We all have them: hearts that beat, lungs that breathe, brains that think. Our bodies labor away every moment of our lives—but their miraculous inner workings often go unnoticed, or simply taken for granted.
So today, we wanted to highlight a few books that sing our bodies’ well-deserved praises. Within these pages, you will discover the strange and surprising abilities that millions of years of evolution have granted us.
Heartwarming: How Our Inner Thermostat Made Us Human
By Hans Rocha IJzerman
Did you know that just thinking about friendly or caring people can make us feel warmer? In this fascinating corporeal investigation, social psychologist Hans Rocha IJzerman explores the complex relationship between temperature and the human body. View Our “Book Bite” Summary
Seven and a Half Lessons About the Brain
By Lisa Feldman Barrett
Forget what you think you know about the brain, and head to the front lines of neuroscience research in this slim collection of seven (and a half) essays, in which Harvard Medical School neuroscientist Lisa Feldman Barrett shines new light on that mysterious blob between our ears. View Our “Book Bite” Summary
Breath Taking: The Power, Fragility, and Future of Our Extraordinary Lungs
By Michael J. Stephen
If coronavirus has taught us anything, it’s that we can’t overlook the importance of respiratory health. In Breath Taking, pulmonary medicine expert Michael J. Stephen guides us toward a new appreciation for how our incredible lungs work, and how we can take better care of them. View Our “Book Bite” Summary
When Brains Dream: Exploring the Science and Mystery of Sleep
By Antonio Zadra and Robert Stickgold
If you’ve ever wondered what a crazy dream meant—or why we dream at all—this book is for you. Leading sleep researchers Antonio Zadra and Robert Stickgold pull back the curtain on what our brains are up to at night, and how we can make sense of their activity. View Our “Book Bite” Summary
This Is the Voice
By John Colapinto
As the most efficient, effective means of communication known on planet Earth, the human voice might be the most extraordinary thing about us. In This Is the Voice, New Yorker staff writer John Colapinto reveals how our voices carry secret cues about our mood, sexual preference, age, income, and even psychological and physical illness. View Our “Book Bite” Summary
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