The Body Factory: From the First Prosthetics to the Augmented Human - by Heloise Chochois (Paperback)

About the Book

A graphic novel exploring amputation, revealing details about famous amputees throughout history, the invention of the tourniquet, phantom limb syndrome, types of prostheses, and transhumanist technologies.

Book Synopsis

A young man has a horrible motorcycle accident. He wakesup in the hospital to discover that one of his arms has been amputated. Then aportrait on the wall of his hospital room begins to speak to him. The subject ofthe painting introduces himself as Ambroise Paré, the Frenchbarber-surgeon who revolutionized the art of amputation. From this wonderfullyabsurd premise, the two begin an imaginary conversation that takes them througha sweeping history of surgical amputation, from the Stone Age to the Space Age.Unencumbered by pathos or didacticism, this graphic novel explores the world ofamputation, revealing fascinating details about famous amputees throughouthistory, the invention of the tourniquet, phantom limb syndrome, types ofprostheses, and transhumanist technologies.
Playfully illustrated and seriously funny, TheBody Factory is sure to delight anyone interested in the history and future ofmedicine and how we repairï¿9;and evenenhanceï¿9;the body.

Review Quotes

"An entertaining and fascinating read."

--Brigid Alverson School Library Journal

"Charming art and a fascinating (and a little gruesome!) subject. I learned so much--loved it!"

--Sydney Padua, author of The Thrilling Adventures of Lovelace and Babbage

"From Egyptian amputation to transhumanism, this engaging and entertaining exploration of what it means to modify the human body captivates on every page."

--E. Paul Zehr, author of Chasing Captain America: How Advances in Science, Engineering, and Biotechnology Will Produce a Superhuman

"Medical illustrators and readers seeking a history of evolving healthcare technology will enjoy this work as an entertaining exploration describing modification of the human body."

--David James Dries Doody's Review Service

"This surprisingly delightful and empathetic examination offers an exemplar in the graphic medicine genre."

--starred review Publishers Weekly

About the Author

Héloïse Chochois is a scientific illustrator who debuted as a graphic novelist with the blog Infiltrée chez les physiciens. She is the author and illustrator of Intelligences artificielles.