The Wisdom of the Body: Discovering the Human Spirit (Hardcover)

~ (Author) "A little lower than the angels, and crowned with glory and honor: In such sonorous cadences have orators and singers of psalms ever extolled the..." (more)
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Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

Much has been written about what makes humans distinct from other species, but what makes individual humans different from each other? Part of the answer lies in our responses to life-threatening illness, as Sherwin Nuland shows in this beautifully written meditation on human variability. Nuland explains biology and advanced medical procedures and makes them seem no more complicated than a good baseball game, and at least as exciting. Mostly, though, Nuland finds the human spirit within these complex systems, and the reader can be as exhilarated by his findings as he is.

From Library Journal

In this engrossing book, Nuland, author of the prize-winning How We Die, has turned his medical knowledge to the wonder of life. He offers a lucid anatomical and physiological tour of the human body, from cells and DNA to tissues and organs, reinforcing the sense of wonder with strategic case studies from his medical experience at Yale Medical School. Interspersed throughout is a discussion of the gnawing issue of what constitutes the mystery of life: How do biochemical interactions explain the quintessence of Homo sapiens? Nuland presents a formidable set of scientific facts and gives us much to ponder concerning our spirituality. Highly recommended.
-?James Swanton, Harlem Hosp. Lib., New York
Copyright 1997 Reed Business Information, Inc.

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 395 pages
• Publisher: Knopf; 1 edition (April 29, 1997)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0679444076
• ISBN-13: 978-0679444077
• Product Dimensions: 9.2 x 6.2 x 1.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.5 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (17 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #748,923 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

24 of 25 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Body Mechanics, March 12, 2004

By	"marylouhyatt" - See all my reviews

This review is from: How We Live (Paperback)

I bought this book under the title "Wisdom of the Body". Because it was written after "How We Die", which won a National Book Award, it was changed from "Wisdom of the Body" to "How We Live" because so many reviewers nicknamed it that. Dr. Nuland is one of the best writer's I have come across concerning the function of the human body. He writes with such clarity and interweaves his stories with wonderful references to the history of medicine. I think everyone that has the least bit of interest in how their body works should read his books. You don't have to have a medical background to understand his writing, but if you do have a medical background, he helps you see things even more clearly. These books are especially meaningful for anyone who has an aging parent suffering from certain illnesses. It will give you an understanding and a peace that you might not find elsewhere.

20 of 21 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars An outstanding book, March 4, 2001

By	George Davidson (Albuquerque, New Mexico USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This review is from: The Wisdom of the Body (Audio Cassette)

Dr. Nuland has written a well constructed book that leads the reader through a bit of anatomy, together with helpful discussions of the Greek and Latin words behind the anatomical names. However, the main focus is on how the body strives to maintain health and how the emergent phenomena of 'Human Spirit' plays into that maintenance. Contrary to the impressions from earlier reviewers, I found this book to be extremely well written, and carefully constructed so that the reader is exposed to the nature of the material in a well ordered way. I loved his writing style, I loved the emotion behind the stories he told, and I appreciate his struggles with how the human spirit could emerge from the chaos of evolution. I highly recommend this book.

24 of 29 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Uneven and lacking sufficient illustrations, February 19, 1998

By	David Graham (Shell, Ecuador) - See all my reviews (TOP 1000 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)

I yield to no one in my admiration for Dr. Nuland's story telling, writing skills, or speaking eloquence. However, THE WISDOM OF THE BODY is not a successfully made book. It mixes together fascinating clinical stories with monotonous, drawn out descriptions of the body's functions. Nuland does not always succeed in conveying the body's anatomy and physiology to the reader, and the result is often a restless boredom. This book has only 8 or 9 illustrations, and should have used ten times that many if readers are to understand the complex concepts Nuland discusses. As a fellow surgeon, I enjoyed reading Nuland's personal case histories, but there are much better books to consult for educating one's self on the wisdom of the body. (A few examples: Tortora and Agnostakos TEXTBOOK OF PHYSIOLOGY, Frank Netter's CIBA illustrations, or Dr. Paul Brand's FEARFULLY AND WONDERFULLY MADE.)