A History of the World Through Body Parts by Kathryn Petras

A History of the World Through Body Parts by Kathryn Petras

A grab bag of historic spleens, chins, and more, this is your ultimate literary dissection of body parts throughout history!

From famous craniums to prominent breasts, ancient spleens and bound feet, this book will bring history to life in a whole new way. With their inimitable wit and probing intelligence, authors Kathy and Ross Petras look at the role the human body has played throughout history as each individual part becomes a jumping-off point for a wider look at the times. In far-ranging, quirky-yet-interrelated stories, learn about Charles II of Spain’s jaw and the repercussions of inbreeding, what Anne Boleyn’s heart says about the Crusades and the trend of dispersed burials, and what can be learned about Lady Xoc’s pierced tongue. A History of the World Through Body Parts is packed with fascinating little-known historical facts and anecdotes that will entertain, enlighten, and delight even the most well-read history buff.

Kathryn & Ross Petras are a brother-and-sister writing team and authors of many word-oriented books like the New York Times bestseller You’re Saying It Wrong, THAT DOESN’T MEAN WHAT YOU THINK IT MEANS, as well as Very Bad Poetry and Wretched Writing. They’ve also compiled a series of bestselling quote books like Age Doesn’t Matter Unless You’re a Cheese and It Always Seems Impossible Until It’s Done, as well as the page-a-day calendar The 365 Stupidest Things Ever Said (now in its 24th year — with over 4.8 million copies sold) and its counterpart The 365 Smartest Things Ever Said. They also do a podcast, a sort of Car Talk about words, with NPR's KMUW called You're Saying It Wrong.