This is an excellent book. Plenty of great content combined with accessible writing. It is concise and all these things together mean that it is one that I will be recommending to students and friends alike.
The chapters are not evenly split, for me this was a positive. The biology of the skin and intersection with medicine is the main reason for picking up this book. The later chapters broadening the way the skin not only links to our minds but beyond us as people were interesting, touching on tattooing, spirituality and shame (the leprosy and albinism case studies are eye opening).
I found the detail on the receptors that allow us a sense of touch both interesting, but also useful. I know that I’ll be borrowing from this section when teaching about the nervous system next year! I also always enjoy learning more about the way our human biology interacts with the organisms that make us their home – but these sections can prompt a little itching, consider this fair warning! (At least one review I’ve seen on GoodReads suggested that such content was inappropriate… so it definitely bothers some people).
There are diagrams used throughout to highlight key structures, which are useful and aid understanding. I found the one near the start describing the structure of skin and the way that it develops a helpful road map to mentally refer back to.
As I have scalp dermatits and I have close family with psoriasis and eczema, the regular references to these conditions made the material personal, and potentially directly useful for my health.
Overall, well worth making time to read – for the underlying physiology, but also personal health.
Enthusiastic Teaching 