Gut

This book not only provides a fascinating look at how we actually digest food, pluck out essential nutrients, and produce poop from the leftovers passing through the gut, but also includes charming and witty illustrations of many of these steps by the author’s sister, Jill.

An entire book about the gut? Yes, and it’s so interesting, with some gentle humor and well-thought-out analogies that help demystify what you’ll come to believe is a superhero of an organ.

I made notes, highlighted particularly illuminating sections, and found myself saying, “Wow! I didn’t know that!” throughout the book. It definitely gave me… show more.

You are your gut! In this immensely readable book, Giulia Enders describes the ins and outs, highs and lows, quirks and oddities of the ever-important digestive system.

No stone is left unturned and modern research about gut bacteria, allergies, autoimmune disorders, and the gut/brain connection are all described in an engaging, accessible, and very memorable way. You’ll never look at going to the bathroom the same way again! 

I don’t know about you, but I always want to know more about my poop and orifices and this book delivered on both desires. It’s got something for everyone – sphincters, intestines, microbiome, a discussion on the best positions for defecation. Enders is a real gut aficionado and I felt her enthusiasm rub right off on me. More guts is what I say! 

As a dietitian in a gastroenterology practice, I can’t tell you how many patients of mine have been defrauded by alternative medicine providers dispensing pseudoscientific “diagnoses” who then sell them thousands of dollars of useless lab tests and unproven dietary supplements to treat them. I have come to believe that we can be especially vulnerable to such quackery when we don’t really understand how our bodies—and our digestive systems in particular—actually function.

Enders’ comprehensive—and entertaining—book is like an owner’s manual to your digestive system. It explains the basic physiology of the gut (how everything is supposed to work); the difference… show more.