Breath Taking

Praise for Breath Taking

”[W]ide-ranging … Our very breath ties us to one another and to the world around us … And yet, Stephen argues, we have consistently overlooked the importance of our lungs … Our lungs are both protection and portal, the nexus of our relationship with an environment that can heal us as well as harm us … There is no escaping the air that we share.”–Brooke Jarvis, New Yorker

“Arriving at the peak of the Covid-19 pandemic’s winter wave, pulmonologist Michael J. Stephen’s first book, Breath Taking, could not come at a better time. It is a clearly written look at everything related to respiration, from the history of pulmonary medicine to the importance of environmental health … After reading this book, and, of course, living through the historically significant year in which it happened to appear, few people are likely to take their precious breaths for granted again.”–Undark Magazine

“Brains and hearts preoccupy science writers, so this rare exploration of lungs fills a need. Pulmonologist Stephen cannot conceal his enthusiasm for his favorite organ as he mixes evolution, medical history, autobiography, and vivid stories of patients with a skillful account of how lungs operate and how we might take better care of them … Valuable popular science.”–Kirkus Reviews

”[Stephen’s] educational and passionate book successfully unites the true importance of our lungs and advances in medical science … Best of all are Stephen’s stories of courageous patients, including a girl with cystic fibrosis who receives a successful lung transplant, which just might take your breath away.”–Booklist

“At a crucial time–not just because of COVID-19 but as lung disease rises generally–pulmonologist Stephen’s Breath Taking explains the evolutionary beginnings of breathing, the connection between the lungs and the immune system, and new research and treatment of pulmonary disease.”–Library Journal

“This richly detailed, engrossing work will have you appreciating the majesty of one of our most vital organs. COVID-19 has taught us all how vulnerable our lungs are and the more we know about them the better we can protect them. Intimately written with the authority of a pulmonologist but the lyricism of a captivating narrator, Breath Taking reveals surprising notes about our origins, collective human experience, and future on this planet.”–Sanjay Gupta, MD

“A deep exploration of the biology and cultural dimensions of breath, the life force that sustains us all from the moment we enter the world until our departure. It is beautifully written–clear, accessible, often poetic. Dr. Stephen weaves together science, history, philosophy, religion, and clinical vignettes to present a tapestry that will engage the reader from the first page to the last.”–Jerome Groopman and Pamela Hartzband

“Surely this is exactly the right moment to appreciate and understand our lungs, and Michael Stephen’s Breath Taking is scientifically fascinating, calling our attention to the almost literally invisible processes that keep us alive, while explaining passionately and even lyrically the many complexities of lungs and breath and breathing.”–Perri Klass, MD, author of A Good Time to Be Born: How Science and Public Health Gave Children a Future

“Breath is life and breathing is a fundamental human right, one which we often take for granted. Breath Taking is an important work which explores the science of our lungs, and emphasizes the urgency for lung health not just for us as individuals, but also for our planet, our environment, and the human race.”–Mallika Chopra, author of Living With Intent and Just Breathe: Meditation, Mindfulness, Movement, and More

Dr. Michael J. Stephen is an associate professor at Thomas Jefferson University in Philadelphia and director of the Adult Cystic Fibrosis Center. He is a leader of numerous clinical trials and was on the front line caring for COVID-19 patients. Over the past two decades, he has studied advanced end-stage lung diseases and worked with patients at diverse locales, including a Massachusetts prison hospital and a pediatric HIV clinic in Cape Town, South Africa. A graduate of Brown University and Boston University Medical School, he lives in New Jersey.