The Remarkable Life of the Skin: An Intimate Journey Across Our Largest Organ

Monty Lyman

Jun 2020 · Atlantic Monthly Press

About this eBook

This “seriously entertaining book” explores the skin in its multifaceted physical, psychological, and social aspects (Times, UK).

Providing a cover for our delicate bodies, the skin is our largest and fastest-growing organ. We see it, touch it, and live in it every day. It is a habitat for a mesmerizingly complex world of micro-organisms and physical functions that are vital to our health and survival. One of the first things people see about us, skin is also crucial to our sense of identity. And yet much about it is largely unknown to us.

With rigorous research and lucid prose, Monty Lyman explores our outer surface through the lenses of science, sociology, and history. He covers topics as diverse as the mechanics and magic of touch (how much goes on in the simple act of taking keys out of a pocket and unlocking a door is astounding), the close connection between the skin and the gut, what happens instantly when one gets a paper cut, and how a midnight snack can lead to sunburn.

The Remarkable Life of the Skin takes readers on a journey across our most underrated and unexplored organ. It reveals how our skin is far stranger, more wondrous, and more complex than we have ever imagined.

Ratings and reviews

dermatology, anthropology, historical-research, science, sociology Dermatology for anyone with skin. Discover the scientific bases, familiar and unfamiliar conditions, the physical and emotional responses, and even the historical aspects of the largest organ of the body. Even though I have a lot of skin, am a retired RN, have had the problems of the very light skinned, and even developed psoriasis after retirement, I learned a lot without having to work for it. I recommend it to anyone with skin whether in the paramedical field or just curious. Loved it! But I will need a print copy because hunting for the illustrations after the fact in an ebook is a big nuisance. I requested and received a free ebook copy from Grove Atlantic/Atlantic Monthly Press via NetGalley. Thank you!

About the author

Dr. Monty Lyman traveled the globe to research The Remarkable Life of the Skin, including Africa, South Asia, and Australasia. He studied at the universities of Oxford, Birmingham, and Imperial College London. He has worked in a world-leading dermatology laboratory, been the national head of undergraduate and junior doctor dermatology in the UK, has won several national prizes in dermatology and medical writing, and has given many talks at national conferences. In 2017 he won the Wilfred Thesiger Travel Writing Award for his report on a dermatological research trip to Tanzania, presented by Colin Thubron, President of the Royal Society of Literature. He lives in Oxford, England.