Adam's Navel: A Natural and Cultural History of the Human Form

by Michael Sims

In this amusing and brilliantly conceived book, Michael Sims introduces you to your body. Moving from head to toe, Sims blends cultural history with evolutionary theory to produce a wonderfully original narrative in which he analyzes the visible parts of the body. In this fascinating brew of science and storytelling, readers encounter not only accessible explanations of the mechanics of their anatomy, but also the layers of mythology, religious lore, history, Darwinian theory, and popular culture that have helped to shape our understanding of any given body part. A titillating and unique book, Adam’s Navel is learned and entertaining, a marvelous lens through which to study the form we all inhabit—but may not really understand.

Genres: Nonfiction, Science, History, Biology, Evolution, Anthropology, Cultural

352 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2003

About the author

Michael Sims is the author of the acclaimed "The Story of Charlotte's Web, Apollo's Fire: A Day on Earth in Nature and Imagination," "Adam's Navel: A Natural and Cultural History of the Human Form," and editor of "Dracula's Guest: A Connoisseur's Collection of Victorian Vampire Stories" and "The Dead Witness: A Connoisseur's Collection of Victorian Detective Stories." He lives in western Pennsylvania.

Reviews

[Mark · Rating 2 out of 5]

There are two types of nonfiction: 'Look at all the cool stuff there is.' and 'Look at all the cool stuff I know.' Sims falls clearly into the latter pile, smug and condescending. He brings up the beliefs and traditions of ancient and foreign cultures solely for the purpose of deriding them, but the perspectives of Western secular humanism go unquestioned because of course we've arrived at pure knowledge. Disjointed, aimless, and peppered with inept analogies, it's okay in snippets, but intolerable for sustained reading.

[Melissa · Rating 3 out of 5]

I struggled to get through this -- it gets three stars for fitfully engaging passages and plenty of trivia. The book reads like a 300-page New Yorker article, and coming from me, that is not a compliment. The author injects far too many opinionated asides as well, which are extremely distracting. He references classic literature and mythology extensively, disdaining more modern references and popular culture, which adds to the condescending tone of the book. Space constraints prevent the discussion of several areas of the body (knees! teeth! armpits!), according to the introduction, contributing to a somewhat cursory tone as well.
There is trivia aplenty here though - who knew that the platypus has 8 hours of REM sleep, more than many 'higher' mammals? I also found it curious that the author has no problem listing and discussing numerous slang terms for male and female genitalia, but is much more restrained when writing about the navel, for example.
Maybe it's just me...but I was expecting more. Disappointing. Read Diane Ackerman or Desmond Morris for better coverage of similar themes.

[Ginna · Rating 5 out of 5]

Eclectic and thorough -- I like the voice of this book, which darts from formal to conspiratorial, as well as the treatment of the subject matter. Sims takes a tremendous topic -- the human body -- and addresses it through an unusual lens, although it's the one we usually use -- what you can see. So, no holding forth on the appendix, but a good long treatise on the bellybutton (as you might expect) and very thorough treatment of the area below the belt. I appreciate the glee in Sims' fact-finding and his delight in matters etymological (I was writing the word "fascinating" on the board in front of a bunch of 9th grades yesterday and almost giggled because of what I learned about it the night before). The author doesn't shy away from matters political, religious, or (as you may have guessed) sexual, and I appreciate the frankness of his opinion.

[Dana Faugno · Rating 2 out of 5]

Here's the thing, I got half way through and stopped. Which is unheard of for me. But I just hit this point of... boredom. It was neither smart enough to teach me anything new, nor stupid enough to be ugly entertaining.

It's not bad so much as it is very much not for me. The science aspects are explained with the general knowledge of a middle schooler. I love the rambling, factoid, anecdotal nature of the text (which reminds me of a Tom Robbins novel with all the plot removed) but it's just sort of... eh. Mediocre.

If it was sharper and smarter, or more of flaming idiot mess, I could enjoy it. But it's not and so I'm not investing any further time in it.

[Gregg Sapp · Rating 3 out of 5]

As a person often accused of navel gazing, I found some validation in Michael Sims’s “Adam’s Navel: A Natural and Cultural History of the Human Form.” Finally, I learned that contemplation of one’s navel has rich cultural, scientific, and theological antecedents. Freud saw it as a symbol of the unknown. Whether or not Adam possessed one occupied the minds of many of the early Church’s greatest thinkers. Its exposure on the body of Barbara Eden in “I Dream of Jeannie” is seen as a landmark in television history. Such matters are worthy of the musings of me and my fellow Omphalopsychites; i.e., navel gazers.

“Adam’s Navel” is a truly trivial book, in the best sense of the word. I have always believed that 90% of what we think of as knowledge is just so much trivia – facts and anecdotes that we can use to amuse, entertain, and impress an audience… and ourselves. Good trivia gives you something to think about. Appropriately, perhaps, Sims conceived of writing this novel while lying flat on his back for an extended period of time, after a serious injury. Under those circumstances, it is understandable that he might ponder the oddities and frailties of the human body. It might provide some light distraction to learn that in Egyptian mythology the left ear represents death, that the buxom American Barbie doll is modeled after a German sex toy, or that there was a common medieval belief that babies who refused to suckle on the mother’s left breast were destined for sainthood.

Chapters cover the expanse of the human body, from the hair to the toenails. Sims explores the parts of our bodies with a sense of irony – how common they are, yet how function, how specialized, and also how strange. He is also not above the art of a wretched pun, such as where he refers to the Holy Ghost impregnating Mary by entering her ear as an act of “aural” sex. Groan, rimshot.

At some restaurants, Trivial Pursuit cards are left on the tables to occupy guests while waiting for their food. Read “Adam’s Navel” in the same way. It will pass time in a pleasant, engaging way. But you never know what you might actually learn, too.

[V.M.H · Rating 2 out of 5]

This was a tedious read. I bought this book 17 years ago and it stayed on my shelf since, and, as it appears for a good reason. At times, when the narrative becomes somewhat interesting, the author moves to another aspect, which is really annoying. This book reads like a research essay. The author read lots of material and then put bits and pieces of it in the book. What have I learnt from this book. Almost nothing; very disappointing...

[queenie m. · Rating 3 out of 5]

It would not answer all your questions as why or how your body was built that way, but it is a fun read with a lot of mythological stories about your body parts

[Allison · Rating 1 out of 5]

If you are into etymology and body related idioms, you might like this book. Otherwise, there's not much to learn.

[Randy O'Brien · Rating 5 out of 5]

A breakthrough book. Wonderfully rendered and entertaining.

[Anna Abney Miller · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5

[Sara Chen · Rating 3 out of 5]

中文的副標下得很精準。
內容是以身體各部位為主題，講很多相關文化意義上的小知識，雖然可以多少學到東西，但這本不是資訊量龐大、硬核的書，但也不是一本讀來令人放鬆的輕鬆小品，定位有點不明。主要是針對比較冷門的身體部位的介紹（像是鼻子、耳朵這種），會比較新鮮有趣而已。

[Kate L · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you know nothing about the human body and want to learn some stuff in an interesting way, this is your book!
If you know a lot about the human body and just like to entertain yourself with more anatomical knowledge, this is your book!
As a nursing major, I put myself into the later category, but I can’t speak highly enough about this book. It is easy enough to read without prior knowledge, but interesting enough to keep anyone engaged.
I especially loved the passages on the breasts and genitals. Such a unique look into the universe we call our bodies.

[Jillian · Rating 3 out of 5]

There are definitely some entertaining facts in this one. Ancient superstitions about hair included poorly timed haircuts causing weather disasters and hair in birds' nests causing headaches or death. The tortellini was allegedly modeled on Venus' belly button. Louis Armstrong suffered horrible lip bleeding from his trumpet playing. The treadmill was originally invented to break prisoners with its monotony. The Barbie doll was based on a European sex toy...

But I’m only giving it 3 stars, because I often found myself unexcited to keep reading, and I’m usually fascinated with cultural, historical, and bizarre information about the human body. There were simply too many uninteresting or unnecessary facts alongside the interesting ones, and something about the author's voice and attempts at humor really irritated me at points. Also, there is only a selected bibliography and no footnotes, which seems shady in such a heavily researched book.

[Julia · Rating 3 out of 5]

Dirty girl that I am, I almost wish this book had been condensed into the chapters on the sex organs (preciously named "Madonna del Latte" and "Privy Members"). Which were excellent. There were certainly gems in other sections of the book--informative tidbits on why we have back pain, attitudes towards hair, the bogusness of palmistry--and I LOVED how snarky he was about Freud, with other good jabs at the occasionally absurd attitude of patriarchy towards various elements of the female body, but once in a while his quirky sense of humor got a little too quirky. While in general it's fascinating to hear the skips and stops a quick mind makes (he's a positive genius with selecting funny quotes), once in a while it was a little disjointed. Don't spend too much time on it, and you'll remember some good cocktail factoids and let the rest slide.

[Melissa Kidd · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is not a book that is easily read in a few sittings. It’s littered with so many little facts that you have to put it down every once in a while to just take in all you’ve just read. But it’s pretty readable if you take your time. I’ve heard some of the evolutionary theories as to why we look the way we do or why we’re upright etc that most of those were not new to me, but all the other, cultural and psychological theories were all new. I learned a bunch reading this book, even though it’s things that won’t necessarily stay with me long term. Recommended if you like learning about the body.

[Nicole · Rating 3 out of 5]

this book relates different parts of the body to culture, history, and science...as you can imagine it covers A LOT of ground. for example, the author briefly mentions numerous scientific studies on the most random things (eg. earwax and toe movements), quotes calvin of calvin & hobbes, and references classical pieces of art, even those drawn on cave walls. sims is sometimes hard to follow as he jumps from one fact or insight to another, but the subject matter (i like random facts), sarcasm and humor got me through the book.

[Miles · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not my favorite piece of non-fiction literature, but an interesting read nontheless. It's a good mix of anthropology, natural history, evolutionary biology, anatomy, and my personal favorite, etymology.
One of my pet peeves with non-fiction works is organization, or the lack thereof. Not an issue with Adam's Naval. Granted, it's not a very complex topic, but the simple, easy-to-read structure (at least for a anal, semi-neurotic reader) was refreshing.

[Katey · Rating 4 out of 5]

Although judging by the ridiculous length of time it took me to read this, I eat up books like this. Tons of useless knowledge and trivia, extensively and generously referenced. I added about a dozen and a half books to my "to read" list because of this one.

The author does make some editorial asides, which for the most part aren't off putting, though you can tell he votes Democrat.

[Austin Larson · Rating 3 out of 5]

A broad, rambling series of riffs on the cultural interpretations of the human body. References as varied as greek mythology, Shakespeare (frequently), Calvin and Hobbes and Playboy. His prose is erudite, but fluid and very readable; though the book suffers from a lack of a central argument or any driving force.

[Viktoriya · Rating 3 out of 5]

It was a cool book. Definitely more cultural than anything else. If you ever wanted to know who wrote what about any body part, Michael Sims will tell you that. One thing that I found very lacking is the pictures :( A lot of time is spent discussing one painting or the other, and it would really help if I had a picture of it right there, instead of constantly googling it :(

[Mary · Rating 2 out of 5]

The author states that he began writing this primarily to amuse himself while recuperating, and it certainly reads as though he is the main reader he's trying to entertain. I would have liked a bit more depth; ultimately, this book opens some tantalizing doors just a crack and moves on before the reader gets much more than a glimpse of what lies beyond.

[Trevor · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is a joy. Michael divides this book into the parts of the body and tells us terribly interesting stuff about each bit along the way. It is funny, shocking and sometimes a bit off putting. But always a delight.

[Jerome K · Rating 3 out of 5]

Cute. Michael Sims put together a delightful little book of all manner of trivia about the various parts of the human body. Though I wish it were less pastel, it's still a nice read. Totally un-serious. I'd recommend this for a light lazy Sunday afternoon reading.

[debbie · Rating 4 out of 5]

i learned sooo much reading this book...it is a history of the human body starting at the head and working down...it gave fascinating information and didn't get bogged down in scientific terminology...

[Amber the Human · Rating 4 out of 5]

I happened to check this out of the library and enjoyed it enough to give it as a gift to my science-minded father. Now I have it again and I've been meaning to read it ... but again, terrible about reading books I own (or am borrowing).

[Siskiyou-Suzy · Rating 1 out of 5]

Full of trivia, but I was looking for some more thoughtful information perhaps. I wanted more the cultural-cultural stuff, what the human form means to people. It's much more light-hearted and "fun fact"-ish than that.

[Vicki · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very, very interesting! I love non-fiction books like this that focus on a topic at length. I learned a lot. It is very upfront and not for the easily embarrassed.

[Michelle · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book is a very interesting look at all your body parts and what they are good for.

[Rebecca Ford · Rating 3 out of 5]

Fascinating read if your into anthropology.

[Kristi Brendle · Rating 2 out of 5]

Interesting & well-researched, but a bit overly technical and wordy.