Delving into the recent discovery of the brain's immune system, Dr Monty Lyman reveals the extraordinary implications for our physical and mental health. Since the birth of modern medicine, we have fundamentally misunderstood our immune system. Although the brain and the body have always been treated as separate entities - in separate hospitals - the science now shows that they are intimately linked. Startlingly, our body's immune system can access our brain and directly alter our mental health, changing our mood and behaviour. This has opened up a new frontier in human health. Drugs designed to treat arthritis have been found to treat certain kinds of depression. Incredibly, brushing your teeth properly can reduce brain inflammation, and thereby reduce the risk of dementia. And we are now beginning to understand how infections in childhood can lead to neurological and psychiatric disorders such as tics and OCD. In The Immune Mind, Dr Monty Lyman explores the fascinating connection between the mind and the immune system, as well as the body's microbiome. A researcher in the cutting-edge field of immunopsychiatry, Lyman argues we need to change the way we treat disease and the way we see ourselves. For the first time, we have a new approach to medicine that treats the whole human being.

Delving into the recent discovery of the brain's immune system, Dr Monty Lyman reveals the extraordinary implications for our physical and mental health. Since the birth of modern medicine, we have fundamentally misunderstood our immune system. Although the brain and the body have always been treated as separate entities - in separate hospitals - the science now shows that they are intimately linked. Startlingly, our body's immune system can access our brain and directly alter our mental health, changing our mood and behaviour. This has opened up a new frontier in human health. Drugs designed to treat arthritis have been found to treat certain kinds of depression. Incredibly, brushing your teeth properly can reduce brain inflammation, and thereby reduce the risk of dementia. And we are now beginning to understand how infections in childhood can lead to neurological and psychiatric disorders such as tics and OCD. In The Immune Mind, Dr Monty Lyman explores the fascinating connection between the mind and the immune system, as well as the body's microbiome. A researcher in the cutting-edge field of immunopsychiatry, Lyman argues we need to change the way we treat disease and the way we see ourselves. For the first time, we have a new approach to medicine that treats the whole human being.

'An enthralling read' - Dr Rachel Clarke, bestselling author of Dear Life A Royal Society Science Prize shortlisted author 'A remarkable book' - Sunday Times __________ What is phantom limb pain? Can words actually hurt? Why do we experience pain, even after we've healed? We know pain when we feel it. We fear it and try to avoid it. But do we know what it really is? We're currently experiencing a Renaissance in pain science. In recent years our understanding of pain has altered so radically it's fair to say that everything we thought we knew about pain is wrong. As Dr Monty Lyman reveals, we misunderstand pain - with harmful consequences. Exploring cutting-edge research that encompasses everything from phantom aches to persistent pain, as well as interviews with survivors of torture and those who have never felt pain, Dr Lyman not only provides hope for reducing and managing pain but takes us to a deeper understanding of what it means to be human. This is the untold story of pain - our most elusive feeling. 'Accessible and well-written... Dr Lyman takes us into the world of pain' Mail on Sunday __________ Praise for Monty Lyman and The Remarkable Life of the Skin - 'Seriously entertaining' The Times - 'A talented new writer' Sunday Times - 'Beautifully written, revealing and surprising' Daily Mail - 'Imaginatively told' The Spectator - 'An absorbing, fact-packed study' Nature - 'What a read it is' Vogue - 'Fascinating' Daily Express

How does our diet affect our skin? What makes the skin age? And why can’t we tickle ourselves?

Providing a cover for our delicate and intricate bodies, the skin is our largest, fastest growing and yet least understood organ. We see it, touch it and live in it every day. It's a habitat for a mesmerizingly complex world of micro-organisms and physical functions that are vital to our health and our survival. It’s also one of the first things people see about us and is crucial to our sense of identity. Our skin plays a central role in our lives. And yet how much do we really know about it?

Through the lenses of science, sociology and history, Dr Monty Lyman leads us on a journey across our most underrated and unexplored organ. Examining our microbiome, our love of tattoos and whether or not beauty products really work, he reveals how the skin is far stranger and more complex than you’ve ever imagined.