The Remarkable Life of the Skin

The Remarkable Life of the Skin is a compelling user's guide to the physical, psychological and social importance of the body's largest, most visible and yet most misunderstood organ.- Shortlisted for the Royal Society Science Book Prize 2019- A Sunday Times 'MUST READ'- 'An exciting introduction to a little-known microscopic universe.' Sunday Times- 'A seriously entertaining book.' Melanie Reid, The Times- As read on RADIO 4's BOOK OF THE WEEK___How does our diet affect our skin? What makes the skin age? And why can't we tickle ourselves?Providing a cover for our delicate and intricate bodies, the skin is our largest, fastest growing and yet least understood organ. We see it, touch it and live in it every day. It's a habitat for a mesmerizingly complex world of micro-organisms and physical functions that are vital to our health and our survival. It's also one of the first things people see about us and is crucial to our sense of identity. Our skin plays a central role in our lives. And yet how much do we really know about it?Through the lenses of science, sociology and history, Dr Monty Lyman leads us on a journey across our most underrated and unexplored organ. Examining our microbiome, our love of tattoos and whether or not beauty products really work, he reveals how the skin is far stranger and more complex than you've ever imagined.

“This microsopic look at skin is crawling with revelations, from tiny mites to cellulite and skin care... An exciting introduction to a little-known universe and to a talented new writer.”

Sunday Times
A seriously entertaining book... Here are things you wish you'd known about the skin years ago... Clever, optimistic. The Times
Lyman peels back the science on human skin in this absorbing, fact-packed study. Nature
Beautifully written, revealing and surprising, this is a fascinating guide to the secret life of the skin. Daily Mail
An unexpectedly great adventure. Sunday Times
Imaginatively told... knowledgeable and enthusiastic. The Spectator
Not since GCSE Biology has my reading material been so scientific. As I approach my late twenties, I've increased my skincare routine tenfold, and now I'm taking it up a notch by learning how our largest organ actually works.The Remarkable Life of the Skin will make you scratch, squirm, inspect and neglect, but what a read it is. If those aforementioned textbooks had been written by the highly entertaining Dr Monty Lyman, I might have paid more attention. Plus, no other Tube read has ever garnered so many double-takes. Vogue
Fascinating ... takes us beneath the surface of our largest and least-known organ. Daily Express
This book's a gem. Irish Examiner
An extraordinary insight into the fascinating world of the skin, explaining how it both protects and connects us... [the book] delves into the science behind the skin’s microbiome and explores the history of anti-aging treatments. A must read for all of those curious about why our skin is the first to show our emotions, and how it has the power to both divide and unite communities around the world. Professor the Lord Darzi of Denham, director of the Institute of Global Health Innovation at Imperial College, London

Dr Monty Lyman is a medical doctor, researcher and author who specializes in the relationship between the mind and the immune system. He is an Academic Clinical Fellow at the University of Oxford. His first book, The Remarkable Life of the Skin, was shortlisted for the Royal Society Science Book Prize, was one of the Sunday Times Best Books of 2019 and was a Radio 4 Book of the Week. An essay from his second book, The Painful Truth, won the 2020 Royal Society of Medicine's Pain Medicine Prize.

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