Alive

£12.99

What does it mean to live in a body? For Gabriel Weston, there was always something missing from the anatomy she was taught at medical school. Medicine teaches us how a body functions, but it doesn’t help us navigate the reality of living in one. As she became a surgeon, a mother, and ultimately a patient herself, Weston found herself grappling with the gap between scientific knowledge and unfathomable complexity of human experience. In this captivating exploration of the body, Weston dissolves the boundaries that usually divide surgeon and patient, pushing beyond the limit of what science has to tell us about who we are.

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SKU: 9781529931716 Category: Tags: , , , Publisher/imprint : Vintage
Page count : 304
Published on 26th February, 2026

Description

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 then a patient herself, she grew increasingly fascinated by the gap between the body she understood as a doctor and the messy reality of living in one.

Alive is a captivating investigation into our organs and the role they play in the stories of our lives. In Weston’s hands, a fuller and more human picture of our bodies emerges – more fragile, frightening and miraculous than we could ever 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

Additional information

Weight 0.5 kg
Dimensions 19.8 × 12.9 × 3.5 cm
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