The Body

 I always thought Bill Bryson was American. He writes like an American. I read his travel book about Australia and A Walk In the Woods. But after listening to him read The Body: A Guide for Occupants, I realize he is British.  He was born in Iowa but moved to Britain in 1977. I learned things I didn't know such as the virus the causes the common cold normally dies within hours of being on a surface. When the virus is combined with snot, it can live for three weeks on paper money or coins. Gross! Seventy five percent of the antibiotics we use are prescribed for conditions they cannot cure (like bronchitis). Eighty percent of the antibiotics are fed to farm animals which are then eaten by humans and that is why antibiotics are becoming less effective. Antibiotics are also fed to plants even those labelled organic. Yikes. He writes about the American health care system as compared to others around the world and we come out looking worse than I thought. I like to learn about medicine and biology so I enjoyed this book. I also liked that he quoted my other favorite medical writer, Mary Roach.