The acclaimed science writer Jennifer Ackerman lends her keen eye and lively voice to this marvelous exploration of the human body. Taking us through a typical day, from the arousal of the senses in the morning to the reverie of sleep and dreams, Ackerman reveals the human form as we've never seen it: busy, cunning, and miraculous.

Advances in genetics and medical imaging have allowed us to peer more deeply inside ourselves than ever before, and one of the most amazing recent discoveries is that we are intensely rhythmic creatures. The human body is like a clock — actually an entire shop of clocks — measuring out the seconds, minutes, days, and seasons of life. Weaving pieces of her own life with that of Everyman, Ackerman shows the importance of synchronizing our actions with our biological rhythms — and how defying them can cause us real harm.

We learn the best time of day to drink a cocktail, take a nap, run a race, give a presentation, and take medication, along with a host of other curious facts, such as why you succumb to a cold and your spouse doesn't, even though you've both been exposed to the same sick child.

Did you know that you can tell time in your sleep? Or that up to half of the calories you consume can be burned off simply by fidgeting? That women have more nightmares than men? That tuna, sardines, and walnuts may ease depression?

At once entertaining and deeply practical, this fascinating book will make you think of your body in an entirely new way.

"A fascinating look at what modern science tells us about who we are." Elizabeth Kolbert

Jennifer Ackerman is a writer specializing in the sciences. Born in 1959, she was educated at Yale College, where she studied literature, graduating cum laude in 1980 with a BA in English. Jennifer Ackerman began writing full-time in 1989. Ackerman's first book, NOTES FROM THE SHORE (Viking, 1995), describes the nature life of the mid-Atlantic region. Edward Hoagland called the book "the alchemy of art with solid science." The Washington Post described it as "arresting and provocative, a joy to read." A paperback edition of NOTES FROM THE SHORE was published by Penguin in the spring of 1996; an Italian edition is forthcoming from Ugo Guanda Editore. Ackerman won an Established Artist Fellowship from the Delaware Arts Council for her work on the book.A contributing writer and editor for The New York Times, National Geographic Magazine, and many other publications, Ackerman has written essays and articles on subjects ranging from the nature and politics of barrier islands to the origin of brids, parasites as agents of evolutionary change, and the work of Nobel prizewinning developmental biologist Christiane Nusslein-Volhard. Her writing has been collected in several literary anthologies, among the THE NATURE READER, eds. Daniel Halpern and Dan Frank (Ecco, 1996), BEST NATURE WRITING (Sierra Club, 1996), FROM THE FIELD (National Geographic Society, 1997), and THE BEACH BOOK: A Literary Companion (Sarabande, 1999).Ackerman is married to novelist Karl Ackerman and has two daughters.