Alive by Gabriel Weston

Alive by Gabriel Weston

A profound and provocative journey through the human body.

‘Gripping…bold, humane’ Guardian

‘Sings from the page’ Rachel Clarke, author of THE STORY OF A HEART

For Gabriel Weston, there was always something missing from the anatomy she was taught at medical school. As she became a surgeon, a mother, and ultimately a patient herself, she found herself grappling with the gap between the body she understood as a doctor, and the reality of living in one.

In this captivating exploration of our bodily organs, a fuller and more human picture of our bodies emerges: more fragile, frightening and miraculous than we could have imagined.

‘An exceptional, absorbing tour of human life and bodies’
Chris van Tulleken, author of ULTRA-PROCESSED PEOPLE

‘Filled with fascinating facts’ Daily Telegraph

‘A pitch-perfect book’ Christie Watson, author of THE LANGUAGE OF KINDNESS

‘A book of wonder’ Sarah Moss, author of SUMMERWATER

An exceptional, beautiful and absolutely absorbing bookGabriel Weston is one of the best writers around, and when it comes to medicine and anatomy she redefines the genre. ALIVE is a tour of human life and bodies, but she also brings her own body, in the context of her own life, into an absolutely compelling narrative; sex, pregnancy, asylum seekers, breast implants and hearts – especially the author's own heart, in every sense. It is essential reading if you own a body and should be mandatory for all those who study them. -- Chris van Tulleken, author of ULTRA PROCESSED PEOPLE
Superb. It adds humanity back into textbook diagrams of organs, with brilliance and beauty. -- Helen Czerski, author of BLUE MACHINE
A book of wonder and appreciation of our fragile bodies -- Sarah Moss, author of GHOST WALL
Weston interweaves anatomy with medical history, public health, anecdotes from her surgical practice, and, above all, the warm, pulsing, personal experience of her own living body… What sings from the page is Weston’s intoxication with the human form -- Rachel Clarke * Lancet *
‘The truth of the body is as much about storytelling as it is about anatomy’. Gabriel Weston’s words should not feel at all radical, but they are. Alive is a pitch-perfect book that explores how bodies and minds are inseparable from each other – as well as from history and circumstance. A vital reminder that medicine is art as much as science, and that every single human contains a multitude of important stories -- Christie Watson, author of THE LANGUAGE OF KINDNESS
Unusual and gripping... as much about what our bodies mean to us, how they feel to us, as what they do... This bold, humane yet unsettling book...will make you see your own body a bit differently, perhaps change how you feel in your skin. * Guardian *
Change relies on people pushing against the heavy door of tradition – which Alive brilliantly persuades us all to do more forcefully – finding new ways to imagine and inhabit the space beneath our skin * Observer *
As Gabriel Weston demonstrates in this remarkable book, each organ of our body is a miracle of evolutionary imagination, performing tasks that are outlandishly creative and brilliant. An unusually compelling and illuminating book. -- Misha Glenny, author of McMAFIA
Gabriel Weston is an extraordinary writer … The book is a powerful read… Her descriptions really make the human body come alive. * The Spectator *
Refreshingly accessible... Alive comes heartily recommended to anyone wishing to better acquaint themselves with their own fluids * New Statesman *

Gabriel Weston was born in 1970. She studied English at Edinburgh University before attending medical school in London and becoming a Member of the Royal College of Surgeons in 2003. Her Sunday Times bestselling debut, Direct Red, was longlisted for the Guardian First Book Award and won the PEN-Ackerley Award for Autobiography, while her novel Dirty Work won the McKitterick Prize. The presenter of several BBC TV series, including Trust Me I’m a Doctor and Incredible Medicine: Dr Weston’s Casebook, she currently works as a part-time surgeon and lives in London with her husband and children.

SKU	Unavailable
ISBN 13	9781787330610
ISBN 10	1787330613
Title	Alive
Author	Gabriel Weston
Condition	Unavailable
Binding Type	Paperback
Publisher	Vintage Publishing
Year published	2025-03-06
Number of pages	304
Cover note	Book picture is for illustrative purposes only, actual binding, cover or edition may vary.