He moves seamlessly from one topic to another. These chapters are incredibly thorough there is not an element of the body which has not been explored in some way. These range from ‘The Immune System’ and ‘The Brain’ to ‘Into the Nether Regions’. The Body has been split into many chapters, each of which focuses upon a distinctive part of the human body. It looks inward, trying to decipher what really makes a human being. It is far more science-based than much of his work, and does not include many personal stories, something which his books tend to be built upon.

The Body is something a little different to these personal geographies, though.

Many of Bryson’s books are essentially travel writing, in which he writes about countries and regions which he has lived or travelled within – the United States, United Kingdom, and Africa are just three examples. I was reminded once more of how warm his prose is, and how fascinating his subjects. I picked up his newest publication, The Body: A Guide for Occupants having not read any of his writing for such a long time, and was so pleased that I did. Like many readers, I very much enjoy Bill Bryson’s non-fiction work.

The body book bill bryson