Dr. Jonathan Reisman's wanderlust began just after college. Tired of classrooms and lecture halls, Reisman wanted to learn more about the natural world and how different cultures relate to and are shaped by their natural environment. What do the vast ecosystems on this planet tell us about the inner workings of the human body? Can clues to how we function be found in the branching waterways across the land?
Jonathan Reisman in Nepal working at a high altitude health clinic. Photo courtesy of Jonathan Reisman.
Reisman has traveled and practiced medicine amongst some of the world’s most remote places and communities — from the Nepali Himalayas to the Russian Arctic, and the South Dakota Sioux to the Yupik Eskimo of western Alaska — observing how harsh and remote environments illustrate the human body’s adaptability and functions.
Jonathan Bastian talks with Reisman about his book “The Unseen Body” and his personal odyssey through the human form. Reisman weaves together his medical knowledge with his personal fascination with certain organs and body fluids, from blood and urine to the liver and the brain. Reisman also details how his curiosity and passion connects him to his own Jewish heritage and kosher practices. 
Book cover “The Unseen Body; A Doctor's Journey through the Hidden Wonders of the Human Anatomy." Jonathan Reisman at the testicle cooking championship in Serbia, from “The Unseen Body; A Doctor's Journey through the Hidden Wonders of the Human Anatomy.” Photo courtesy of Jonathan Reisman.