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A review by ohnoflora
Adventures in Human Being by Gavin Francis
5.0
A fascinating journey (head to foot, naturally) through the human body.
Gavin Francis has drawn on a wide range of texts which enrich his writing on the body: poetry, fairy tale, philosophy as well as historical sources. In other hands, this could be heavy going, however he has a light touch and the text is never a struggle to get through.
I liked the balance between the lyrical and the matter-of-fact. Francis manages to de-mystify the body and its functions (and failings) while also encouraging a sense of fascination and wonder. He is never cold and distant (although can be clinical!), instead he celebrates the life-long relationship we have with our bodies and how that impacts on how we interact with the world around us, particularly through art.
Thinking about your body and how it works can be scary (at least for me with my hypochondriac tendencies). This book doesn't hide the fact that things can go wrong, and badly, but Francis' clear, compassionate tone somehow it makes it seem less frightening.
Gavin Francis has drawn on a wide range of texts which enrich his writing on the body: poetry, fairy tale, philosophy as well as historical sources. In other hands, this could be heavy going, however he has a light touch and the text is never a struggle to get through.
I liked the balance between the lyrical and the matter-of-fact. Francis manages to de-mystify the body and its functions (and failings) while also encouraging a sense of fascination and wonder. He is never cold and distant (although can be clinical!), instead he celebrates the life-long relationship we have with our bodies and how that impacts on how we interact with the world around us, particularly through art.
Thinking about your body and how it works can be scary (at least for me with my hypochondriac tendencies). This book doesn't hide the fact that things can go wrong, and badly, but Francis' clear, compassionate tone somehow it makes it seem less frightening.