Description

The gut has a fascinating—and surprisingly secret—history hidden within our own bodies. Unlike other quiet and subtle organs, the stomach is famously loud and expressive, constantly growling, rumbling, and gurgling. For centuries, humans have wondered about this unruly organ’s power over our minds, emotions, and sense of self, attempting to understand the curious link between digestion and identity.

In Rumbles, cultural historian Elsa Richardson embarks on an absorbing journey through the intriguing history of the gut, guiding readers from ancient Greece and medieval alchemy to Victorian England, eighteenth-century France, and into modern America. Richardson explores the many ways people have theorized, imagined, examined, and been captivated by the mysteries of our gastrointestinal system, introducing us to an eclectic cast: turn-of-the-century bodybuilders, suffragettes staging hunger strikes, medieval demons, mysterious alchemists, and even a teenage girl whose exceptionally vocal belly caused her great public embarrassment—all unified by their connection to this enigmatic organ.

Eye-opening, insightful, and richly entertaining, Rumbles carefully examines cultural texts, etiquette manuals, religious writings, political pamphlets, and satirical artworks as it seeks to finally answer the age-old question humans have always asked themselves: Are we truly ruled by our stomachs?