Here are 99 books that The Body fans have personally recommended if you like The Body. Shepherd is a community of 12,000+ authors and super readers sharing their favorite books with the world.

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Book cover of Teeth

Roy A. Meals Author Of Bones

From my list on bones and teeth, life’s most enduring topics.

Why am I passionate about this?

“Natural history” may have been my first words. As a college biology major, I came to deeply appreciate the diversity and adaptations of animal life. In medical school, I learned how human tissues, especially bone, work and fail. Orthopedic surgery residency allowed me to drill down, literally and figuratively, on living bone. I have traveled extensively on all continents and, in so doing, continue to expand my passion for learning about bone’s historical and cultural aspects along with its marvelous biological properties. In 2017, I began blogging (aboutbone.com), and in 2020, I published Bones, Inside and Out. Now I’m also biting into teeth. I love life’s hard stuff. 

Roy's book list on bones and teeth, life’s most enduring topics

Roy A. Meals Why Roy loves this book

I love the way the author casts a wide net over the topic and covers facets as diverse as the history of dentistry, the diminished job prospects for those with poor dentition, and the story of the pioneering dentist who made Shirley Temple’s teeth glisten on the silver screen.

Smiling will never be the same, at least not for me. 

By Mary Otto ,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Teeth as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

'Show me your teeth', the great naturalist George Cuvier is credited with saying, 'and I will tell you who you are'. In this shattering new work, veteran health journalist Mary Otto looks inside America's mouth, revealing unsettling truths about our unequal society. Teeth takes readers on a disturbing journey into the role teeth play in our health and our social mobility. Muckraking and paradigm-shifting, Teeth exposes for the first time the extent and meaning of our oral health crisis.


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Book cover of Aggressor

Aggressor by FX Holden,

It is April 1st, 2038. Day 60 of China's blockade of the rebel island of Taiwan.

The US government has agreed to provide Taiwan with a weapons system so advanced that it can disrupt the balance of power in the region. But what pilot would be crazy enough to run…

Book cover of Bite

Roy A. Meals Author Of Bones

From my list on bones and teeth, life’s most enduring topics.

Why am I passionate about this?

“Natural history” may have been my first words. As a college biology major, I came to deeply appreciate the diversity and adaptations of animal life. In medical school, I learned how human tissues, especially bone, work and fail. Orthopedic surgery residency allowed me to drill down, literally and figuratively, on living bone. I have traveled extensively on all continents and, in so doing, continue to expand my passion for learning about bone’s historical and cultural aspects along with its marvelous biological properties. In 2017, I began blogging (aboutbone.com), and in 2020, I published Bones, Inside and Out. Now I’m also biting into teeth. I love life’s hard stuff. 

Roy's book list on bones and teeth, life’s most enduring topics

Roy A. Meals Why Roy loves this book

I like how Schutt takes a topic as “in your face” as teeth and expands it to entertain and educate across the subject’s broadest reaches, beginning 500,000 years ago and spanning all vertebrate zoology.

Now, when I see a smile or a snarl, I think about not only what they say about the owner’s age, state of health, state of mind, and social status but also how some animals use teeth for aggression or as an extra hand to manipulate their environment.

I also appreciate how teeth, an important and durable part of the fossil record, allow us to glimpse far into pre-history. 

By Bill Schutt ,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Bite as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

From three-inch fang blennies to thirty-foot prehistoric crocodiles, from gaboon vipers to Neanderthals, Bite is a fascinating journey through the natural, scientific, and cultural history of something right in front of—or in—our faces: teeth.

In Bite, zoologist Bill Schutt makes a surprising case: it is teeth that are responsible for the long-term success of vertebrates. The appearance of teeth, roughly half a billion years ago, was an adaptation that allowed animals with backbones, such as fish, amphibians, reptiles, birds, dinosaurs and mammals—including us—to chow down in pretty much every conceivable environment.

And it's not just food. Tusks and fangs have…


Book cover of Skulls

Roy A. Meals Author Of Bones

From my list on bones and teeth, life’s most enduring topics.

Why am I passionate about this?

“Natural history” may have been my first words. As a college biology major, I came to deeply appreciate the diversity and adaptations of animal life. In medical school, I learned how human tissues, especially bone, work and fail. Orthopedic surgery residency allowed me to drill down, literally and figuratively, on living bone. I have traveled extensively on all continents and, in so doing, continue to expand my passion for learning about bone’s historical and cultural aspects along with its marvelous biological properties. In 2017, I began blogging (aboutbone.com), and in 2020, I published Bones, Inside and Out. Now I’m also biting into teeth. I love life’s hard stuff. 

Roy's book list on bones and teeth, life’s most enduring topics

Roy A. Meals Why Roy loves this book

I was fascinated by the stunningly beautiful color photographs of 300 skulls, and I learned a lot from the accompanying brief descriptions of their animal owners’ skeletal anatomy, habitat, and behavior. From newts to cassowaries, seahorses to wombats, and hedgehogs to dolphins, the breadth of adaptations across the zoological realm is evident and worthy of appreciation.

I particularly liked the middle section where the author describes the skull’s iconography across cultures and through history along with its role in art. The book is on my coffee table and is always a conversation starter. 

By Simon Winchester , Nick Mann (photographer) ,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Skulls as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

Skulls is a beautiful spellbinding exploration of more than 300 different animal skulls--amphibians, birds, fish, mammals, and reptiles-written by New York Times bestselling author, Simon Winchester and produced in collaboration with Theodore Gray and Touch Press, the geniuses behind The Elements and Solar System.In Skulls, best-selling author Simon Winchester (author of The Professor and the Madman; Atlantic: A Biography of the Ocean; Krakatoa: The Day the World Exploded; and others)tells the rich and fascinating story of skulls, both human and animal, from every perspective imaginable: historical, biographical, cultural, and iconographic. Presenting details about the parts of the skull (including the…


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Book cover of Trusting Her Duke

Trusting Her Duke by Arietta Richmond,

A Duke with rigid opinions, a Lady whose beliefs conflict with his, a long disputed parcel of land, a conniving neighbour, a desperate collaboration, a failure of trust, a love found despite it all.

Alexander Cavendish, Duke of Ravensworth, returned from war to find that his father and brother had…

Book cover of Skeleton Keys

Roy A. Meals Author Of Bones

From my list on bones and teeth, life’s most enduring topics.

Why am I passionate about this?

“Natural history” may have been my first words. As a college biology major, I came to deeply appreciate the diversity and adaptations of animal life. In medical school, I learned how human tissues, especially bone, work and fail. Orthopedic surgery residency allowed me to drill down, literally and figuratively, on living bone. I have traveled extensively on all continents and, in so doing, continue to expand my passion for learning about bone’s historical and cultural aspects along with its marvelous biological properties. In 2017, I began blogging (aboutbone.com), and in 2020, I published Bones, Inside and Out. Now I’m also biting into teeth. I love life’s hard stuff. 

Roy's book list on bones and teeth, life’s most enduring topics

Roy A. Meals Why Roy loves this book

Skeleton Keys is de facto evidence that bone is a worthy and heretofore underreported element of natural and cultural history.

I like the author's convincing explanation of how the human body carries around much of the natural world’s history. He helps the reader unlock and interpret the story with respect and awe for his subject.  

By Brian Switek ,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Skeleton Keys as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

“A provocative and entertaining magical mineral tour through the life and afterlife of bone.” —Wall Street Journal

Our bones have many stories to tell, if you know how to listen.

Bone is a marvel, an adaptable and resilient building material developed over more than four hundred million years of evolutionary history. It gives your body its shape and the ability to move. It grows and changes with you, an undeniable document of who you are and how you lived. Arguably, no other part of the human anatomy has such rich scientific and cultural significance, both brimming with life and a…


Book cover of Undoing Lyme Disease

Patrick Ussher Author Of Understanding ME/CFS & Strategies for Healing

From my list on helpful books for ME/CFS & Long Covid patients.

Why am I passionate about this?

I am myself an ME/CFS patient. While my background is not in science or medicine, I have turned my prior academic skills in philosophy to reading and studying the research into ME/CFS. I am now passionate about sharing my learnings with other patients, whether on my YouTube channel, in my book, or in talks to patient groups. In my advocacy work, I am also in regular contact and collaborate with Professor Klaus Wirth ⁠– one of the German researchers responsible for the recent breakthrough work into ME/CFS and whose work could ultimately lead to the first approved pill for ME/CFS and Long Covid. 

Patrick's book list on helpful books for ME/CFS & Long Covid patients

Patrick Ussher Why Patrick loves this book

Finally, I wanted to throw in a bit of a wildcard in the form of a book which details an as yet underused treatment, but one which could become an established option for patients with these illnesses.

In reading this, I was intrigued by Dr Propokov’s account of "intermittent hypoxic hyperoxic therapy" (IHHT), a treatment which ⁠– get this! ⁠– tricks the body into thinking it is at high altitude, along with all the benefits that entails (increased red blood cells, etc).

Given that ME/CFS is characterised by poor systemic oxygen extraction, I was really interested to learn of a therapy that can improve bodily oxygenation capacity at baseline, all the more so when paired with Dr Propokov’s accounts of healing among his chronic Lyme patients, an illness with myriad similarities to ME/CFS.

Could this become a widespread treatment for ME/CFS in the future? Having read this book, I wouldn’t…

By Arkadi F. Prokopov ,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Undoing Lyme Disease as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

Why on earth a biogerontologist, mitochondrial researcher and diving physician writes a book on Lyme-borreliosis? He hopes to educate and motivate readers for a proactive position regarding their health. The author uses described method for prevention, treatment and recovery of many health problems - for himself, his family and for his patients and clients with remarkable results for more than 30 years. The underlying scientific explanations elucidate in a simple, but detailed form, why his method works against Lyme disease and co-infections. This book doesn't force one to blind obedience to its recommendations; it encourages readers to build up their…


Book cover of Max Spaniel: Dinosaur Hunt

Frans Vischer Author Of Fuddles

From my list on children’s books that tickled my toes.

Why am I passionate about this?

Since I was a child I’ve loved comedy. Whether it’s Daffy Duck, the Pink Panther movies, or a Carl Hiaasen novel, I like to laugh and make people laugh. I grew up drawing cartoons, and as a Disney animator I learned the importance of creating characters that audiences could believe and empathize with. Humor has no geographic, religious, or racial boundaries – the human condition is universal, and humor speaks to us all, regardless of language. I strive to write and draw characters that connect with readers and then put them in silly, odd but believable situations to extract the maximum entertainment.

Frans' book list on children’s books that tickled my toes

Frans Vischer Why Frans loves this book

Charming artwork, with a touch of the silly, like all of Catrow’s books. Catrow gets into the head of his adorable mutt main character as he searches the house and backyard, coming up with all sorts of household and garden items that have no remote connection to dinosaurs. Undaunted, our hero continues his search, interpreting tools and toys for dino body parts, until miraculously his creature comes to life!

By David Catrow ,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Max Spaniel as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it. This book is for kids age 4, 5, 6, and 7.

What is this book about?

Max Spaniel considers himself a dinosaur hunter and finds all sorts of objects in his back yard as proof that they exist.


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Book cover of The Duke's Christmas Redemption

The Duke's Christmas Redemption by Arietta Richmond,

A Duke who has rejected love, a Lady who dreams of a love match, an arranged marriage, a house full of secrets, a most unneighborly neighbor, a plot to destroy reputations, an unexpected love that redeems it all.

Lady Charlotte Wyndham, given in an arranged marriage to a man she…

Book cover of Bones: Recipes, History and Lore

Mary Bryant Shrader Author Of The Modern Pioneer Cookbook: Nourishing Recipes From a Traditional Foods Kitchen

From my list on becoming a modern pioneer in the kitchen.

Why am I passionate about this?

My name is Mary Bryant Shrader, and I'm the creator of Mary's Nest, a YouTube channel and corresponding website devoted to teaching approachable traditional cooking techniques using whole ingredients to help everyone become a Modern Pioneer in the kitchen. I take a simple step-by-step approach to help home cooks of all abilities cook simple, healthy meals using every last scrap of food to work towards creating a no-waste kitchen. I live in the Texas Hill Country with my sweet husband, Ted, and our lovable yellow lab, Indy. Our son Ben is just a drive away, and he frequently joins us for cozy home-cooked meals by the fireplace, followed by an evening of rousing board games.

Mary's book list on becoming a modern pioneer in the kitchen

Mary Bryant Shrader Why Mary loves this book

I'll be honest with you. Choosing this book was a toss-up. Should I pick Bones: Recipes, History, and Lore, or Fat: An Appreciation of a Misunderstood Ingredient with Recipes, also by Jennifer McLagan?

You can clearly tell that I am a modern pioneer in the kitchen and an enthusiastic traditional foods cook by the books that I chose to read! Even though both of Jennifer's books are outstanding, I have to lean slightly more toward Bones than Fat. Why?

Bone broth is the backbone of a traditional foods kitchen. So the more I can learn about bones, the better. And the more I can learn how to make my bone broth more gelatinous and nutritious, even better. If anyone can give you a thorough education all about bones, it's Jennifer McLagan.

By Jennifer McLagan ,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Bones as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

Top food stylist and food writer Jennifer McLagan has a bone to pick: too often, people opt for boneless chicken breasts, fish fillets, and cutlets, when good cooks know that anything cooked on the bone has more flavor -- from chicken or spareribs to a rib roast or a whole fish. In Bones, Jennifer offers a collection of recipes for cooking beef, veal, pork, lamb, poultry, fish, and game on their bones.

Chicken, steak, and fish all taste better when cooked on the bone, but we've sacrificed flavor for speed and convenience, forgetting how bones can enhance the taste, texture,…


Book cover of Heart of Bone

Colin Garrow Author Of Death on a Dirty Afternoon

From my list on murder mysteries with unusual amateur sleuths.

Why am I passionate about this?

I’ve been a fan of amateur sleuths since my first foray into our local library. Reading opened a whole world to me, and I devoured each new story with relish, imagining myself in the role of the hero and how I might deal with the perils that befell them. I raced through each book series in a matter of weeks, from The Famous Five and The Hardy Boys to Alfred Hitchcock’s The Three Investigators. I remember the thrill of moving to the library's adult section and discovering even more books where humble heroes were dragged into murder mysteries, unexpected adventures, and thrilling chases across dangerous landscapes. Woo-Hoo!

Colin's book list on murder mysteries with unusual amateur sleuths

Colin Garrow Why Colin loves this book

I’ve read several of this author’s books, so I am familiar with her talent for telling compelling stories. Like all the best reads, I couldn’t put it down from the very first page.

The heroine is a strong woman whose world falls apart at the death of her son and the prospect of his heart being donated to someone else. I loved how the author handled this intensely sensitive subject while keeping the mystery side of the story at the forefront. I liked that there is a creepiness to a few of the characters, too, so you never know for sure who the good guys are.

By Maggie James ,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Heart of Bone as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

When grief spirals into obsession, the outcome can be deadly…Greer Maddox's world shatters when her son, Tom, dies. An unexpected phone call leads her to Nathan Taylor, who received Tom's heart in a transplant. Greer becomes obsessed with Nathan, but her feelings turn to hatred when she discovers he harbours a dark side. Two women are missing, one of whom has now been found murdered. Could Nathan be the killer?

Greer is hiding a few secrets of her own, however. Ones she intends to keep buried. Can those closest to her uncover the truth before someone else dies? A gripping…


Book cover of The Bone Valley

Marlena Frank Author Of The Seeking

From my list on dark fantasy with unique monsters.

Why am I passionate about this?

I love reading about monsters as much as I love writing about them. Unfortunately, it also means I’m super picky about the dark fantasy I read. These authors don’t disappoint. Dark fantasy is a genre that I continue to return to, whether it’s aimed at teens or adults. I’ve had to deal with many monsters in my life and I understand that they can take many shapes and forms. These books are some of the very best I’ve read and I hope you’ll enjoy them as much as I have. 

Marlena's book list on dark fantasy with unique monsters

Marlena Frank Why Marlena loves this book

Let me emphasize how gorgeous this book is. Imagine a Tim Burton world filled with bones and two skeletons having a heart-wrenchingly beautiful love story. That is the landscape of The Bone Valley by Candace Robinson. This book gets quite gory and dark but is absolutely my favorite of her books for its sheer originality and incredibly unique world. Not to mention the horrible villain who literally takes over the underworld just so she can torture people. Yeah, it’s dark. Robinson is known for her incredible balance of romance and horror nestled within a beautiful world, and this book is the epitome of that.

By Candace Robinson ,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked The Bone Valley as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

He’s a lover. She’s a thief. A magic like no other will bind them together.

After the death of his parents, Anton Bereza works hard to provide for his younger siblings. Love has never been in the cards for him, especially after desperation forces Anton to sell himself for coin. And he has no idea that, beneath the city of Kedaf, lies a place called the Bone Valley.

When Anton’s jealous client plots against him, he is cursed to spend eternity in a world where all that remains are broken bones. There, Anton meets Nahli Yan—a spirited woman who once…


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Book cover of Old Man Country

Old Man Country by Thomas R. Cole,

This book follows the journey of a writer in search of wisdom as he narrates encounters with 12 distinguished American men over 80, including Paul Volcker, the former head of the Federal Reserve, and Denton Cooley, the world’s most famous heart surgeon.

In these and other intimate conversations, the book…

Book cover of Bone: The Complete Cartoon Epic in One Volume

Raea Gragg Author Of Mup

From my list on graphic novels for reluctant readers.

Why am I passionate about this?

Growing up, there was nothing I hated more than reading. Struggling with dyslexia and learning disabilities made books miserable and the distractions of screens didn’t help. However, everything changed when I discovered graphic novels and comics! That led to a newfound love of stories and books (especially graphic novels) which took me on a journey of not being able to read at age ten, to publishing my first novel at age fifteen. Since then, I’ve written and illustrated children’s books and young adult novels, but Mup is my first graphic novel. This has inspired me to create more graphic novels designed specifically for those who are just like me – reluctant readers.

Raea's book list on graphic novels for reluctant readers

Raea Gragg Why Raea loves this book

Bone was the first book I ever read on my own as a 5th grader. For the first time, I didn’t use an audiobook or need a parent/teacher to read it to me. For that alone, I’ve put it at the top of the list. Bone follows the story of three wayward brothers as they each find their way to a fantastical valley filled with mythical dragons, bizarre creatures, and a lost princess. What starts off as this fun and goofy comic, spirals into this adventure of epic proportions as the author-illustrator takes young readers into a world they never imagined before. 

This fast-paced saga helped captivate me from the first page to the last and I personally owe a lot to this book for helping me overcome my dislike for reading as a young person. This book helped me on my journey to becoming a reader and it…

By Jeff Smith ,

Why should I read it?

3 authors picked Bone as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

BONE – The Complete Cartoon Epic in One Volume

Winner of 41 National and International Awards including 10 Eisner Awards and 11 Harvey Awards!

Meet the Bone cousins, Fone Bone, Phoney Bone and Smiley Bone, three misfits who are run out of Boneville and find themselves lost in a vast uncharted desert. They make their way into a deep, forested valley filled with wonderful and terrifying creatures. With the help of the mysterious Thorn, her tough-as-nails Gran’ma Ben and the Great Red Dragon, the boys do their best to survive in the middle of brewing trouble between the valley’s denizens.…


Book cover of Teeth
Book cover of Bite
Book cover of Skulls

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Interested in the human body, teeth, and Washington state?

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