The Unseen Body: A Doctor’s Journey Through the Hidden Wonders of Human Anatomy

Jonathan Reisman M.D. is a telemedicine hospitalist for Beam Healthcare and also runs a non-profit to improve healthcare and education in India. He is also the author of The Unseen Body, a journey through the human body and across the globe that weaves together stories about our internal organs with a unique perspective on life, culture and the natural world. He is a naturalist, adventure traveler, forager, foodie, and teacher of wilderness survival and prehistoric crafts, and his offbeat writing combines all of these passions. 

In his book, a fascinating journey through the human body and across the globe, Dr. Reisman weaves together stories about our insides with a unique perspective on life, culture, and the natural world. From swallowing to urinating to mucus, each chapter features a different body part or bodily fluid. His stories take a deeper dive into parts of the human body that on the surface might seem mundane. 

He has practiced medicine in some of the world’s most remote places – in the Russian and Alaskan Arctic, aboard a ship in Antarctica, high in the Nepali Himalayas, in rural Appalachia, in the urban slums of Kolkata, India and among the Oglala Sioux in South Dakota. Throughout these experiences, he saw a lot of parallels between the natural world and the human body. “Each body part fits into the larger picture, just like each species fits into an ecosystem,” said Dr. Reisman. 

It all started in college when Dr. Reisman was at NYU studying mathematics. Outside of his studies, he became obsessed with nature, travel, and ecosystems. He also took an interest in wilderness survival, prehistoric crafts, and exploring new cultures. He started writing The Unseen Body as a medical student, and says that the book would be especially helpful for someone early in their medical career to read. It offers a peek behind the curtain of healthcare and its fascinating, and sometimes bizarre, situations.

With that being said, the book was also written for a wider audience and takes you on a journey into your own body. By relating rich experiences in remote lands and among unique cultures back to the body’s inner workings, he shows how our organs live inextricably intertwined lives―an internal ecosystem reflecting the natural world around us. Dr. Reisman offers no medical advice in this book, but rather insightful and unique perspectives on how to think about the human body. 

Dr. Reisman brings his unique understanding of the human body into his interactions with patients through Beam Healthcare. In his role as a telehospitalist he is able to spend quality time with patients, bond with them, educate them, and take care of them as a whole. “It’s important for me to really bond with each of my patients, and technology isn’t a limiting factor at all,” said Dr. Reisman. “Each interaction feels very intimate.”

To support the work of Dr. Reisman, Beam Healthcare is offering a promotional code of 10% off your purchase of The Unseen Body. Additionally, if you are interested in more of Dr. Reisman’s writing, you can find several articles on his website. 

Beam Healthcare is proud to have a group of unique and dedicated hospitalists, like Dr. Reisman, on our team. Contact us to learn more about what Beam Healthcare’s hospitalist solutions can do for you.