For centuries humans puzzled over the link between the stomach and the workings of the mind. Yet the nature of the gut's supposed influence over cognition, mental wellbeing and the emotions still remains a subject of fierce debate. Are we really ruled by our stomachs? From the third-century philosopher who warned that the stomach was uniquely vulnerable to demonic possession to the invention of the modern working lunch, Elsa Richardson's vibrant cultural history investigates the ways we have imagined, theorised and probed the mysteries of the gastroenterological system through the centuries - and explores how the gut became so central to our own sense of self. Engaging, thought-provoking and thoroughly entertaining, this is a book that will change how you think - wherever those thoughts may come from.