Rumbles A curious history of the gut, the secret story of the body's most fascinating organ

When considering all the organs of the human body, the brain and heart--powerful, prestigious, and frequently romanticized anatomic structures--reside at the top of the rankings. At the bottom of the list likely sits the gut (esophagus, stomach, small and large intestines). The alimentary canal is the Rodney Dangerfield of organ systems. Not only does the gut get little respect (until it malfunctions), but it can be socially embarrassing with its unruly noises: gurgling, belching, farting, and rumbling. Richardson, a health historian, effectively explains why the gastrointestinal tract deserves its share of esteem. Her attention is directed more toward the medical history, sociology, cultural impact, and metaphors associated with the digestive system than its physiology. "Gut" has both an anatomic meaning and a descriptive one (belly, paunch, entrails). Think about its usage in many popular idioms, such as "have guts" (courage), "intestinal fortitude" (resolve), and "gut feeling" (intuition). Richardson's discussion is populated by philosophers, literary writers, suffragettes on hunger strikes, medical scientists, bodybuilders, and psychologists. She touches on toilet habits and taboos, the gut's relationship with the brain and immune system, its microbiome, diet, and folklore. An unexpectedly absorbing, sometimes slightly strange "scoping" of our relationship with the gastrointestinal tract.

Richardson (Second Sight in the Nineteenth Century), a historian at the University of Strathclyde, Glasgow, serves up a piquant cultural history of the stomach. She explains that ancient Greek scholars believed anger, jealousy, and desire stemmed from the gut, and that Christian theologians sought to tame this rapaciousness by including gluttony among the deadly sins. The valorization of restraint led the ruling classes of the Middle Ages to develop strict table etiquette that frowned upon the previously common practice of eating with one's hands. Tracing how eating habits have evolved, Richardson notes that in medieval times, most people only ate two meals per day, with a large "dinner" falling around late morning. It wasn't until the rise of industrialized workdays for which workers commuted too far to return home to eat that the modest midday "lunch" emerged. Elsewhere, she discusses how dietary advice has changed over time, describing, for instance, how Russian microbiologist Élie Metchnikoff set off a "yogurt-eating frenzy" in the 1910s by suggesting the food could slow aging. Though the book's wide-ranging scope can occasionally come across as unfocused, the fascinating history means readers will be more than happy to come along for the ride. This satisfies. Photos. Agent: George Lucas, InkWell Management. (Oct.)