Anatomy Books - Page 6

Synaptic Self: How Our Brains Become Who We Are

Joseph LeDoux

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 26 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

Excellent resource 5 out of 5 stars.
3 of 3 people found this review helpful.

If you want to learn how the synapses in the brain work, this is an excellent book to read. I particularly liked the in-depth exploration the author did of memory and how it works in the brain.

The language is approachable, but the reader does need to take time in reading the text in order to really get the concepts. I personally think that's good, because it really helps you absorb the concepts.

Highly recommend to anyone with an interest in how the brain works.

Editorial Review:

In 1996 Joseph LeDoux's The Emotional Brain presented a revelatory examination of the biological bases of our emotions and memories. Now, the world-renowned expert on the brain has produced with a groundbreaking work that tells a more profound story: how the little spaces between the neurons-the brain's synapses--are the channels through which we think, act, imagine, feel, and remember. Synapses encode the essence of personality, enabling each of us to function as a distinctive, integrated individual from moment to moment. Exploring the functioning of memory, the synaptic basis of mental illness and drug addiction, and the mechanism of self-awareness, Synaptic Self is a provocative and mind-expanding work that is destined to become a classic.

High-Yield Neuroanatomy (Board Review Series)

James D. Fix

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 16 Average rating: 5.0 of 5

Get it for Step I 'cause First Aid doesn't cut it 5 out of 5 stars.
17 of 17 people found this review helpful.

First Aid is money for most subjects, but it's weak on neuro. This book is a very good balance between too little and too much for this overwhelming subject. The High Yield series keeps improving in quality, and in the newest edition is even better at showing clinical scenarios and integrating other subjects like pathology or physiology (I used an older version and it's still pretty good, though).

I would like to say this is great for course work, but at least at my school they tended to test on obscure minituae hard to find anywhere.

This is all you should need for Step, which does feature a decent dose of neuro (about 10, more like 20 questions). It's also very good at developing as essential foundation of knowledge applicable for future use, which sometimes gets lost when scrambling to cram for course exams.

My big qualm is the pricing. It's a thin book, not a main text. Use the library, borrow it from a friend, split the cost, etc. High Yield makes a nice line of books but they need to trim prices for medical students.

Editorial Review:

...covers all key areas in an outline format that is designed to reinforce critical information...discusses neuroanatomic structures, embryology, histology, neurotransmitters, and the hypothalamus

Why You Shouldn't Eat Your Boogers and Other Useless or Gross Information About Your Body: Information About Your Body

Francesca Gould

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Subjects -> Medicine -> Basic Science -> Anatomy

Editorial Review:

You: The Owner’s Manual meets The Book of Useless Information in this fun and quirky guide to little known facts about the human body.

This delightful book is full of random and, at times, scatological facts about the human anatomy. Broken down by the systems of the body, it answers questions you may be too embarrassed to ask or even think about, such as:

- Do bugs live in your eyelashes?
- What does human flesh taste like?
- Can you really catch a cold by standing in the rain?
- How do astronauts poo in space?
- What foods can cure a hangover?
- Why is yawning contagious?
- Is eating boogers bad for you?

This oddball yet erudite book is full of fascinating factoids that those of us in search of guilty pleasures (or gross thrills!) will delight in.

Anatomy of the Moving Body: A Basic Course in Bones, Muscles, and Joints

Jr. Theodore Dimon

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 5 Average rating: 5.0 of 5

Editorial Review:

Learning anatomy requires more than pictures and labels; it requires a way "into" the subject, a means of making sense of what is being shown. Anatomy of the Moving Body addresses that need with a simple yet complete study of the body's complex system of bones, muscles, and joints and how they function. Beautifully illustrated with more than 100 3D images, the book contains 31 lectures that guide readers through this challenging interior landscape. Each part of the body is explained in brief, manageable sections, with components described singly or in small groups. The author doesn’t just name the muscles and bones but explains the terminology in lay language. Topics include the etymology of anatomical terms; origins and attachments of muscles and their related actions; discussion of major functional systems such as the pelvis, ankle, shoulder girdle, and hand; major landmarks and human topography; and structures relating to breathing and vocalization. This second edition features all-new illustrations that use a 3D digital model of the human anatomical form. The book's thoroughness, visual interest, and clear style make it ideal for students and teachers of the Alexander and Feldenkrais techniques as well as for practitioners of yoga, Pilates, martial arts, and dance.

The Starchild Skull -- Genetic Enigma or Human-Alien Hybrid?

Lloyd Pye

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 10 Average rating: 5.0 of 5

as revolutionary as Darwin's "Origin of the Species" 5 out of 5 stars.
9 of 9 people found this review helpful.

It's a great book. Imagine yourself in Europe 1,000 years ago and you found photos of the Earth with the Moon in the background as taken from the space shuttle and you had the wisdom and open-mindedness to realize what they were. Now imagine trying to get anyone to accept what we all know now as the simple truth. Since those times certainly many things have changed, but a great many have stayed the same. This book chronicles Lloyd Pye's near decade of struggles to solve the mystery of this strange skull that he has become convinced is of an extraterrestial/human hybrid and the incredible difficulty he has had even getting simple tests done and trying to get out the truth without getting heckled and ridiculed. If nothing else, this story is a lesson in how the scientific community circles its wagons in the face of something that could contradict accepted dogma. But it's much more than that. I didn't think there was anything to this business prior to reading the book, but I must admit I am now, like Lloyd Pye, very anxious to find out all there is to know about this skull. This book shoud end to be continued... The final, and no doubt most important test involves the nuclear DNA and won't likely be done for several years. In case you're wondering why it will take so long, the technique for sequencing human DNA didn't work! The mitochondrial DNA showed the mother to be human; the nuclear DNA (includes the father's), however is not! A new process has been developed to read Neanderthal DNA (it's not specie specific) but it is only done at one lab and there is a waiting list. Read the book and I think you too will see why this could be one ot the greatest scientific discoveries ever.

Editorial Review:

The Starchild Skull chronicles eight-years of scientific testing of a highly unusual human-like skull. Collectively, that testing strongly indicates the skull is not entirely human. This is one of the most important stories in the world right now, literally history in the making.

Kluge: The Haphazard Construction of the Human Mind

Gary Marcus

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 68 Average rating: 4.0 of 5

Missing some relevant factors 3 out of 5 stars.
2 of 8 people found this review helpful.

It was with great interest that I received a review copy of "Kluge", because I myself am halfway through writing an Environmental Psychology book about modern human society.

I was dismayed to find that the author gives 13 pieces of advice at the end of book, of how human beings can avoid our instinctual reactions and be more rational, and then doesn't follow them. He doesn't "consider alternate hypotheses" (as I will elaborate) and he doesn't "distance himself".

Many EP authors, such as Rubin, describe how our instinctual propensity to belong to groups, leads in modern society to our predilection to pick ideological groups to support. We choose between Democrats, Republicans, Conservatives, Liberals, as well as Jocks, Goths, Cheerleaders, Stoners, and more in High School, and later Evangelicals, Atheists, Newagers and on and on.

Unfortunately, almost all academicians and scientists do the same. They accept the media conventional wisdom that "evolution" and "intelligent design" are opposing sports teams. Like Marcus, they immediately fall prey to the emotional responses (that ironically, he describes in detail in this book) that "science" and "evolution" are "us" - our tribe - and must be defended. It's interesting that only a philosopher like John Paul II has ventured that evolution and intelligent design are not intrinsically incompatible.

Mr. Marcus disproves his own overall premise - that the human mind is haphazard and thus not designed - partway through the book. In Chapter Six, he mentions video games, and how they have to be balanced somewhere between too easy and too difficult. But he fails to notice how this can be applied to his premise - because he doesn't follow his own advice to "consider alternate hypotheses" and "distance himself". Somehow, he is postulating a "designer" of the human mind who is stupider than a video game designer. This is what he is clearly saying with his premise that any imperfections in the human mind indicate that it is not designed. In reality, if all human minds were perfect, then human life would be like a video game that was so easy, it became boring. That would be "Stupid Design", not intelligent design.

I'm not trying to start yet another discussion of ID (there are already too many hundred thousand page discussions on that subject), but from the cover, subtitle and conclusion of the book, it seems to be the premise of the book to "debunk" it, and it clearly fails to do so.

Furthermore, as other reviewers have mentioned, the author's grasp of Evolutionary Psychology that is evidenced in this book, is somewhat lacking. I will echo that the author seems to largely ignore the effects of Sexual Selection, and I will second the recommendation of "Red Queen" as an excellent text on that subject.

Marcus strangely also largely ignores the effect of the fact that modern civilization has only existed for 10,000 years - far too recent for any genetic adaptations - and thus we are adapted for a situation far different from modern human society. Bizarrely, he does mention this factor in a footnote in Chapter Seven where he quotes Kurt Vonnegut, and dismisses it with the odd statement "mental disorders have been around as long as humans have". Uh, how can he possibly know that ? No writings exist from before civilization, so there is no way to know either way. From an EP viewpoint, the human mind is adapted to a tribal lifestyle, and it is certainly a reasonable, even probable premise that all of the problems that Marcus describes in his book are simply a result of human society changing far more quickly than humans can genetically adapt.

Having said all that, I do give Marcus points for his interest in this important subject matter, and in his relatively readable presentation of the ideas. Our media encourage the viewpoint that some people ("experts") are highly rational and competent. To the extent that this book helps to disabuse people of this unrealistic notion, it can be of value.

Editorial Review:

How the accidents of evolution created our quirky, imperfect minds---and what we can do about it.

Parts

Tedd Arnold

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 53 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

Hilarious! 5 out of 5 stars.
1 of 1 people found this review helpful.

You can always spot a Tedd Arnold book. His pictures have such a uniqueness to them and his words are simple and cute. He really makes you think. When I read this book to my boys they laugh and then wonder themselves why they have lint in their belly buttons or gray things falling out of their noses.
Wonderfully drawn and filled with exceptional humor. It's almost as though a child wrote it, it's so believable!

from a Mom of 5 boys 5 out of 5 stars.
0 of 0 people found this review helpful.

This book could not be more perfect for little boys (heck, my middle and high school sons loved it, too)! They think it's absolutely hilarious! Warning: be prepared to read it over and over and over and...

The human body is gross... 4 out of 5 stars.
0 of 0 people found this review helpful.

Told from the perspective of a terrified five-year-old, Parts is the story of a boy discovering the wonders (and grossness) of the human body. When he notices his hair is falling out, fuzz is popping out of his belly button, and he's losing skin, he begins to panic, thinking the glue that holds his body together is failing and he's falling apart.

He imagines scenarios where his body finally fails altogether and he uses his father's masking tape to hold himself together. Probably the most amusing part of the book is the boy's parents looking on helplessly as he asks why they didn't tell him about these things. His mother is cradling a "Parenting for Beginners" book under her arm, reminding us that parents truly learn as we go and don't always have all the answers.

The illustrations are colorful and fun, with characters with exaggerated features. They're very fitting, since to the young boy, everything is exaggerated. It's a cute introduction to the more disgusting topics of human anatomy, including boogers and ear wax. Of course, my two boys love it and want to make it part of our permanent collection. More squeamish kids will probably enjoy the "gross out" factor.

Editorial Review:

The young narrator has discovered a disturbing trend--there is fuzz in his belly button, his toes are peeling, something just fell out of his nose--and after his tooth falls out, he decides comes to the awful realization that his parts are coming unglued."

Genome: The Autobiography of a Species in 23 Chapters (P.S.)

Matt Ridley

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 184 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

Editorial Review:

The genome's been mapped.
But what does it mean?

Arguably the most significant scientific discovery of the new century, the mapping of the twenty-three pairs of chromosomes that make up the human genome raises almost as many questions as it answers. Questions that will profoundly impact the way we think about disease, about longevity, and about free will. Questions that will affect the rest of your life.

Genome offers extraordinary insight into the ramifications of this incredible breakthrough. By picking one newly discovered gene from each pair of chromosomes and telling its story, Matt Ridley recounts the history of our species and its ancestors from the dawn of life to the brink of future medicine. From Huntington's disease to cancer, from the applications of gene therapy to the horrors of eugenics, Matt Ridley probes the scientific, philosophical, and moral issues arising as a result of the mapping of the genome. It will help you understand what this scientific milestone means for you, for your children, and for humankind.

Before the Dawn: Recovering the Lost History of Our Ancestors

Nicholas Wade

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 82 Average rating: 4.0 of 5

Engrossing 5 out of 5 stars.
1 of 1 people found this review helpful.

Wonderful a book of distinction. Relates well with Spenser Wells.
The whole National Geographics / genographic project has opened a new world of understanding.
A global revolution.
Dik in Henderson, nv

Ammo for conservatives 5 out of 5 stars.
1 of 1 people found this review helpful.

This is a comprehensive history (or strictly speaking prehistory) of humanity up until recent times, which is to say twenty thousand years ago. I enjoyed it and learned a lot from it.
Wade is a superb science writer. For example, on page 13 there is what he calls "a one -paragraph summary of human genetics" and he really does achieve this, quite clearly, in half a page.
Some of the biases and over-simplifications could provide ammunition for racists and male chauvinists. He is strongly in favor of evolutionary psychology, and fails to present any of the arguments against it. He also espouses Richard Klein's theory about the sudden emergence of language 50,000 years ago. Here he is "more royalist than the king." Richard Klein himself, in his books, such as "The Dawn of Human Culture," is careful to present the scientific evidence both for and against his theories.
I thought the discussion of Joseph Greenberg's theories about language was better because he gives the arguments on both sides.
He over-simplifies the complexity of linking a particular medical condition, particularly a psychiatric condition, to a particular stretch of DNA.
Perhaps for the sake of a good story, he takes seriously the fanciful genealogies linking people to figures like Genghis Kahn and Aaron. I suspect that even the original authors of these theories had their tongues in their cheeks.

Editorial Review:

Based on a groundbreaking synthesis of recent scientific findings, critically acclaimed New York Times science reporter Nicholas Wade tells a bold and provocative new story of the history of our ancient ancestors and the evolution of human nature.In wonderfully lively and lucid prose, Wade reveals the answers that researchers have ingeniously developed to so many puzzles. This will be the most talked about science book of the season.

Gut Feelings: The Intelligence of the Unconscious

Gerd Gigerenzer

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 21 Average rating: 4.0 of 5

Entertaining stories, no insight 2 out of 5 stars.
3 of 3 people found this review helpful.

The subtitle of this book is "The Intelligence of the Unconscious", and the material on the flyleaf begins, "How does intuition work?" The book never answers this question. In the first chapter, the author says that intuition works by using rules of thumb. He doesn't give evidence for this assertion, nor does he really explain how we develop these rules of thumb. I am left with the question "Where do the rules of thumb come from?" The rest of the book is devoted to specific rules of thumb that he recommends (although if he needs to recommend them it is not clear to me how they are related to intuition) and to topics peripherally related to intuition. Most of them have been done better by others.
Gerd Gigerentzer appears to be a highly respected researcher who has done important work in the field of intuition, and I hoped for a lay exposition of his "breakthrough research". Perhaps he just tried to dumb it down too much, but there is no meat here to cover the bones.
If you have never read anything about the psychology of decision-making and have never heard stock examples like the story of Linda the Bank Teller, you may enjoy this book. You may even learn a little, but not enough to merit your time or money.

Editorial Review:

Why is split second decision-making superior to deliberation? Gut Feelings delivers the science behind Malcolm Gladwell’s Blink

Reflection and reason are overrated, according to renowned psychologist Gerd Gigerenzer. Much better qualified to help us make decisions is the cognitive, emotional, and social repertoire we call intuition—a suite of gut feelings that have evolved over the millennia specifically for making decisions. “Gladwell drew heavily on Gigerenzer’s research. But Gigerenzer goes a step further by explaining just why our gut instincts are so often right. Intuition, it seems, is not some sort of mystical chemical reaction but a neurologically based behavior that evolved to ensure that we humans respond quickly when faced with a dilemma” (BusinessWeek).