''Explorers of the Body'' is a book by Steven Lehrer that tells the story of epochal medical discoveries which have profoundly affected human health, and the men and women who made them. From the ancient Egyptians and Babylonians to modern medical science, the book covers the gamut of medical advances, among them: *

Edward Jenner Edward Jenner, (17 May 1749 – 26 January 1823) was a British physician and scientist who pioneered the concept of vaccines, and created the smallpox vaccine, the world's first vaccine. The terms ''vaccine'' and ''vaccination'' are derived f ...

and smallpox vaccination *

Gregor Mendel Gregor Johann Mendel, OSA (; cs, Řehoř Jan Mendel; 20 July 1822 – 6 January 1884) was a biologist, meteorologist, mathematician, Augustinian friar and abbot of St. Thomas' Abbey in Brünn (''Brno''), Margraviate of Moravia. Mendel was ...

and genetics *

Marie Curie Marie Salomea Skłodowska–Curie ( , , ; born Maria Salomea Skłodowska, ; 7 November 1867 – 4 July 1934) was a Polish and naturalized-French physicist and chemist who conducted pioneering research on radioactivity. She was the first ...

and radioactivity *

Jonas Salk Jonas Edward Salk (; born Jonas Salk; October 28, 1914June 23, 1995) was an American virologist and medical researcher who developed one of the first successful polio vaccines. He was born in New York City and attended the City College of New ...

and the polio vaccine *

William Harvey William Harvey (1 April 1578 – 3 June 1657) was an English physician who made influential contributions in anatomy and physiology. He was the first known physician to describe completely, and in detail, the systemic circulation and propert ...

and the circulation of the blood * Louis Pasteur and rabies vaccination *

Joseph Lister Joseph Lister, 1st Baron Lister, (5 April 182710 February 1912) was a British surgeon, medical scientist, experimental pathologist and a pioneer of antiseptic surgery and preventative medicine. Joseph Lister revolutionised the craft of ...

and the rise of modern surgery

Critical reception

*"It is healthy to have this readable antidote to the medical profession's sanitized portraits of itself...much fascinating information." *"Lots of good medical lore —and juicy." *"The author has accomplished a tour de force." *"An engrossing account of the medical milestones upon which 20th Century medicine is based." *"Factual accounts often stranger and more dramatic than fiction…Among the many lively anecdotes is the story of the unusual collaboration between bacteriologist-writer Paul de Kruif and Sinclair Lewis, which produced the latter's prize-winning novel Arrowsmith.” *"Here, at last, is a history of the great medical discoveries written by an author who refused to wear blinders...''Explorers of the Body'' is a collection of many marvels." *"An impressive, wide ranging assortment in the 494 pages, everything from the discovery of blood circulation to the development of the polio vaccine. Many of these discoveries have been the subjects of whole books, but Lehrer covers the high points well." *"A sound and readable look at the 'intriguing, sometimes bizarre personalities who have prospered at the frontiers of medicine.'" *"Here are the great breakthroughs in humanity's struggle to understand the body, told in an anecdotal style easy to follow and digest."

Interviews

Lehrer was interviewed on the History Channel series ''Mavericks, Miracles, and Medicine'' (2003) about ''Explorers of the Body'', as well as on the BBC series Medical Mavericks, Episode 4, Beating Infection.Medical Mavericks (2005) on the Internet Movie Database (IMDb)
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References

{{reflist 1979 non-fiction books 2006 non-fiction books History books about medicine Doubleday (publisher) books