, indeed living in it, every moment of our lives – is the organ most overlooked by the medical profession. [...] The skin is where the individual meets the group, where biology rubs up against culture. While our layer of hide is a defensive barrier against all sorts of threats, skin’s social power has too often made it a weapon.[...] Our skin is not only a physical presence; it is an idea. In the same way that our physical skin contains us while we try to contain it, what it represents has directed the course of history and profoundly affects our own life.’