Sherwin Nuland, whose bestselling book 'How We Die' made such an extraordinary impact, here explores the miracle that is the human body. Combining his clinical knowledge with a profound sense of wonder at the mystery of our physical nature, he explains how our myriad, multifarious cells work, and how they organise themselves to protect our bodies from threats to our wellbeing and safety.
From the complex detail of DNA to the brilliant engineering of the circulatory system, Nuland's explanations are full, lucid and never less than thrilling. Through gripping accounts of life-and-death emergencies and compelling case histories, he takes us close to his own experience as a practising surgeon and physician and beyond the mechanics and biology to explore that intangible element that makes us greater even than the sum of our miraculous parts - the human spirit itself.