The Painful Truth

'An enthralling read' - Dr Rachel Clarke, bestselling author of Dear Life
A Royal Society Science Prize shortlisted author
'A remarkable book' - Sunday Times
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What is phantom limb pain? Can words actually hurt? Why do we experience pain, even after we've healed?

We know pain when we feel it. We fear it and try to avoid it. But do we know what it really is? We're currently experiencing a Renaissance in pain science. In recent years our understanding of pain has altered so radically it's fair to say that everything we thought we knew about pain is wrong. As Dr Monty Lyman reveals, we misunderstand pain - with harmful consequences.

Exploring cutting-edge research that encompasses everything from phantom aches to persistent pain, as well as interviews with survivors of torture and those who have never felt pain, Dr Lyman not only provides hope for reducing and managing pain but takes us to a deeper understanding of what it means to be human.

This is the untold story of pain - our most elusive feeling.

'Accessible and well-written... Dr Lyman takes us into the world of pain' Mail on Sunday
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Praise for Monty Lyman and The Remarkable Life of the Skin

- 'Seriously entertaining' The Times

- 'A talented new writer' Sunday Times

- 'Beautifully written, revealing and surprising' Daily Mail

- 'Imaginatively told' The Spectator

- 'An absorbing, fact-packed study' Nature

- 'What a read it is' Vogue

- 'Fascinating' Daily Express