Transplant surgery may seem to be a medical wonder of the modern world, but the practice is as ancient as the pyramids. Paul Craddock takes us from 16th century skin grafting to contemporary stem cell transplants, uncovering stories of an architect in the 1660s who pioneered blood transfusions, 18th century dentists buying live teeth from poor children, and the surprising role that sausage skin played in kidney transplants. Weaving philosophy, science, and cultural history, Craddock explores how transplant surgery has always tested the boundaries between human, animal, and machine, right up to the present day.

"A thrilling and often terrifying ride through transplantation and the theories and techniques that made it possible."—NYTBR