BREATH TAKING

Sub-titled 'The Power, Fragility and Future of Our Extraordinary Lungs', intimately written with the authority of a pulmonologist and the lyricism of a captivating narrator, here is the story of our extraordinary lungs. Lungs are the organ that both explain our origins and hold the key to our future as a species. Although we take an average of 7.5 million breaths a year and some 600 million in our lifetime, we take our lungs for granted until we are incapacitated. Michael Stephen relates the history of oxygen on earth and the evolutionary origins of breathing, the links between our lungs and our immune systems, and poignant human stories of resilience and recovery. From asthma, rising stress and COVID 19, our lungs are ever more threatened, but the book offers inspiration and hope to millions whose lungs are affected and a vital perspective to us all. He mixes evolution, medical history, autobiography and vivid stories of patients with a skilful account of how lungs operate and how we might take better care of them. Photos include x-rays of mild COVID 19 pneumonia at the bases and an x-ray one day later with dramatic progression. Includes diagrams, photos. 311pp in paperback.