The new science of why we hurt and how we can heal

The Painful Truth

'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

A remarkable book that explores the boundaries and the meaning of pain - and how conventional understanding and treatment are failing us.

An accessible and well-written book... [Dr Lyman] takes us into the world of pain: its weirdness, its growing pervasiveness and how it's been misunderstood for centuries.

Dr Monty Lyman is a medical doctor, researcher and author who specializes in the relationship between the mind and the immune system. He is an Academic Clinical Fellow at the University of Oxford. His first book, The Remarkable Life of the Skin, was shortlisted for the Royal Society Science Book Prize, was one of the Sunday Times Best Books of 2019 and was a Radio 4 Book of the Week. An essay from his second book, The Painful Truth, won the 2020 Royal Society of Medicine’s Pain Medicine Prize.

What is phantom limb pain? Can words actually hurt? Why do we experience pain, even after we've healed? 
 
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.

An intimate journey across our surface

The Remarkable Life of the Skin

The Remarkable Life of the Skin is a compelling user's guide to the physical, psychological and social importance of the body's largest, most visible and yet most misunderstood organ.

- Shortlisted for the Royal Society Science Book Prize 2019 
- A Sunday Times 'MUST READ' 
- 'An exciting introduction to a little-known microscopic universe.' Sunday Times 
- 'A seriously entertaining book.' Melanie Reid, The Times 
- As read on RADIO 4's BOOK OF THE WEEK 
_______________ 
 
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.

This microsopic look at skin is crawling with revelations, from tiny mites to cellulite and skin care... An exciting introduction to a little-known universe and to a talented new writer.

A seriously entertaining book... Here are things you wish you'd known about the skin years ago... Clever, optimistic.

Lyman peels back the science on human skin in this absorbing, fact-packed study.

Beautifully written, revealing and surprising, this is a fascinating guide to the secret life of the skin.

Imaginatively told... knowledgeable and enthusiastic.

Not since GCSE Biology has my reading material been so scientific. As I approach my late twenties, I've increased my skincare routine tenfold, and now I'm taking it up a notch by learning how our largest organ actually works.The Remarkable Life of the Skin will make you scratch, squirm, inspect and neglect, but what a read it is. If those aforementioned textbooks had been written by the highly entertaining Dr Monty Lyman, I might have paid more attention. Plus, no other Tube read has ever garnered so many double-takes.

Fascinating ... takes us beneath the surface of our largest and least-known organ.

An extraordinary insight into the fascinating world of the skin, explaining how it both protects and connects us... [the book] delves into the science behind the skin’s microbiome and explores the history of anti-aging treatments. A must read for all of those curious about why our skin is the first to show our emotions, and how it has the power to both divide and unite communities around the world.

Professor the Lord Darzi of Denham, director of the Institute of Global Health Innovation at Imperial College, London

- Shortlisted for the Royal Society Science Book Prize 2019 
- A Sunday Times 'MUST READ' 
- 'An exciting introduction to a little-known microscopic universe.' Sunday Times 
- 'A seriously entertaining book.' Melanie Reid, The Times 
- As read on RADIO 4's BOOK OF THE WEEK 
_______________ 
 
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.

Monty Lyman

Rich, playful and illuminating... a breezy and delightful read... I highly recommend for its comprehensive, eye-opening overview of the interplay between the immune system, mind and gut microbiome.

It is very common for scientists to specialise in one subject, gradually developing a deep but narrow understanding of their field. In my work developing vaccines against pathogens that have the potential to cause outbreaks and pandemics, I need to work with colleagues from many different disciplines in order to be effective. In this book Dr Lyman makes a fascinating connection that is new to me, delving into interactions between the immune system and the conscious mind. A thoroughly thought-provoking read.

Dame Sarah Gilbert, author of Vaxxers

Dr Lyman takes the complicated science of neuroimmunology and turns it into an exciting wargame complete with defensive battalions, special forces, reconnaissance ships and friendly fire. While technical and bang up-to-date, the narrative never loses sight of the potential victims, and illnesses both physical and mental. Indeed, The Immune Mind is not so much about biological science or cognitive science but the inseparability of the two and ultimately, what it is to be human.

Professor Anthony David, author of Into the Abyss: a neuropsychiatrist’s notes on troubled minds

A thrilling exploration of how our immune system governs our mental health, all interwoven with Dr Lyman’s practical advice on safeguarding your well-being. As someone with depression and dementia in the family, I found every page to contain an observation that was invaluable. This absorbing and beautifully written book changes the way we view health.

Dr Joseph Jebelli, author of How the Mind Changed

Superbly written with excellent insights into the connection between our immune system and mental wellbeing. Highly recommended, and one of the best non-fiction books I've read!

Dr Rupy Aujla, MBBS, BSc, MRCGP, The Doctor's Kitchen

The new science of health

Until a decade ago, we misunderstood a fundamental aspect of human health. Although the brain and the body have always been viewed as separate entities – treated in separate hospitals – science now shows that they are intimately linked. Startlingly, we now know that our immune system is in constant communication with our brain and can directly alter our mental health. This has opened up a new frontier in medicine. Could inflammation cause depression, and arthritis drugs cure it? Can gut microbes shape your behaviour through the vagus nerve? Can something as simple as brushing your teeth properly reduce your risk of dementia? Could childhood infections lie behind neurological and psychiatric disorders such as tics and OCD? 
 
In The Immune Mind, Dr Monty Lyman explores the fascinating connection between the mind, immune system and microbiome. A specialist in the cutting-edge field of immunopsychiatry, Lyman argues that 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.

Monty Lyman

Praise for The Immune Mind

Rich, playful and illuminating... a breezy and delightful read... I highly recommend for its comprehensive, eye-opening overview of the interplay between the immune system, mind and gut microbiome.

It is very common for scientists to specialise in one subject, gradually developing a deep but narrow understanding of their field. In my work developing vaccines against pathogens that have the potential to cause o ...

Dr Lyman takes the complicated science of neuroimmunology and turns it into an exciting wargame complete with defensive battalions, special forces, reconnaissance ships and friendly fire. While technic ...

Rich, playful and illuminating... a breezy and delightful read... I highly recommend for its comprehensive, eye-opening overview of the interplay between the immune system, mind and gut microbiome.

It is very common for scientists to specialise in one subject, gradually developing a deep but narrow understanding of their field. In my work developing vaccines against pathogens that have the potential to cause o ...

Dr Lyman takes the complicated science of neuroimmunology and turns it into an exciting wargame complete with defensive battalions, special forces, reconnaissance ships and friendly fire. While technic ...

Rich, playful and illuminating... a breezy and delightful read... I highly recommend for its comprehensive, eye-opening overview of the interplay between the immune system, mind and gut microbiome.

It is very common for scientists to specialise in one subject, gradually developing a deep but narrow understanding of their field. In my work developing vaccines against pathogens that have the potential to cause o ...

Dr Lyman takes the complicated science of neuroimmunology and turns it into an exciting wargame complete with defensive battalions, special forces, reconnaissance ships and friendly fire. While technic ...

Books by Monty Lyman

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