Alive: An Alternative Anatomy

A profound and provocative journey through the human body.

Gripping bold, humane Guardian

Sings from the page Rachel Clarke, author of THE STORY OF A HEART

For Gabriel Weston, there was always something missing from the anatomy she was taught at medical school. As she became a surgeon, a mother, and ultimately a patient herself, she found herself grappling with the gap between the body she understood as a doctor, and the reality of living in one.

In this captivating exploration of our bodily organs, a fuller and more human picture of our bodies emerges: more fragile, frightening and miraculous than we could have imagined.

An exceptional, absorbing tour of human life and bodies
Chris van Tulleken, author of ULTRA-PROCESSED PEOPLE

Filled with fascinating facts Daily Telegraph

A pitch-perfect book Christie Watson, author of THE LANGUAGE OF KINDNESS

A book of wonder Sarah Moss, author of SUMMERWATER

A profound and provocative journey through the human body from the award-winning writer, broadcaster and surgeon.

''Exceptional, beautiful and absolutely absorbing'' CHRIS VAN TULLEKEN

''A book of wonder'' SARAH MOSS

For Gabriel Weston, there was always something missing from the anatomy she was taught at medical school. Medicine teaches us how a body functions, but it doesn''t help us navigate the reality of living in one. As she became a surgeon, a mother, and ultimately a patient herself, Weston found herself grappling with the gap between scientific knowledge and unfathomable complexity of human experience.

In this captivating exploration of the body, Weston dissolves the boundaries that usually divide surgeon and patient, pushing beyond the limit of what science has to tell us about who we are. Focusing on our individual organs, not just under the intense spotlight of the operating theatre, but in the central role they play in the stories of our lives, a fuller and more human picture of our bodies emerges: more fragile, frightening and miraculous than we could have imagined.

Intimate, penetrating and original, Alive is an anatomy like no other, about our bodies and bonds, the richness and brevity of existence, and the thread of mortality that connect us all.

• | Author: Gabriel Weston
• | Publisher: Vintage Publishing
• | Publication Date: Mar 06, 2025
• | Number of Pages:
• | Language: eng
• | Binding: Paperback / softback
• | ISBN-13: 9781787330610
• | ISBN-10: 1787330613