Gut: The Inside Story of Our Body's Most Underrated Organ by Giulia Enders

Author: Giulia Enders

Title: Gut: The Inside Story of Our Body's Most Underrated Organ

Publisher: Greystone Books

Published: 2014

Pages: 288

Genre: Medical Non-Fiction

     r gut is as important as our brain or heart, yet we know very little about how it works and many of us are too embarrassed to ask questions. In Gut, Giulia Enders breaks this taboo, revealing the latest science on how much our digestive system has to offer. From our miraculous gut bacteria - which can play a part in obesity, allergies, depression, and even Alzheimer's - to the best position to poo, this entertaining and informative health handbook shows that we can all benefit from getting to know the wondrous world of our inner workings.

     I may have been out of school for a long time now but I am always trying to find new ways to expand my knowledge. If there is a subject I know little to nothing about I will try and explore it in some way. Mostly this comes in the form of hunting out books that will give me a better understanding by the best people in that field. Now I must confess that Gut has been sitting in my to-be-read pile for an alarmingly long time. luckily it's an ebook so no dust to gather on top. Anyway for me guts much like I would imagine most other people is not something we give much thought to. They don't have the glamour of say the heart or lungs or the prestige of the brain. For us, they are very much functional, after the food has graced our taste bud with a little visit we no longer care what happens to it. So maybe it's time to shine a light on this very important part of our bodies and get to know it a little better.

     I like the way Enders attacks this subject with all the sense of wonder and glee that we may usually give over to some grand adventure. Her need to understand each part of the process and how we go from food to poo is refreshing, due to her need to not get completely bogged down in the scientific terms and langue for what takes place. This is a book that allows any reader to pick it up a dive right into the heart of the matter. She reminds me of one of those great teachers you had at school. One of those rare people that seemed to be able to bring any topic to life and engage with every kid in the class. I found it fascinating to explore the guts from tail to tip. To learn how my own body goes about the process of breaking down my food into something it can use. I have to say that I think I greatly underestimated the sheer work that our guts go through every day to keep us alive. 

     This is not a greatly long read but she manages to cram in so much about the subject that I was surprised by just how much information I managed to pick up in the course of reading it. It is hard to not get caught up in her enthusiasm for the subject which I think really helps. You can always tell one someone is talking about something they love or have great interest in. It shines through and is very hard to miss. But then again I suppose not many people really get overly excited about how are guts works. Which I feel is a shame, having devoured this book I was surprised to see just how much control our guts not only have over the rest of our bodies but also the very mood we feel on any given day. I would also be remiss to not mention the illustrations that Enders sister has contributed to this work. They work as amusing little punctuations to chapters once again bringing a slightly lighter tone to the body of work as a whole. 

     This was a book that I greatly enjoyed spending time with. Educational in the best sort of way, enlightening and with moments of humor it's bound to stick with you and you might also just be able to throw some newly learned fact at your unsuspecting family and friends. Which is always fun.