Bill Bryson is a best-selling American author of humorous books on travel, the English language and on scientific subjects.

In his latest book, The Body: A Guide for Occupants, Bryson successfully attempts to walk us through all the major parts of our physical self, how they work and dont, and what we can do or cant to improve on the life we are blessed with.

The book is a great read. You will be informed and entertained, and who knows it may even help you live a longer healthier life.

Some of Brysons pearls of wisdom would fit well in a trivial pursuit game.

For example, did you know that humans share 99.9% of our DNA, and yet no two of us are alike? We shed our skin at a rate of about 25,000 flakes a minute, which leads to a monthly replacement of our outer skin cells and a lot of house dust.

Something to remember every winter season, Bryson says the least effective way to spread germs is kissing. The only really reliable way to transfer cold germs is physically by touch.

As most know with the increasing use of antibiotics over the years our bacteria are becoming more and more resistant, yet as the problem has grown, the pharmaceutical industry has retreated from trying to create new antibiotics. Its just too expensive for them.

Drug companies require profit to be sustainable and there is more money to be made on drugs that people need over a lifetime such as statins or antidepressants.

For any of you who have watched the movie Lucy, you will know the plot is based on the premise we only use 10% of our brain. An entertaining movie, but not true, says Bryson. Apparently, we use all of our brain.

We may not use it well, but we do employ all of it in one way or another. A teenagers brain is only about 80% complete and therefore displays more impulsive, less reflective behavior than their elders and will also be more susceptible to the effects of alcohol.

A note to parents, the leading cause of deaths among teenagers is accidents, usually in the company of other teenagers.

Our tongue has about 10,000 taste buds, which are replaced every 10 days.

Like the taste of MSG? Bryson says MSG has never been found to have deleterious effects on anybody when eaten in normal quantities.

You can live without a tongue, but not without a liver. When compared with our other glands its huge at 3.3 pounds and roughly the same size as your brain. Shut down your liver and youll be dead in a few hours.

Unlike most parts of your body, you can lose two-thirds of a liver and it will grow back in a few weeks.

Why do we have two kidneys and not two livers, two hearts, or two brains? No one knows. What most of us who are getting older know however that our kidneys lose their effectiveness. Our bladder isnt much help either as we age, which explains why some of us spend so much time scouting for restrooms.

Aging is also highly correlated with back pain. A majority of adults will have taken at least a week off work at some time due to back pain.

Motion is lotion and weight isnt great. Keep moving and lose the extra pounds to give your back the best chance of growing old painlessly. Regular walks will also reduce the risk of heart attack or stroke by 31%. Being active for an hour or more a day can improve life expectancy by over four years.

As well as strengthening bones, exercise boosts your immune system, nurtures hormones, lessens the risks of getting diabetes and a number of cancers, improves mood, and even staves off senility.

Besides exercise, we know its important to watch what and how much we eat. Bryson offers a helpful tip: when shopping, stick to the outside aisles in supermarkets. Avoid the interior aisles as they contain mostly processed food.

Did you know the average time from mouth to out for a man is 55 hours and for a woman is 72?

Bryson also outlines the physiology of the human pelvis which had to undergo a number of changes to make upright walking feasible. He notes these physiological changes are what makes childbirth so difficult. The average womans birth canal is about an inch narrower than the width of the average newborns head, making it the most painful inch in nature.

The final message from Bryson is even if you enjoy a healthy life, aging will catch up to us all. Having a good and loving relationship will alter ones DNA and half your chance of dying from any cause.

I hope a few of Brysons insights will help you live better and longer.

Norm Letnick is the MLA for Kelowna-Lake Country and health critic for the BC Liberals.

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Book review: Facts you never knew about yourself - The Daily Courier