Spare Parts: An Unexpected History of Transplants

An astonishing, inspiring (and occasionally gruesome) history of transplant surgery, rich in untold stories and unsung heroes

We think of transplant surgery as one of the medical wonders of the modern world, but it’s a lot older than you think. As ancient as the pyramids, its history is even more surprising. In Spare Parts, cultural historian Paul Craddock takes us on a fascinating journey, from Indian surgeons regrafting lost noses in the sixth century BC, to seventeenth century blood transfusions between humans and dogs, to the French seamstress whose needlework paved the way for kidney transplants in the early 1900s.

Expertly weaving together philosophy, science and cultural history, Spare Parts explores how transplant surgery has constantly tested the boundaries between human, animal and machine. It shows us that the history – and future – of transplant surgery is tied up with questions not only about who we are, but also what we are, and what we might become.