Alive
An Alternative Anatomy
Format:Hardback
Publisher:Vintage Publishing
Published:6th Mar '25
Should be back in stock very soon
A profound and provocative journey through the human body from the award-winning writer, broadcaster and surgeon.
'Exceptional, beautiful and absolutely absorbing' CHRIS VAN TULLEKEN
'A book of wonder' SARAH MOSS
What does it mean to live in a body?
For Gabriel Weston, there was always something missing from the anatomy she was taught at medical school. Medicine teaches us how a body functions, but it doesn't help us navigate the reality of living in one. As she became a surgeon, a mother, and ultimately a patient herself, Weston found herself grappling with the gap between scientific knowledge and unfathomable complexity of human experience.
In this captivating exploration of the body, Weston dissolves the boundaries that usually divide surgeon and patient, pushing beyond the limit of what science has to tell us about who we are. Focusing on our individual organs, not just under the intense spotlight of the operating theatre, but in the central role they play in the stories of our lives, a fuller and more human picture of our bodies emerges: more fragile, frightening and miraculous than we could have imagined.
Intimate, penetrating and original, Alive is an anatomy like no other, about our bodies and bonds, the richness and brevity of existence, and the thread of mortality that connect us all.
An exceptional, beautiful and absolutely absorbing book. Gabriel Weston is one of the best writers around, and when it comes to medicine and anatomy she redefines the genre. ALIVE is a tour of human life and bodies, but she also brings her own body, in the context of her own life, into an absolutely compelling narrative; sex, pregnancy, asylum seekers, breast implants and hearts – especially the author's own heart, in every sense. It is essential reading if you own a body and should be mandatory for all those who study them. -- Chris van Tulleken, author of ULTRA PROCESSED PEOPLE
A book of wonder and appreciation of our fragile bodies -- Sarah Moss, author of GHOST WALL
Beguiling and sophisticated -- Jed Mercurio * writer of Bodyguard (TV series) *
Unusual and gripping... as much about what our bodies mean to us, how they feel to us, as what they do... This bold, humane yet unsettling book makes a strong case for giving doctors more time to get to know their patients properly, and it will make you see your own body a bit differently, perhaps change how you feel in your skin. * Guardian *
As Gabriel Weston demonstrates in this remarkable book, each organ of our body is a miracle of evolutionary imagination, performing tasks that are outlandishly creative and brilliant. An unusually compelling and illuminating book. -- Misha Glenny, author of * McMafia: Seriously Organised Crime *
Gabriel Weston is an extraordinary writer … The book is a powerful read… Her descriptions really make the human body come alive. * The Spectator *
A refreshingly accessible medical text that broadens our knowledge of our bodies… Alive comes heartily recommended to anyone wishing to better acquaint themselves with their own fluids * New Statesman *
A gripping and lyrical tour of the major organs... filled with fascinating facts... there is a lot of tenderness too. * Telegraph *
The subject matter flows effortlessly from one area to the next… the writing is beautifully crafted… [Weston’s] superb grasp of medical history and a real flare for prose making this a fascinating read * ENT & Audiology News *
Weston…[is] such a powerful writer * Evening Standard *
ISBN: 9781787330603
Dimensions: 224mm x 146mm x 29mm
Weight: 413g
304 pages