In her 8th book, ⁠⁠"REPLACEABLE YOU. Adventures in Human Anatomy"⁠, science writer Mary Roach dives in with her characteristic verve and infectious wit.

Her travels take her to the OR at a legendary burn unit in Boston, a “superclean” xeno-pigsty in China, and a stem cell “hair nursery” in a San Diego tech hub. 

The body is the most complex machine in the world, and the only one for which you cannot get a replacement part from the manufacturer. 

For centuries, medicine has reached for what’s available—sculpting noses from brass or making breasts from petroleum by-products.

Today scientists are attempting to grow body parts from scratch using stem cells and 3D printers.