Happiful December 2019
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Take, for example, your<br />
eyebrows – as Bryson<br />
points out, they have no<br />
real known evolutionary<br />
purpose; theorists<br />
suggest they help to keep<br />
sweat out of our eyes, or<br />
perhaps they developed<br />
to help us communicate<br />
without words.<br />
A single arch of your<br />
eyebrows can show<br />
disbelief, caution, or<br />
suggest attraction.<br />
According to Bryson,<br />
the Mona Lisa looks so<br />
enigmatic because she<br />
lacks eyebrows (please<br />
say I’m not the only one<br />
who didn’t notice that?).<br />
The importance of<br />
language<br />
One area I feel is<br />
important to highlight,<br />
is the potentially<br />
triggering language<br />
used around suicide.<br />
Several times Bryson<br />
speaks about the act of<br />
‘committing’ suicide.<br />
While this is still an<br />
(unfortunately) common<br />
turn of phrase, there are<br />
numerous guidelines on<br />
the best ways to write<br />
about suicide.<br />
While it doesn’t feel<br />
like the author intends<br />
to offend, it stands out as<br />
a missed opportunity to<br />
focus on the importance<br />
of language sensitivity.<br />
Speaking about suicide<br />
can be a challenge; by<br />
using the term ‘commit’,<br />
journalists, authors,<br />
and other professionals,<br />
risk stigmatising those<br />
who have attempted or<br />
completed suicide.<br />
As Natasha Devon<br />
explains in The Mental<br />
Health Media Charter,<br />
the terms ‘commit’<br />
or ‘successful’ suicide<br />
“suggests criminality<br />
and blame. We now<br />
understand that suicide<br />
happens when pain<br />
exceeds resources for<br />
coping with pain. It is<br />
not a criminal act in<br />
the UK, and has not<br />
been since 1961. The<br />
best alternative is ‘died<br />
by suicide’, ‘attempted/<br />
completed suicide’ or<br />
‘took/ended their own<br />
life.’”<br />
Should I read it?<br />
Setting aside any issues<br />
around language<br />
sensitivities, I would<br />
thoroughly recommend<br />
The Body. A heavy<br />
subject to be sure, and<br />
while the narrative lacks<br />
some of the author’s<br />
famous wit, Bryson still<br />
offers a sense of charm<br />
and wonder that is<br />
bound to spark curiosity<br />
in many readers.<br />
Balancing details with<br />
interesting anecdotes,<br />
we’re given just<br />
enough information<br />
to intrigue without<br />
becoming bogged<br />
down. Whether you’ve<br />
already got a solid basis<br />
of knowledge, or are<br />
looking to dip your<br />
toe into the world of<br />
more scientific reading,<br />
The Body: A Guide for<br />
Occupants is sure to<br />
teach you something<br />
new.<br />
If you liked this, you’ll love...<br />
A Short History<br />
of Nearly<br />
Everything<br />
by Bill Bryson<br />
Join Bryson on his quest to<br />
understand everything from<br />
the Big Bang to the rise of<br />
civilization. Journey through<br />
geology, chemistry, and particle<br />
physics, in a refreshingly<br />
comprehensive way.<br />
The Remarkable<br />
Life of the Skin<br />
by Monty Lyman<br />
How does our diet affect<br />
our skin? What makes our<br />
skin age? Why can’t we<br />
tickle ourselves? We live in<br />
it every day, yet how much<br />
do we really know about<br />
our skin?<br />
Must<br />
Reads<br />
Talking to<br />
Strangers<br />
by Malcolm<br />
Gladwell<br />
Why do we so often get other<br />
people wrong? Why is it so<br />
hard to detect lies, read faces,<br />
and judge motives? This book<br />
explores encounters from<br />
history, psychology, and<br />
infamous legal cases.<br />
The Body: A Guide<br />
for Occupants by Bill<br />
Bryson<br />
GREAT FOR...<br />
• Readers looking for<br />
accessible scientific<br />
reading<br />
• Fans of Bill Bryson<br />
• Non-fiction<br />
aficionados
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