The Spark of Life by Frances Ashcroft

The Spark of Life

Electricity in the Human Body

Frances Ashcroft

WW Norton · Print & ebook · September 10, 2013

"This is a wonderful book.

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Who it’s for
Readers interested in accessible science explanations
Themes
human body, electricity in biology, scientific discovery
Pacing
Steady

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Matched by what the books are about, then ordered by what their readers also loved. Most of these share its genre: How the Human Body Works.

  1. Electric Body, Electric HealthEileen Day McKusick71% matchAlso shares Electricity & Circuits
  2. The Story of the Human BodyDaniel E. Lieberman54% match
  3. Evolution Gone WrongAlex Bezzerides, Joe Knezevich54% match

For younger readers: Science Comics: Electricity, Oscar and the Bird, The Brain

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About this book

"This is a wonderful book. Frances Ashcroft has a rare gift for making difficult subjects accessible and fascinating." —Bill Bryson, author of The Body: A Guide for Occupants What happens during a heart attack? Can someone really die of fright? What is death, anyway? How does electroshock treatment affect the brain? What is consciousness?

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The answers to these questions lie in the electrical signals constantly traveling through our bodies, driving our thoughts, our movements, and even the beating of our hearts. The history of how scientists discovered the role of electricity in the human body is a colorful one, filled with extraordinary personalities, fierce debates, and brilliant experiments. Moreover, present-day research on electricity and ion channels has created one of the most exciting fields in science, shedding light on conditions ranging from diabetes and allergies to cystic fibrosis, migraines, and male infertility. With inimitable wit and a clear, fresh voice, award-winning researcher Frances Ashcroft weaves together compelling real-life stories with the latest scientific findings, giving us a spectacular account of the body electric.

Who it’s for

  • Readers interested in accessible science explanations
  • Adults curious about human biology and health

Where it sits

How the Human Body Works42%
Electricity & Circuits36%
Neuroscience28%

Percentages are BookFrontier’s reading of the book.

Publisher categories

  • How the Human Body Works
Authors
Frances Ashcroft
Publisher
WW Norton
Published
September 10, 2013
Format
Print & ebook
Theme
human body · electricity in biology · scientific discovery
Reading lane
How the Human Body Works