Secrets of the Human Body - Tapa blanda

The first and most striking characteristic of Secrets of the Human Body is the abundance, diversity, and vividness of the illustrations. Indeed, of the 251 pages, only 89 of them are not illustrated with some photo, graph, or drawing. If a picture is in fact worth a thousand words, the book would potentially be hundreds of pages longer without them. The authors present a thoughtfully concise exploration of the wonders of the human body, dividing their text into the subsections "Secrets" (an introduction), "Grow," "Learn," "Survive," and "Future." The introductory section explores the complexity of the human body, including the number and variation of microbes it contains. "Grow" compares rates of growth for human and nonhuman species and examines brain development; "Learn" considers language, memory, movement, and association. "Survive" describes human anatomical and physiological adaptations to the environment, and "Future" proposes where we go from here. The tone of the writing is engaging and conversational--two of the authors are twin brothers--and will interest a wide range of readers; this is an enjoyable, accessible addition to any collection... Recommended. All readers.-- (06/01/2018)

The human body is a beautiful and mysterious thing. Twin-brother physicians Chris and Xand van Tulleken and BBC Science Unit head Cohen have produced a beautifully illustrated tour of the body to accompany the BBC program Secrets of the Human Body. This is not a traditional anatomy and physiology book. Using modern imaging techniques such as scanning electron microscopy, magnetic resonance imaging, and x-rays as well as color photographs, graphs, and charts, they examine the workings of the body in broad terms: grow (reproduction, aging), learn (the nervous system, education, psychology), survive (circulation, respiration, immunity), future (new research to improve life). The book is both informative and engaging. It is an excellent addition to public and consumer-health library collections.-- (12/01/2017)

This beautiful and imaginative work, published as a companion to a BBC documentary series of the same title, combines gorgeous photography and digital effects with scientific detail to give readers new and illuminating views of the human body... The book is a roller-coaster exploration of the body with stunning illustrations and extraordinary revelations throughout that should appeal to general readers.-- (05/07/2018)