Includes bibliographical references

If I lose a contact lens in my eye, can it get into my brain? -- What is normal? -- What is health? -- One. Appearing: the superficial parts. How can I tell if I'm beautiful? ; Why do I have dimples? ; If I didn't have dimples, could I give them to myself? ; Why don't tattoos wear off? ; How can I remove my tattoo? ; Can I get a more defined jaw by chewing gum? ; But what about my chin? ; Why are some eyes blue? ; What causes red eyes in photos? ; What is a deviated septum? ; Why don't body hair and eyelashes keep growing, but head hair does? ; Could I get rid of my eyelashes? ; What makes hair curl? ; When I shave or cut my hair, does it grow back faster? ; Am I tall enough? ; What are sunburns? ; Why don't most females have Adam's apples? ; Aren't we attracted by pheromones? -- Two. Perceiving: the feeling parts. What is itch? ; Why does scratching feel good? ; Can I "boost" my immune system? ; How do vaccines work? ; Does caffeine make me live longer? ; Do we still not know if cell phones cause cancer? ; Why do ears ring? ; Can I stop wearing my glasses if I eat enough carrots? ; How much sleep do I actually need? ; Why do I drool when I nap and not when I sleep? ; Should I seriously not be reading my phone in bed? ; Will melatonin put me to sleep? ; Can I train myself to need less sleep? ; Is it really that bad if I look at the sun once in a while? ; Am I having a seizure? ; How is laughter medicine? -- Three. Eating: the sustaining parts. Why do stomachs rumble? ; Why do I crave terrible food late at night? ; Colonoscopy: this is the best we can do? ; Is there any harm in taking a multivitamin? ; Why does everyone have bad breath? ; Carbs or fat, which is worse? ; What is gluten? ; Eggs versus oatmeal ; Do probiotics work? ; How much worse is high-fructose corn syrup than "real" sugar? ; What if my tongue ring came out and I accidentally swallowed it? ; I need dairy or else my bones will break? ; Are we made to eat meat? ; What happens to weight when it's "lost"? -- Four. Drinking: the hydrating parts. Do I need eight glasses of water a day? ; How to embrace sweating ; So I need a "sports drink"? ; Why do so many people die of dehydration? ; What about Smartwater? ; Juice is healthy? ; Why is there Vitaminwater? ; Is drinking seltzer the same as drinking regular water? ; If I break down and drink a soda: brush my teeth after, or before? ; How does teeth whitening work? ; How does fluoride work? ; Why are people lactose intolerant? ; Does alcohol really kill brain cells? ; What is "natural" wine? ; Why not just play it safe and avoid preservatives? -- Five. Relating: the sex parts. Why do males have nipples? ; Why are nipples sexualized? ; Why do penises look like penises? ; When is ejaculation premature? ; Why don't males have multiple orgasms? ; How do you responsibly inform a clingy ex-lover that you have been diagnosed with gonorrhea (by phone)? ; How big is the average clitoris? ; Does the g-spot exist? ; Why isn't there a "female Viagra"? ; Can I use hand sanitizer as deodorant? ; How dangerous are tight pants? ; What can I do to help my children understand their bodies and sex in a positive way? ; How does ectopic pregnancy cause shoulder pain? ; Are doctors trained in gender transitioning? ; Can I get syphilis from oral sex? ; How do cells from my genitals create another human's brain? -- Six. Enduring: the dying parts. How does my heart know to beat? ; What is sudden cardiac death? ; Why do heartbeats mess up? ; Why are more and more people dying of heart disease? ; If atrial fibrillation is so common, do I have it? ; Why isn't there a cure for the common cold? ; How do I convince my friends that their kid doesn't need antibiotics every time she gets the sniffles? ; Penicillin is made of mold? ; If my mucus is green, it means I need antibiotics? ; What causes cancer? ; If I lost my nose, could science rebuild one for me? ; Is aging inevitable? ; Why does skin become translucent with age? ; Is life long enough? ; How to sit ; Can I really die from popping a pimple on my nose? ; What is rigor mortis? ; What happens to my body when I die? ; What happens to the data version of me when I die?

"If you want to understand the strange workings of the human body, and the future of medicine, you must read this illuminating, engaging book." --Siddhartha Mukherjee,author of the Gene In 2014, James Hamblin launched a series of videos for The Atlantic called "If Our Bodies Could Talk." With it, the doctor-turned-journalist established himself as a seriously entertaining authority in the field of health. Now, in illuminating and genuinely funny prose, Hamblin explores the human stories behind health questions that never seem to go away--and which tend to be mischaracterized and oversimplified by marketing and news media. He covers topics such as sleep, aging, diet, and much more: Can I "boost" my immune system? Does caffeine make me live longer? Do we still not know if cell phones cause cancer? How much sleep do I actually need? Is there any harm in taking a multivitamin? Is life long enough? In considering these questions, Hamblin draws from his own medical training as well from hundreds of interviews with distinguished scientists and medical practitioners. He translates the (traditionally boring) textbook of human anatomy and physiology into accessible, engaging, socially contextualized, up-to-the-moment answers. They offer clarity, examine the limits of our certainty, and ultimately help readers worry less about things that don't really matter. If Our Bodies Could Talk is a comprehensive, illustrated guide that entertains and educates in equal doses"--

"An empirical, exhaustive, and entertaining look at the body and its functions, in the vein of the author's stories and viral video series for The Atlantic on sleep, aging, diet, and more, examining and reassessing those health concerns that never seem to go away"--