Gut: An Owner's Guide

by Austin Chiang

Become body literate with An Owner's Guide , the next book in The Body Literacy Library , an enlightening series that will democratize health for a new generation of readers.

An Owner's Guide is an informative, practical, and engaging introduction to this hidden-away part of the body. We tend to only pay attention to our gut when it tries to tell us something - when it feels uncomfortable or something goes wrong. This myth-busting book focuses on all aspects of gut health, so you can steer clear of Dr. Google and find out what will really make your gut happier and healthier.


Dr. Austin Chiang is a world-renowned expert in gut health and TikTok star, who believes everyone has a right to know and understand their body. He translates medical jargon into simple, clear prose, answering frequently asked patient queries, and investigating what we fear, and most misunderstand about our gut.


From what you should eat (or not) to how often you should poo, to the microbiome and the brain/gut connection - this taboo-tackling book applies science to the everyday, with simple illustrations, checklists, FAQs, and myth busters, all supported by the latest medical research. An Owner's Guide won't just help you to understand your body, it might even change your life.

Genres: Health, Nonfiction, Medicine

208 pages, Hardcover

Published April 9, 2024

Reviews

[Montzalee Wittmann · Rating 4 out of 5]

Gut
by Austin Chiang
I mostly got it to see if it had something to help me figure out what is wrong with my niece. She's getting lots of tests now. Sure, being a nurse helps but research doesn't hurt. This book does have lots of great information in it. Just not what I was looking for.

[Courtney White · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very basic overview of the "gut" but nothing I couldn't find by a basic Google search. Doesn't give many details about when things go wrong. I did like how he emphasized what is normal and what we just don't know right now in the field of science. I think he succeeded in what he set out to do in this book which was put all the basic information in a fun easy to read format. Maybe volume 2 for when things go wrong? I'd like that 😂

[Emily Mellow · Rating 2 out of 5]

Meh. It's like a children's primer of digestive anatomy, plus surgical information.
He makes dietary recommendations based on the US MyPlate system, which has only contributed to disease and obesity. He says "a little bit of red meat" is ok, when red meat has never actually been shown to cause disease, and is incredibly nutritious.

[Cook Memorial Public Library · Rating 5 out of 5]

A 2024 Staff Nonfiction Favorite for Hannah! For readers of Rumbles: A Curious History of the Gut by Elsa Richardson and Gut: The Inside Story of Our Body's Most Underrated Organ by Giulia Enders.

Check our catalog: https://encore.cooklib.org/iii/encore...

[Sadie Patton · Rating 4 out of 5]

An overall fascinating and though guide to you gut. This book gives a very good overview of all aspects of gut health. I didn’t agree with Dr. Austin Chiang’s positive views of GMOs or the government issued “MyPlate” recommendations. But, he seems to be a knowledgeable and understanding doctor whose goal “is to minimize the use of prescription medications” (pg. 181).

[Lindsay · Rating 2 out of 5]

So much more science talk & overall broad topics than I was expecting. I was hoping for less depths of how things function & more what's best for your gut. It also felt like a lot of the questions he had listed throughout the book to answer, he just gave an around the way answer, not directly giving an answer to the question.

[Gianna Desrochers · Rating 4 out of 5]

I found that it was informative about your whole gi tract and how it works, things that affect it, and diseases and treatments for ailments. It is very informative for someone who doesn't know much about the gut.

[WiseB · Rating 4 out of 5]

A systematic coverage on knowledge of the gut, which comprises organs from our mouth to anus ... including mouth, esophagus, stomach, liver, gallbladder, pancreas, small intestine and large intestine. I would treat the book as a reference to functions, problems, symptoms, diagnosis and treatments relating to different gut organs.

[Judy · Rating 2 out of 5]

Too much medical terminology too complex for a lay person like myself.

[Robin · Rating 2 out of 5]

the beginning and end were the best parts, the rest was focused on naming all disorders and things that could go wrong and what doctors would do rather than like … basic gut health? idk

[Hal · Rating 5 out of 5]

A great guide to understanding what's going on down there and all the parts involved. Helpful in discussing the topic with your own doctor.

[Mrs J · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very interesting but with a lot of medical words I sometimes got a bit confused.

[Scott · Rating 1 out of 5]

"meh, too clinical"

[Colin Maclennan · Rating 4 out of 5]

A useful and fairly easy to read description of the gut and its various parts, and what happens when things go wrong.

[Hayden · Rating 3 out of 5]

Ok. Not great. Basic but interesting.

[Renjí]

Finished this 2-3 months ago.
It’s really cool and you can get lots of basic information without it being overcomplicated and overwhelming.

[Lillian · Rating 5 out of 5]

Lots of interesting information in an easy to read (&retain!) way. It’s important to know how your body works!!

[Shelly Nicholson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good information for someone with limited knowledge on the gut.