Your Body – The Missing Manual

Your Body’”The Missing Manual
By Matthew MacDonald
O’Reilly Media / Missing Manuals
http://www.missingmanuals.com
US $24.99, CAN $31.99
ISBN: 978-0-596-80174-8
292 pages

When I was young, a thousand years ago, I paid almost no attention to my body. It just seemed to work no matter what. I ate whatever I wanted with no thought to nutrition, and when I got old enough I drank copious amounts of beer, smoked cigarettes, and partook in many unhealthy activities with my hippy friends. Back then I was trying to make a social statement, much to the detriment of my health. I now have asthma, thanks to my foolish sense of social responsibility.

Now I’m all grown up, have two kids who, incidentally, do not smoke anything or drink alcohol, and I’ve learned, through careful independent study, that certain foods and activities can cause the body to withdraw from its normal healthy existence.

I wish I had this book, Your Body’”The Missing Manual, back when I was a kid because my parents knew nothing of health, the body, or nutritious eating. Therefore, neither did my sister nor I. Mom and Dad smoked, and the whole family grew up on white bread, sugar, and red meat and potatoes. At that time in my life I was totally in the dark about what my body was, and how it operated. This book is an open door to the workings of the human anatomy.

The goal of Your Body’”The Missing Manual is to give you enough scientific and practical insight that you can make better decisions about how you live. It starts out by examining the skin, what it does, why it wrinkles, and so much more. From Skin it goes to Fat, showing you why you need it and when you don’t, and how to get the good kind. From there, Muscles are explained: how they work, with some compound exercises included that you can do at home.

Next investigated are Bones, Sense Organs (eyes, ears, nose, and tongue), Lungs, Heart, Digestive System, Immune System, Sex and Reproduction, and on to Your Final Exit (aging and death).

There is much practical information and advice in this diminutive book: how to take care of your skin, myths about fat and its secret powers, sensible and sane diet tips, caring for muscles and tendons, how to keep your bones and joints healthy, how to remove ear wax, the unavoidable end of life issues and strategies, and much much more.

It also dispels many rumors about our bodies that some of us have grown up believing, like: muscle turns to fat, which is untrue because muscles and fat are totally different types of tissues; and milk thickens mucous. There is no scientific proof supporting this folk-lore belief.

Some fun facts are also explained; things you thought you knew, but may not know about the body, like we shed our skin more frequently than a snake. Normal conversation is about 60dB while your iPod at full volume is around 100-120dB, a rock concert is about 115dB, and a gunshot is 140dB. And, no matter how much you diet or exercise, the number of fat cells you have rarely changes. These are but a few examples.

Your Body’”The Missing Manual, never uses little known highly technical terms or gets too deeply scientific, which might keep people from even attempting to read the book. It stays at a level most of us can understand easily, and the information is scientifically up to date, even taking into account genetics, and predisposition to skinny, fat, hairy, or bald.

I particularly enjoyed the chapter on the immune system. MacDonald’s explanation of the differences between bacteria and viruses is clear and easy to understand. The story about these “bugs” is compelling and timely, what with the H1N1 virus running amok, and the regular flu season gearing up for its annual scourge.

It seems as though everyone in America is interested in our health care system. Political and social groups are vocalizing their discontent with the status quo or the possibility of a change to a national health care system. It’s too bad that people don’t use that energy in their personal responsibility to their own health. A few tweaks in diet, some exercise, and a little TLC could eliminate a lot of doctors visits and unnecessary illnesses, which, in itself, would change the face of our health care system. It is ultimately each individual’s responsibility to care of him/herself and their family. And so, here, with Matthew MacDonald’s work, is an opportunity for you to walk right on through this open door to that very end.

This little book could go a long way in educating you and your family about how the body works, what keeps it working, and it could easily contribute to the well being of all who heed even just some of the information in these pages. If you’re interested in your body, your health (you should be), and that of your family, this may be a great starting point from which you could become informed on how to get you and yours on the road to a healthier and happier life.

MyMac rating: 4.5 out of 5