The Life of the Skin Book

"Above all others, the skin is the organ of meeting. The skin meets the eyes, the skin of others, the environment. It gives identity and shape to the human form, lends us our appearance, hides our innards. The glands within the skin lend us our unique scent, and the skin reflects on its surface the feelings of the being within..."

This witty and elegantly-written book explores the fascinating, paradoxical life of the skin and how it affects us throughout our lives. It takes us into the world of two eminent dermatologists, husband and wife, who we first meet as they rejoice over the perfect skin of their newborn baby--and contemplate the central role it will play in her life and health.

Each chapter that follows contains a fascinating case history exploring one of the mysteries of the skin: its essential role in the immune system, its exquisite sensory sensitivity, the way in which it communicates everything from sexual signals to dysfunction deep in the body. Drs. Balin and Pratt are particularly alert to the psychological dimension of skin--how important it is to our identity, how it brings mind and body together. Their passion for their subject and their care for their patients are evident on every page.