The Body by Bill Bryson | Book Review

Today I'm bringing you a review of Bill Bryson's latest book, The Body! #NonfictionNovember
Check out the book here: amzn.to/2K5hs48
-FURTHER READING-
I Contain Multitudes by Ed Yong: amzn.to/3d9ivLS
Adventures in Memory by Hilde and Ylva Ostby: amzn.to/39xvF5m
Gulp by Mary Roach: amzn.to/2P5y5ig
Nine Pints by Rose George: amzn.to/39xzp6U
Skeleton Keys by Riley Black: amzn.to/2Bixrdk
An Elegant Defense by Matt Richtel: amzn.to/3f4vQ9v
On Immunity by Eula Biss: amzn.to/2CuDZmG
Why We Sleep by Matthew Walker: amzn.to/2X4O2YG
She Has Her Mother's Laugh by Carl Zimmer: amzn.to/32ZgUHj
Bonk by Mary Roach: amzn.to/2rj2lgV
The Making of You by Katharina Vestre: amzn.to/2X01ltH
The Emperor of All Maladies: amzn.to/32q9fOX
The Butchering Art by Lindsey Fitzharris: amzn.to/309GSGh
Being Mortal by Atul Gawande: amzn.to/3e376P4
Stiff by Mary Roach: amzn.to/2EpwscZ
(All of the above book links are affiliate links. Should you choose to purchase, I will receive a very small commission that goes toward the operating expenses for this channel.)
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Outro music by Bensound (www.bensound.com)
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[@deborajohnson5717]

I agree Bill Bryson is a generalist. I did not expect this book to be in depth book on the body. I did expect him to use it as a basis and wander from there. I loved At Home because of all the “wandering”. I think that is the charm of his writing!

[@abookolive]

If that's the case, then I'm not surprised you enjoyed the book! He is very charming company.

[@CookieR1272]

I love Bryson’s chatty style and the descriptions and perspectives he comes up with. I’m not expecting to learn anything groundbreaking in here as I have a background in it, but still looking forward to reading it! Thanks for the thoughtful review

[@ChaoticBibliophile]

Great review! I love Bill Bryson's style so I will still pick this up, but your comments have definitely curved my expectations. I LOVE your "further reading" idea!! 😍 Thank you for this video.

[@theoldone102]

Great review! I agree with all your points. I really enjoyed this book.. but I do have a pretty solid love for Bryson.

[@readknowgrow9785]

Great review; I can see what you mean it is more of a "general overview”. Loved your insights and the fact you took time to create a further reading section for people that would like to learn more. xx

[@JeffMuehlbauer]

I’m listening to this book as part of a college class and am now26% of the way through and have enjoyed it so far. It DEFINITELY reads best as a primer. I wish this book were around when I was 15. Now as a 26 year old who has taken psych and nutrition amongst other courses, this has just served mostly to reinforce 101 information. That being said, I feel that it has been worth my time. I feel so much more appreciative to exist within such a wonderful organism. I have a greater feeling of security in my body to handle things like germs, and less fear about cancers and viruses and such. It has treated me so well, and now with the information from this book I feel more motivated to treat my body with kindness and forgiveness. I enjoyed your review and subscribed! This was a really well done review.

[@varonicachaney3007]

Thank you sooo much for structuring your videos in such a clear format! I’m currently in grad school and I had expected literary criticism to have the same respect for their audience. Haha the joke was on me. It’s an amazingly few academics who don’t wonder in their published work. Watching one of your videos is like finding someone who knows what they want to say and says it. Once again, thanks^^

[@abookolive]

Oh, thank you! It's always a goal of mine to be as concise as possible. Glad to hear that's appreciated!

[@allisonpiazza2317]

I’m listening to this now. I agree with your review. Entertaining enough, but not incredibly accomplished. Thanks for the recommendations-I’m a medical librarian, so I love medical nonfiction.

[@jenisnotabooksnob5377]

I've read a few Bill Bryson books and loved them. I was going to pick this up on release date, BUT, I'm not letting myself buy another because I already have At Home and a Short History of Nearly Everything that I haven't yet read. He just has a fun writing style and I love his wandering. I'm a wanderer myself, so it sounds like The Body would be my sort of book. After reading One Summer, I used the bibliography at the back of the book to find more details on anything I found particularly interesting. Hopefully "The Body" has a bibliography! But, I haven't looked yet.

[@TheDigitalArchivist]

I really enjoyed The Body. It was interesting to understand in a generalist way and there were some interesting facts. There were also some interesting information on prostate cancer, which I’d forgotten about reading about in an earlier newspaper article. I must state this is my first Bill Bryson book read. I want to read some of his other work. I agree there seemed to be too many facts at times. Very densely pact in, I still really liked this book a lot. I now want to read two or three other Bryson books. My aim of late has been to read authors I would not normally read. I love a lot of fiction and non-fiction

[@ina_loves_books]

I just finished the audiobook of The Body minutes ago and I loved it. But I still agree with your review: The book could have been hours longer, because the topic of medicine is basically endless. I screenshotted your recommendations list, of course, because medicine is one of my favourite nonfiction topics. In Germany, we have a "trend" of medical popular science books where basically a doctor from every field writes about their discipline. That is because there was a vastly successful book about the intestines a few years ago (is it called The Gut in English? The author is Giulia Enders).

[@taryn3961]

My favorite Bill Bryson book is A Walk In The Woods: Rediscovering America on the Appalachian Trail. I've read it many times. I have a hard time reading his other stuff. Thanks for the video

[@vondbee7091]

Snickers bars & Cream soda 😃 jus finished A walk in the Woods, read A history of nearly everything 2 years ago. I love all 3, plenty revising to come.☺

[@LouiseReader]

I really love your further reading list. I'm very keen to get to this BB read, I do just want to hang out with him.

[@abookolive]

Then you'll probably really enjoy this book! 😊

[@forrestefires]

You have shown a new reading realm to me - nonfiction! The content of this book isn't difficult to understand but I too have been wondering where Bill Bryson is going. It's like listening to a person who shares a lot of fun facts but doesn't round the conversation off with any exchange of thoughts with you. I put it in the middle ground for non-fiction and cosign your opinion that the topic isn't suited to a single book.

[@abookolive]

Looking at this comments section as a whole, it seems like there are two opinions about his style: those who think he should come to some kind of conclusion after giving a bunch of facts (seems like both you and I are in this camp), and then there are people who like his wandering and want the more broad experience. It's been really interesting. But yeah, this book isn't bad (by any means), I just personally think it's the job of the author to draw conclusions. Otherwise, couldn't we just read Wikipedia articles while having stand-up comedy play in another tab for the same experience?

[@myreadinglife8816]

Great review! Bryson does tend to wander. Too bad this one wandered too far off the path!

[@kaortega1120]

Loved hearing your take on this one, Olive! I have yet to read a Bill Bryson. I am loving the added bonus feature of "Further Reading", how great is that ??? Love your Non-Fiction videos the best --- I have to say !!!

[@abookolive]

Thank you! I've been considering adding a "further readings" section for a long while, but this is the book that forced me into that decision because there are just...so many books on the body lol!

[@kaortega1120]

@@abookolive - Looking forward to seeing more of these !!! Great addition to a great channel.

[@jdorsett4157]

what non fiction medical books would u recommend the most, i just some background on medicine and am currently a senior in college. Do u know any med books that could also have a fun and chatty side that you would recommend more so than this book?

[@danecobain]

I've found Bryson to be hit and miss but to have more hits than misses, at least so far. I'll come back to this review once I've caught up some more on his back catalogue!

[@nSackStyles]

Hello ma'am. I am neither a medical student nor do I attempt to become one. I am just a computer science student who is deeply interested in reading about biology and how our body really functions. In topics specific to that, can you suggest me biology books to get started with that basically : 1. Starts from scratch 2. Explain stuff in a rather less complicated way 3. Actually teach you a lot If all of this is not too much to ask for, lol. I'm looking to buy around 4-5 books on Biology. Just want to get started badly.

[@cindyo6298]

One interesting thing that I discovered, since you mentioned finding a body part you like and reading a book about it, is that there aren't many books about the liver, even though it is one of our most important organs. What's up with that? Kidneys too.

[@abookolive]

I wish there were books on each and every body part (and every disease)! I'd love one on the gallbladder since it's fascinating how we can live without them. Also when I got shingles I was shocked to find out there's not a comprehensive history on Chickenpox. What gives?!

[@tiagomaia8949]

Would this be a good book to recommend for my 16-year-old daughter who is considering medical school in the future?

[@abookolive]

Potentially! Might be a good sampler for her before she starts reading more thorough works.

[@katehickey2047]

The generality and lacking of focus was also how I felt about Bryson's book One Summer, America 1927. He wasn't really able to chronologically discuss the topic, always moving backward and forward so that the book felt more like a huge roving meditation on the lead-up to the summer and not the events of the summer itself, which is how the book is pitched. And of course there were also quite a few bits about the future and fallout of the events of the summer of 1927 as well. I found that to be pretty frustrating, so if this one is similar in that capacity, probably won't be picking it up... I'll probably go with one of his travel books instead.

[@e.abebooks]

From your description, this book seems like a good into for the layman.

[@abookolive]

Potentially. I think it's better to start specific & then go broad. This amount of information all in one place has the capability to overwhelm. It depends entirely on the reader and what they're looking for.

[@meganm2613]

I’m going to give it a whirl, I’ve got it on hold at the library.

[@abookolive]

It's certainly worth a try!

[@LauraRodriguez-Peace]

I agree that the topic of "The Body" cannot be completely covered in detail in 400 pages, but I am currently finishing up this book, and have been enjoying it. I have learned quite a bit, and appreciated Bryson's usual quirky humor along the way. ( My fave quote from the book was on page fourteen from Anthropologist Nina Jablonski.) Always glad to include more specific recommendations after reading a broad topic, Olive, and I appreciate your suggestions. I actually would recommend this book to other readers. :)

[@joelmazariegos3405]

Hey I got a question have u seen mistakes on his book like for example when he talks about how we are 99 bacteria and 1 percent you, or when he said that the dna are in the genes and your genes make up the dna cause all that is wrong and I am quite confused

[@teresamedeiros7312]

Question not regarding the book-you recommended a book named owl.what is the full title?

[@abookolive]

It's just called Owl! It's by William Service: amzn.to/2CHc5Fe

[@sukhdevchopra87]

Is there any other book similiar to 'the body' for a general reader.... which is more focused and has clarity..?

[@abookolive]

No, unfortunately because (as I say in the video) I think it's too big of a topic that no one but Bryson would attempt to take on. I think it would be much better to pick one part of the body that interests you, read a book about it, then move on to other parts - my "further reading" section in the description box of this video might be of interest if you're willing to take that route!

[@junpi8562]

I always buy his new books but for me nothing will ever top The Lost Continent which I had to read for GCSE English. There aren't many books that make me laugh out loud but that was one. Notes From A Small Island is one of my all time faves too. Honestly I enjoy his travel books a lot more than anything else he writes.

[@abookolive]

I think I'm going to pick up a few of his travel books next!

[@AceHardy]

📝

[@katehowereads]

I really need to try Bill Bryson. From how this book sounds it seems like I need to start with a different one.

[@deborajohnson5717]

I always recommend that people start with his travel books. They are awesome, light and funny. A Walk In The Woods or In A Sunburnt Country. The Thunderbolt Kid is also awesome! You won’t be disappointed.

[@thiadesg]

My first Bill Bryson was At Home, which goes from room to room in his childhood house (built in the 1800s). Knowing you like Victorian things, that might be a good first :)

[@TheNovelSanctuary]

Requests I get for this book at work "yes, hi, I'm looking for a new book? I think it's like about the body? Or anatomy?" Me: "you mean, The Body?" Lol

[@baldbeardedbloke6887]

To cover the human body thoroughly would not take a book it would take a series of books.

[@abookolive]

I definitely agree with you.

[@clutchcarabelli8054]

I have almost finished this book and had to stop to write this or I would have put it away and not finished it. It is full of information some of which I have been suspect of but have no basis so have read on. Until I got to this "for every 400 middle-aged Americans who die each year "Just" 220 die in Australia"...That is such a skewed statistic especially considering the point he is trying to make regarding it. The population of America is over 327 million the population of Australia is under 25 million (Which is less than the state of California) that means 400 is 0.000001% of Americans and 220 is 0.000009% of Australians that's Nine times more percentage wise. This is just one of the many numbers where he Compares America to tiny Nations to try to make us look bad. Like comparing American car deaths to European countries which gets even more skewed. 273 million cars in America with $3 gas compared to 37 million in Italy with $6 gas, of course there's going to be a vast difference And that's a big European country carwise... I won't even get into the motivation behind this the Right people already know and the wrong don't.

[@benjaminburgess7928]

One book title you'll definitely never see from Bill Bryson: "The Integumentary System of the Order Coleoptera: An Epidemiological-Statistical Survey".

[@clutchcarabelli8054]

Is this an actual book? I tried to Google it but cannot find it

[@moonbook12]

:)