Extremes: Life, Death and the Limits of the Human Body

InanaesthetistDrKevinFong'stelevisionprogrammeshehasoftendemonstratedtheimpactofextremesonthehumanbodybyusinghisownbodyasa'guineapig'.SoDrFongiswellplacedtosharehisexperienceofthesheeraudacityofmedicalpracticeatextremephysiologicallimits,wherehumanlifeisbalancedonaknifeedge.Throughgrippingaccountsofextraordinaryeventsandpioneeringmedicine,DrFongexploreshowourbodyrespondswhentestedbytheextremesofheatandcold,vacuumandaltitude,ageanddisease.Heshowshowscience,technologyandmedicinehavetakenwhatwasoncelethalintheworldandmadeitsurvivable.Thisisnotonlyabookaboutmedicine,butalsoaboutexplorationinitsbroadestsense-andabouthow,byprobingtheverylimitsofourbiology,wemayultimatelyreturnwithabetterappreciationofhowourbodieswork,ofwhatlifeis,andwhatitmeanstobehuman.