Reviews (6)

Incredibly boring!
This entire series of "Incredibly Easy" books should be called "Incredibly Boring"! I've found all of them to be useless in keeping my attention or in helping me to remember. There is nothing memorable about anything in these books.

Very helpful book!!!!
This book helped me get through Pathophysiology. When you are learning about Fluids and Electrolytes, it really breaks it down into an easier to understand format. The quizzes and questions at the end of the book are also helpful. They do not only give you the correct answer but also tell you why it is correct. I would reccommend it to any nursing student, even if your program does not require Patho!

Must have for nursing students!
This book is a must have for nursing students! Makes fluid and electrolytes easy to understand.

Great For Nursing Students!
I read this book over my summer break from nursing school and found it very helpful. It is easy to follow and you will be amazed at how interesting fluids and electrolytes can be! It made everything "click"

Excellent book
I am an Advanced Cardiac Life Support (ACLS), Pediatric Advanced Life Support (PALS), and ACLS Experienced Provider (ACLS-EP) Instructor and use this book in my classes. It is a great book to teach electrolytes, and is very clear. I am also an Excelsior student, and this book was essential for Nursing Concepts 2 test. I HIGHLY RECOMMEND purchasing this book if you plan on taking NC2 or ACLS-EP. If you are ever confused about why you have electrolytes infusing, this book is clear and to the point. ... Read more

Book Description

"Operative Strategy" is the advance plan that the surgeon develops to anticipate and avoid technical pitfalls and potential danger points of an operation. The goal is to make each surgical procedure safe and without complications. Completely revised and now under the editorship of Carol E.H. Scott-Conner, Chassin's Operative Strategies in General Surgery: An Expositive Atlas, Third Edition provides a clear exposition of all basic procedures including surgery of the digestive tract, breast, abdominal wall, selected head and neck, and endocrine system. Surgery is currently in a state of transition, and many procedures are being performed by minimally-invasive means. While some might argue that "old" operations should be discarded, no operations have been deleted from the text, thus providing the reader with a repository of rare techniques in addition to cutting-edge, minimally invasive approaches. In addition, nineteen new chapters have been added, including discussions of: -laparoscopic basics -laparoscopic nissen fundoplication -laparoscopic esophagomyotomy -laparoscopic plication of perforated ulcer -laparoscopic appendectomy -mesh repair of inguinal hernia -laparoscopic repair of inguinal hernia

Over 1000 elegant illustrations by Caspar Henselmann accompany this text, an indispensable reference for all surgical residents and practicing surgeons. ... Read more

Reviews (2)

Chassin's Operative Strategy in Genral Surgery- A Must Read
I know that Zollinger's and Sabiston are the standard reccommended readings. If you have the money to go ahead and get them, but if you are on a budget like most residents the one book you can't pass up is Chassin's. It is clear, current, offers basic tips and explains common pitfalls. The diagrams and pictures are fabulous. You will definately be prepared for any OR case if you review this book the night before.

For surgical trainees
Good books on operative surgery are difficult to find. This book offers a much clearer understanding of operative general surgery. The detailed text is aided with helpful illustrations. It describes many of the pitfalls that surgeons encounter in day to day practice. The price may be off-putting but to the serious surgical trainee, they will see this book as an invaluable investment. ... Read more

Book Description

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

Arguably the most significant scientific discoveru 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.

Reviews (142)

Irresistible Reading to Understand What Your Genes Mean
The field of genetics is doubling knowledge every few weeks. So Matt
Ridley had set himself an impossible task in writing one of the last
books before the completion of the Human Genome project. Yet, he has
created a book of unique value to all of us as the full impact of
genetic knowledge begins to take over our world.

Forget 99 percent
of what you have ever heard about genes. The school wasted your time
with obsolete knowledge that wasn't in the ball park, in most
cases.

What Ridley has done is given us a roadmap of the kind of
territory and effects that occur within our genes, and among our
minds, bodies, and genes. The interrelationships are extremely
complex and diverse. Beware any simple judgments about what genetics
mean, as a result.

What was most impressive to me was the remarkable
potential to use genetic information to shed light on all kinds of
issues. For example, the genetic record can give insights into the
development of species, past expansion of nomadic peoples, language,
personality, stress, memory, sex, instinct and the effect of the
environment.

To give us each a full panoply of ideas about
genetics, he adopted the interesting structure of having one chapter
about each chromosome. The chapter is not exhaustive, but picks on
one or a few aspects of what is known or is in the process of becoming
known.

Fear not! I never took biology, and know little biological
jargon. Yet the book portrayed the ideas and information simply and
clearly enough that I don't think I got lost anywhere.

The only part
of the book that I did not like was a completely unsatisfactory
discussion of what free will is in the last chapter. Skip that and
you'll enjoy the book a lot more.

How accurate is the book? In five
chapters, I had read source books or articles referred to by Ridley,
and each was well chosen for what he was trying to do and scrupulously
described. Of course, we are still up against the fact that we know
very little on this whole subject.

This is the most stimulating
science book that I have read in a long time. I even liked in better
than The Selfish Gene, which I thought was a terrific book (which is
also referred to and discussed in this book).

I found that the
book stimulated a lot of new thinking on my part. Fifteen minutes
with the book led to four hours of conjecture on several occasions. I
liked that feature of the book.

Have a great time reading this book
and thinking about its implications for your own life!

Clear, clever writing. Very sensible approach.
A review from the author of DREAMING YOUR REAL SELF: A PERSONAL APPROACH TO DREAM INTERPRETATION; and DREAM BACK YOUR LIFE: Transforming Dream Messages into Life Action--A PRACTICAL GUIDE TO DREAMS, DAYDREAMS, AND FANTASIES.

When Carl Sagan passed away, I wished other scientists would step in to bring science to the public in an engaging, readable way and with Sagan's enthusiasm and hope. Matt Ridley's GENOME is a great read, taking an optimistic view of genetic research and its benefits to us all. While we worry about cloning and interfering with DNA, Ridley tells us what such research can mean to help us lead healthier lives while working within the limitations of the genes we have. I especially enjoyed his explanation that we have choices and are not determined solely by our genes. By knowing whatever genetic shortcomings we have, we are able to alter our diets, exercise, and education to compensate for them. I've read Ridley's other books as well-THE RED QUEEN and THE ORIGINS OF VIRTUE-and was intrigued by these evolutionary concepts and what they mean in our everyday lives. This is LIFE science indeed! Thank you.

fun to read
this was a great book to read because it is a compilation of vignettes. it's easy to read one or two in a sitting and then let it rest for a day, a week or a month. i wouldn't say that this book was a favorite of mine, but i'm glad i read it.

Very educational
I'm currently a 9th grade student and find the DNA, RNA, etc. reviews extremely fascinating. I picked up this book and found it a wonderful read. You should try it if you would like to learn many news things in the molecular biology world.

Good, but has some non-fact facts. Flawed.
I got this thinking I'd get a nice airplane read out of it, maybe learn something. I've got a bioscience background.

It's quite varied. I wish he had left out his entire discussion of human history for instance. The stuff about meat, metabolism and the brain in evolution, for instance, is rather ridiculous really, because there are so many millions of people who live their entire lives without meat. The factual arguments he gave for it are simply not true.

Made me wonder what else he got wrong, and although parts are quite interesting, I found myself losing interest because I saw stuff that was misleading or untrue. ... Read more

Book Description

From the unique organization to the exceptional art, to the complete integration of the text with technology, Saladin has formed a teaching system that will both motivate and enable your students to understand and appreciate the wonders of anatomy and physiology. Saladin's third edition is the most market responsive text ever published for this course.

This distinctive text was developed to stand apart from all other anatomy and physiology texts with a unique approach, unparalleled art, and a writing style that has been acclaimed by both users and reviewers. Designed for a two-semester A&P college course, Saladin requires no prior knowledge of college chemistry or cell biology. ... Read more

Reviews (6)

I'll never sell this book back...
Dr. Saladin was my A&P professor at GC&SU. He is a very interesting teacher, and his book is a great resource. This book is coming with me to Physical Therapy school.

the best Anatomy book ever
This is the best book I ever seen for a Anatomy and Physiology class. This book have the best picktures and diagrams, well explained material and websitite to die for. I love this book. I would never sell it back. By the way, noone in my class sold it back ( even non-bio majors kept it).

Excellent text for Anatomy and Physiology Students
This was our assigned text for our college Anatomy and Physiology 1 and 2 classes. This book is quite descriptive and prepares any pre-med or pre-healthcare student for passing their A and P classes. I like how the muscles and nervous system are presented. Knowing the difference between the masseter and frontalis muslces is an example on how this book makes learning this subject easier. I also highly used the following which is on amazon:Anatomy and Physiology Study Guide: Key Review Questions and Answers with Explanations Volume 1 and Volume 2 by Patrick Leonardi
Also, Key Facts for Anatomy and Physiology by Patrick Leonardi was another helpful book that made test preparation much easier. These last 3 books made studying easier because it showed me the type of questions that were asked on my A and P college exams. My study group and I used these 4 books and we all got A's in our classes.

Great graphics
Great graphics but the contents are slightly inferior to established Anatomy and Physiology books. Refer to the Interactive CDs and other books. This alone won't ensure you to complete reference but somepart will definitely help.

Professor's perspective
Saladin is a pretty good anatomy and physiology text but it contains a number of errors in fact in some areas (e.g., renal), is not well balanced in some areas (e.g., cardiovascular and gastrointestinal) and the pictures are often incorrect (e.g., illustrating epithelial cells as a cube). As a physiologist it appears to me that the physiology is weaker than the anatomy. Many A&P texts contain the same errors, which suggests that these works are not entirely original. I've concluded that I need separate anatomy and physiology texts for my A&P course so that the students will have the benefit of true expertise in each subject area. ... Read more

Book Description

The splendor and beauty of a child’s growth and development in the womb--seen through unforgettable images made possible by revolutionary advances in visualization technology

What’s happening with the baby now?All expectant parents ask this question throughout the exhilirating months of pregnancy.Fuzzy sonograms and doctor’s explanations can provide basic information, but through Alexander Tsiaras’ remarkable achievements in medical imaging technology, parents can see, for the first time, the awe-inspiring process of a new life unfolding, in stunning, vivid detail.

The milestones of pregnancy which before could only be described can now be witnessed:the heart’s first beats; the appearance of color in the eye; the emergence of toes and teeth; the brain and nervous system directing development; the first movement of tiny legs and arms; the first indications of gender; the wondrous symbiosis of mother and child; the symphony of the body’s systems coming into being and working in concert. The book tracks the development of a baby from the moment of conception, through the explosively complex early stages of development and the amazing stages of growth as the baby is nurtured by the mother, ending with the joy of birth.

All this is made possible by revolutions in two sciences.As biologists have decoded the molecular basis of life, computer scientists have developed non-invasive, three-dimensional techniques for visualizing the body.Alexander Tsiaras has been a pioneer in merging these explorations and discoveries.He has created a virtual camera studio that enables him to view a human body or any part of it individually, scan it, enlarge it, rotate it, adjust its transparency so that we can view inside a living being, and light it from any angle.The result is an ability to illuminate the unseen elements that make us who we are, and the miraculous images in From Conception to Birth.
... Read more

Reviews (27)

Absolutely Stunning
I just wanted to write my own review and say how absolutely amazing this book really is. It's not so scientific that it bored me nor is it just pictures- it's the perfect mix of information and pictures.
It clearly states that most of the pictures are not actual photographs, but a mix of pictures and art. Some of the reviewers are so bothered by this. I don't think the author is trying to trick anyone into thinking that these are actual photographs. The author is simply trying to let the reader better visualize the amazing process that occurs in a mothers' womb. Since it's almost impossible to get actual pictures of a fetus, this is the closest that we can get. They are still amazing picures. I look through it everyday and it makes me appreciate even more the miracle of birth and life. This is a must have book for all expecting mothers. It can also make a perfect gift for a mother-to-be.

Simply Amazing
After reading the article in Time Magazine, I purchased 'From Conception To Birth' for a friend of mine who'd just had a child. After flipping through the book, I bought a second copy for myself. It's truly an Awesome work. The pictures are mesmerizing. And, you don't have to have children to enjoy it. This is all of our story. How can anyone with two eyes and a heart not be moved by these incredible images.I really recommend it.

A beautiful coffee table book
If you are looking for a shower gift for an expectant couple, this would make a lovely gift. It's full of photos of the developing baby. It would also make a wonderful gift for a very excited set of grandparents! My husband and I had a copy of this book during my pregnancy and enjoyed it thoroughly. The writing is beautiful and the photos are amazing.

Thumbs Up from a veteren mom
I am reviewing from a "hands on" opinion. I have gone through this process four times and I am currently beginning the journey of bringing a 5th child into the world.

I think this book is beautiful. I first saw it on Oprah, where everyone was raving about it. I had to go to the book store and take a peek. The pictures are beautiful. The book is somewhat similar to A Child Is Born, but each book offers its own unique stand point.

Since my first encounter with this book, I have seen it in OB/GYN waiting rooms. I even saw a copy in our hospital waiting room. I have read various good reviews. (even from PHD doctors) Regardless of the rave from doctors and the media, I found it to be quite impressive on my own. Life is one of the most amazing things. To see it visually, is just a marvel. I am so happy to see such detailed books on this beautiful process. I can't believe all that stuff goes on inside of me!!!

It's worth a look!

Awe-inspiring book!
Pregnant couples will love this book, there are sections of the book that show exactly how big the baby is and what it looks like at different stages of development. I found myself referring to this book almost every day while I was pregnant. This is an excellent book to share with children. I also found the text fascinating. This book is not as in-depth as the book "A Child is Born", which is the classic "from-conception-to-birth" book. Though I prefer this book for it's format and because it is less graphic. I would recommend this book for anyone curious about the birth process and definately for anyone expecting a child. ... Read more

Reviews (24)

Excellent and Precise
I am a dental student and at my school the Descriptive Anatomy course is infamously difficult. This book has made it much easier to conceptualize human anatomy in 3-dimension as well as demonstrate how each part relates to one another, by region and layer-by-layer. The cadavers have been dissected with superb precision, which provides clarity as to how all of the anatomical structures relate. The photographs are of excellent quality with nonintrusive lines and numbers to easily identify each anatomical part. You get a realistic experience of human anatomy in its true physical form and spatial dimension. This is an excellent book for those who are visual learners as well as those who desire a deeper understanding of human anatomy.

Great Atlas
Rohen provides crystal clear pictures of the human body. This is a must have book to help you get through anatomy and for later reference throughout your medical career! It is particularly helpful for anatomy students because it illustrates precise dissections that can be reviewed on those days/nights when you don't want be in the pungent lab.

This book is AWESOME
I can not believe the quality of this books or the photos it is full of. I will start medical school next fall and wanted to start learning human anatomy and preparing myself for gross anatomy lab. This book is a great resource and exactly what I was looking for, plus it is used at my school for the MSI lab so I will use it during school.

Absolute Best Book for Anatomy
I'm a medical student at the University of Michigan and in my experience this is the best atlas for anatomy. Many of the pictures are taken and arranged just like a typical anatomy dissection, which is perfect for pre-labbing and for studying for practicals. The labels are numbered, which make it ideal for self-quizzing, and the pointers aren't extremely long, which makes it easy to see what is being pointed at. (This is a problem with Netter's which has extremely long lines that are hard to follow.) I do not usually use textbooks (I rely mostly on class notes and online resources), but this atlas has been invaluable.

Excellent Condition!
I received this book tonight and it looks just amazing!
It is in excellent condition and thus motivates me to open it and want to read it. I am sure I will enjoy it:)
Thanks for keeping it in such great condition! ... Read more

Book Description

Recognized as the most readable of doctoral and medical texts on the neuroscience and physiology of audiology, this text has been updated in an information-packed second edition.Presenting articles by experts on the frontlines of clinical care and research, the book covers the history of the science and medicine of hearing through expectations for tomorrow's pragmatic care. Sound and bone conduction, signal processing, auditory stimulus coding, cochlear blood circulation and auditory brain mapping are covered. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

One of Best Review Books
I got this Book during the AAO meeting in Denver. I started reading it and reviewing during my rounds and Case presentations. It has excellent and valuable information on Many topics in addition to physiology. I found it comprehensive, yet easy to read. Several of my Colleagues saw the book and are buying it. I now keep it as a main otology reference on my shelf. ... Read more

Book Description

Why women evolved to have orgasms--when most of their primate relatives don't--is a persistent mystery among evolutionary biologists. In pursuing this mystery, Elisabeth Lloyd arrives at another: How could anything as inadequate as the evolutionary explanations of the female orgasm have passed muster as science? A judicious and revealing look at all twenty evolutionary accounts of the trait of human female orgasm, Lloyd's book is at the same time a case study of how certain biases steer science astray.

Over the past fifteen years, the effect of sexist or male-centered approaches to science has been hotly debated. Drawing especially on data from nonhuman primates and human sexology over eighty years, Lloyd shows what damage such bias does in the study of female orgasm. She also exposes a second pernicious form of bias that permeates the literature on female orgasms: a bias toward adaptationism. Here Lloyd's critique comes alive, demonstrating how most of the evolutionary accounts either are in conflict with, or lack, certain types of evidence necessary to make their cases--how they simply assume that female orgasm must exist because it helped females in the past reproduce. As she weighs the evidence, Lloyd takes on nearly everyone who has written on the subject: evolutionists, animal behaviorists, and feminists alike. Her clearly and cogently written book is at once a convincing case study of bias in science and a sweeping summary and analysis of what is known about the evolution of the intriguing trait of female orgasm.

Reviews (2)

Interesting, but obtuse.
Lloyd's argument is persuasive as far as it goes -- she argues very convincingly that female orgasm is not adaptive towards the same purpose as male orgasm.She fails, however, to demonstrate conclusively that there are NO adaptational values for the big O, or that even if it did develop as an epiphenomenon, it persisted because it provided benefit -- at the very least, there's extensive psychological research behind the idea that "happy" people (and if you don't think sexual satisfaction contributes to overall happiness and ability to cope with stress, you need to get laid) tend to become more successful over time in various regards (collecting wealth, receiving social approval, etc) which can play into reproductive success.

She seems to willfully ignore the social bonding role of sexuality both in human societies with looser taboos than our own, and in our near-relatives, the bonobos.She bases part of her argument for orgasm-as-epiphenomenon on the fact that pure-vaginal orgasm (i.e. without clitoral stimulation) is rare, ignoring the fact that only in the most prudish societies does one find sexuality restricted entirely to vaginal intercourse, with no "foreplay" or non-reproductive "recreational" sexual behavior.(And again, observation of related primates suggests that recreational sex is far from aberrational.)

Worst of all, even though she plainly supports the basics of evolutionary theory, she seems utterly unaware that her attacks on adaptationists -- who DO overstate their case, and spin just-so stories, and SHOULD be criticized at times -- will inevitably be yanked out of context by obscurantists.

The book does a grave disservice to Lloyd's field of study.

Comprehensive and astute
Elisabeth's A. Lloyd's book is a comprehensive survey of the theories and conjectures that try to explain the evolutional basis for the female orgasm. It is extremely well argued, and convincely rips into the biases of those who have proposed various adaptational (versus exaptational) accounts. Lloyd shows how theorists have misconstrued and ignored research into human female orgasm and primate female orgasm when drawing their conclusions,and makes a convincing case that many theorists started out with an a-priori notion that human female orgasm has to be adaptive. This book is great documentation in one area on how biased scientists can be, how undisciplined their reasoning can be, and how much this invalidates their conclusions. And the upshot is,if scientists are biased on this subject, how many more areas of research are they biased about? ... Read more

Reviews (25)

rare and important research
This book distills the research of Weston A. Price, a dentist and independent nutrition researcher. In a decade of travel around the world, Price and his wife studied the health, dietary habits, and chemical composition of food of dozens of traditional peoples of various racial backgrounds. His research was done at a time when many such groups still lived free of the influence of Western civilization and what he called "foods of commerce," i.e. heavily refined and denatured foods.

One could question whether 60 plus year old research is relevant today, but I found his work powerful and persuasive for a very simple reason.

Health problems sent me on a quest to find the best dietary information, but I soon found myself mired in contradictory claims, opposing research and special interest groups, as well as outright deceit. First I would read about how one vitamin or mineral was good for this. Then I would read that the very same item was bad for that. You shouldn't combine X with Y, or needed to add tons of Z or W, except on Sundays when the moon was almost 3/4 full. I became very disillusioned with the incredible complexity of nutrition. As I read more and more deeply, I also became annoyed at all the disinformation and profiteering behind much of the so-called research.

I reached this bottom line: While we understand proteins, carbs, and fats reasonably well, and have a pretty good handle on most vitamins and about a dozen minerals, there is simply an immense amount we just don't know. We are researching minerals at about 5 per decade (around 50 to go - a hundred more years at our current rate). There are around 5000 enzymes in bee pollen alone, and few of them have been researched. There are an unknown number of phytochemicals and other things we have yet to discover that have been constituents of our food for perhaps millions of years. Science moves very slowly, and it could easily be several hundred or 1000 years before we get it all sorted out. And that doesn't take into consideration the power groups who insist on muddying the waters for profit's sake. Modern science is quite obviously incapable of giving us complete answers to our nutritional questions. It just plain doesn't have them to give, nor will it for a long, long time.

Then I found Price's work. Basically, he was the Tony Robbins of diet - he sought out the healthiest people on Earth and studied what they had done for hundreds and thousands of years to stay healthy. He looked at their Traditional diets as well as what happened when they adopted Western diets. The results are in this book, and it is well worth your taking the time to read. While others have followed his work, the changing nature of the world now make it impossible to duplicate his research today. His work stands as a pivotal piece in science and health as well as in history. This represents the cumulative knowledge of millions of people over thousands of years in a laboratory that includes the entire world. Definitely non-trivial.

There are also books by Ronald Schmid and Sally Fallon that introduce and give overviews of Price's work. I recommend them also. Today, when we must all become advocates for our own health, arming yourself with the best information is vital.

Required Reference Material on Health.
This is one of the most amazing books on health I have ever read! Complete with pictures and documentation of various native races and the deterioration of their teeth, face, and bone structure when they went from their "native" diets and switched to "white man's" food. That is, mainly "white" flour, and "white" sugar (as well as other processed food). From this book I learned that these foods alter bone structure in ways not imaginable! Not only ruining the health of natives but destroying their magnificent and perfect teeth, thinning their skulls (and I thought I was a hardhead) and destroying their heritable bone lines within one generation!

If one examines his teeth, one can see the influence of eating these foods. You can even see the devastation in family and friends. Obviously, "enriched" flour still doesn't cut it as WHOLE foods have the right PROPORTIONS of vitamins and minerals. I have since quit eating "health" sugars such as turbinado (it's not whole sugar) and have switched to Rapadura(TM), (it's whole sugar) and avoid white flour and nearly anything processed. This book really explains why we get cavities. We don't need to flouridate the water. There are many other things that Price mentions in his book of the devastation of modern diet too numerous to mention here but important.

Though this book was written in the 1930's it is remarkable how it seems to read like a modern day diet book, sometimes, as it mentions osteoporosis, heart disease and other supposedly "modern" ailments.

Best book I have ever read.
This is not just a book about nutrition, although even in that ambit it is the best of its kind ever published.

This is a book about mankind, human progress, the evil of capitalism, social harmony, the roots of crime, the foundation of happiness.

If what Weston Price had alarmingly brought to our attention in the 1930s about the foods we should not eat had been followed, the people in this world now would be healthy, happy and in harmony. Instead we have a society where 95% are overweight, 60% have vitamin/mineral deficiencies, almost every child need orthodontia, 80% do no daily exercise, etc,etc, etc.

Why has this happened? Capitalism. That creed based on providing us maximally seductive food based on sugar, additives, flour, trans fat, in huge quantities, aggressively marketed to ensure maximum profit to the corporation ( but in the process destroying our health). What a way for human society to run itself!

Best book i've ever read
Hard to believe this was written in the 1930's. The pictures in this book tell everything. Notice how the primitives have perfect teeth, but they never brushed or cleaned them. It's also interesting how the people that ate grains had more cavities than those that didn't eat them. The healthiest folks were the ones that consumed seafood. What suprised me the most is when the author explains how cavities repair themselves when you start eating nutritious food. And there's an x-ray picture there so you can see. This was done on a child, so i don't know if it'll work for adults. I noticed that one of my cavities improved after i started eating healthier (a white layer covered half of it). The author also did a lot of experiments with animals, and there are some weird pictures that show the results. An incredible book!

Required reading
If you have ever questioned why the doctors insist on some of what they insist you eat, read this book. You will be surprised at what you read. It will be the best "second opinion" you've ever heard -- as well as give you some questions to ask your doctor the next time you see him. Of course, as always, check with your doctor but ask him the hard questions. ... Read more

Book Description

Principles of Human Anatomy, 10e once again sets the standard for a rewarding and successful classroom experience for both instructors and students. The highly praised illustration program is enhanced with numerous newly drawn figures, micrographs, and photographs. All-new system overview inserts, which highlight the multitude of imaging techniques used to view and understand human structure, provide an even stronger visual impact. The succinctly written narrative is perfectly keyed to the many illustrations and continues to be supported by a host of carefully crafted pedagogical aids. Responding to feedback from students and instructors, the author has carefully reorganized the content to provide a better continuity of concepts throughout the text. ... Read more

Book Description

In this classic study, the world's leading expert on language and the mind lucidly explains everything you always wanted to know about languages: how it works, how children learn it, how it changes, how the brain computes it, and how it envolved.  With wit, erudition, and deft use it everyday examples of humor and wordplay, Steven Pinker weaves our vast knowledge of language into a compelling story: language is a human instinct, wired into our brains by evolution like web spinning in spiders or sonar bats.  The Language Instinct received the William James Book Prize from the American Psychological Association and the Public Interest Award from the Linguistics Society of America.

Reviews (78)

Despite Excellent Arguments, Some Readers Miss the Point
This is a superb introduction to generative linguistics (both phonology and syntax). Pinker has successfully simplified most of the complex methodological and notational issues to make these somewhat opaque fields more accessible to lay readers. As such, this is an ideal introductory text and a good reference for linguistic types who have had to forego the Ivory Tower but who want to keep their feet wet. What this text is not is an advanced, graduate-level text--and so don't expect that. If you've read any other book on generative theory (or better yet, minimalist theory), this book is backstepping. (Note that the negative reviewers of this title are also showing off how "advanced" they are--thereby missing the very point to this text!) On the other hand, if you're fascinated by language at all, no matter the reason, you owe it to yourself to try this text out. I have colleagues in non-linguistics fields of study (particularly literature) who don't understand why language isn't static, why the idea of "grammaticality" changes over time--or that Black Vernacular English and Sign Language are as well grammared as "standard" English. If you've been curious about any of these issues or more--buy and read "The Language Instinct."

Fascinating, but certainly not "light reading"
This book was instructive, well written, fascinating, and mostly comprehensible. I say "mostly" comprehensible because the detail required to discuss something as complex as language means that the reader is asked to remember and understand all those school terms from writing class that most of us quickly forget - case, nominative, accusative, prepositions, phonemes, indirect objects, participles, auxiliaries, articles, determiners, intransitives, and the like. Fortunately, Pinker is lucid and practical, providing a glossary (which is needed for repeated referral while slogging through some parts of the book) and plenty of down to earth examples to demonstrate his points. He makes a strong case for humans having a language instinct, and does so in a very engaging fashion. I found the book entertaining and full of fun, a genial approach for the thoughtful ruminations about the fascinating reality of language. I wasn't convinced by his arguments in chapter 11 on 'The Big Bang', but the rest of the book won me over. This book requires concentration to read and determination to finish, but is well worth the effort to do both.

I disagree with one reviewer (taking time for one)
The reader, for example from Glasgow Kentucky claims that Pinker's book is a populist account rather than the writing of a professional linguist? Yes, there is debate as to innateness in language, and yes there are professionals on both sides of the debate. To claim that Pinker isn't a professional linguist belies a rather superficial reading of the book, as well as the book's jacket, clearly denoting Pinker's professional qualifications on the knowledge.

As for the "contractions violating universal grammar" in BVE, may I suggest a rereading of the chapter...that's not what he claimed.

But, I do side with the reviewer that I've cited, that they should read Educating Eve, to get both sides of the story, but please be careful to get "both sides" correct...

Insightful and packed full of very interesting examples.
For a non-technical and non-orthodox introduction to the origins and characteristics of language this book is excellent. It could be read by anyone who is curious about linguistics as understood by an expert, but whose ideas on the subject are considered somewhat unconventional from the standpoint of modern research in linguistics. Indeed, the very title of this book may raise many an eyebrow from some entrenched schools of modern linguistics. The author though has written a highly interested book here, and after reading it one carries away a deep appreciation of the complexities of language.

Some of more interesting and surprising facts that are discussed in the book include: 1. There has never been a tribe or group discovered that does not use language, and there is no evidence that a particular geographical region has acted as source of language that is spread to groups that previously did not use language. These facts do lend credence to the author's thesis that language is instinctual. 2. The level of industrialization or technology of a society apparently is not correlated with the complexity of the language used by that society. Examples of this are given, such as the Bantu language in Tanzania, whose resemblance to English is compared to the difference between chess and checkers. In addition, the author dispels the myth that individuals in the "lower classes" of society do not speak as eloquently or with as much sophistication as the "middle classes". The Black English Vernacular or BEV is cited as an example, and the author quotes studies that indicate higher frequency of grammatical sentences in working-class speech than in middle-class speech. 3. As further evidence to support his thesis that language is instinctual, the author points to the universality of language and language development in children (the latter being his specialty). Interestingly, he states that children reinvent language not because they are "smart" but because "they can't help it." In more than one place in the book he expresses his belief that intelligence is not needed for the acquisition of language. If it indeed it is not, this gives an interesting twist to the current efforts in artificial intelligence to produce machines that are capable of ordinary language. A machine therefore may be designated as "intelligent" even though it does not have ordinary language capabilities. An immediate consequence of this is that one cannot take the absence of the language ability in machines as evidence that they are not intelligent, as is done many times in the literature that is critical of AI. 4. The discussion of 'pidgins' and the 'creole' that results when children make them their native tongue. The author cites the construction of these creoles as further evidence of his thesis, for children can take the simple pidgin word strings and without any coaching develop a highly sophisticated, very expressive language. Another example of a pidgin, also discussed by the author, is the independent development of sign language by deaf Nicaraguan children after the failure of teaching them speech reading. This eventually resulted in the Lenguaje de Signos Nicaraguense or LSN that is used to this day.

It remains to be seen whether the author's thesis will eventually be accepted by future linguists. Further research in neuroscience will no doubt shed light on the real origins of language, and once understood natural language capabilities will no doubt be implemented very straightforwardly in the machines, whether or not it is advantageous or not to have machines with these capabilities.

The Bookselling Instinct
Begin with a title that asserts the conclusion.

Start the book by aligning the author with Chomsky in postulating an innate, universal grammar capacity. The language instinct is indeed already a done deal.

Be guided carefully through selected cases that either seem to confirm the existence of a language instinct or selected cases to discount arguments to the contary.

So do you think we have a language instinct? If so, you are ready for the next sell, the reasoning instinct. And the list of 40 or so other innate capabilities that we all may have.

And we might find the very genes that make this possible. These instincts and genes fortunately don't seem to enslave us (as being conditionable would). They make us free and creative beings. Sound like a great payoff, right?

See how how the mind creates language? By instinct. Not just any instinct, an instinct based on genes. It's all clear now, isn't it? Too deep? If not, you're ready for the actual conclusion: we all have the same mind. So, Pinker affirms, even if you can't understand a New Guinea tribesperson, you can feel comfortable as you listen to him/her that the universal grammar is at work.

We are free and we are all one. Now you don't have to go back to the ancient Greeks or earlier to get that warm message of unity.

Skinner and behaviorism get no creditin this book despite some promising steps by behaviorists with language, such as helping autistic children to speak. It seems hard to deny we have some great capacities and it seems hard to deny that we can be conditioned - being able to be conditioned seems one of our great capacities. Pinker says we are have the same mind, but in this book excludes behaviorist contribution, so I wonder what kind of sameness he has in "mind".

No one should accept this book as adequate. I expect from his credentials and his excellent writing that the author could do a lot better. A science needs to do a lot more than appeal to "instinct", "mind". "freedom" and "oneness". It certainly may seem good to acknowledge we are amazing beings: you may feel warm and cozy when you finish this book, but ask yourself how you can apply what was presented in this book. Move past feeling wonderful about the structure of language and consider how language functions - as B.F. Skinner did in "Verbal Behavior", a less accessible but more useful and scientific try at understanding what we are doing with language.

When we seem not to have many useful answers, it's dangerous to write as if it's all clear. Don't be lulled by Pinker. If you read this book, ask yourself honestly: "Do I understand now how the mind creates language? Can I even see whether the mind creates language?" But first be sure to thank your mother and father for helping you to say "Momma" and "Dada" meaningfully. ... Read more

Book Description

This guide is an excellent tool for use by itself or with any human anatomy and physiology text. The author's unique approach promotes and reinforces learning on many levels through a wide variety of visual and written exercises. In its review of the human body, from microscopic to macroscopic levels, the workbook covers the most important and useful aspects of human anatomy and physiology, and offers clinically oriented activities. "At the Clinic" questions help readers apply what they've learned to real-life clinical settings; "Incredible Journey" visualization exercises in each chapter summarize chapter content, allowing readers to apply what they've learned; the many written exercises include completion from a selection of key choices, matching terms or descriptions, labeling diagrams, true/false, and definition questions. Elimination questions require readers to discover the similarities or dissimilarities among a number of structures or objects; a clear design, along with Marieb's hallmark friendly writing style, make learning more enjoyable; and more than 100 coloring exercises reinforce concepts through active learning. Designed to engage the introductory allied health reader. ... Read more

Reviews (5)

Very good study guide.
I found this book to be a good study guide in the following ways:
It helped me to learn hard topics of anatomy and physiology in an easier way. The visual learning aids stayed in my head more. This is a much easier way of learning A and P then listening to long and dry college lectures. I also used the following study guides which are also on amazon:
Anatomy and Physiology Study Guide: Key Review Questions and Answers by Patrick Leonardi
These study guides had the type of questions I encountered on my college A and P test. I advise getting these books.

Newer version
This book is good but there is a newer version already out which is better. If you have the Lab manual that goes with the text, this doesn't really offer anything new to you and your money would be better spent on the resource book.

Great learning aid
This book is wonderful for visual learners. I am a visual learner and it helped me remember very important facts for my college anatomy and physiology class. ...

GREAT
THIS BOOK WAS GREAT IT SHOWED THE YOUNG CHILDREN ABOUT THE BODY AND THE OLDER ONES! ITS GREAT FOR ALL AGES...I RECOMMEND IT DEFINITLY!!!

This book was great, easy to follow, full of information.
As a mother of three changing careers in mid stream, it was hard to find focus sometimes. I found this book easy to follow, a great study guide. Also it has been a great reference book in the years since I have been licensed to practice massage. ... Read more

Reviews (10)

good review if you have a good foundation
This is a good book for people who need to review for the boards and have a good foundation of neuroanatomy. If you don't have solid footing the lack of explanations might confuse you. On the other hand it is quite concise so it is easy to get through.

Ideal for USMLE review
This is the book for Step 1 USMLE review. It covers all the essential details of this heavily tested subject. Must be coupled with an atlas since recognizing gross pictures and as well as comfort with imaging is vital for the USMLE. For coursework, it is advisable to use a more substantial book. Neuroanatomy is a tough subject that cannot be crammed. It is essential to lay down a strong base during the semester.

Must have
This book has all the neuroanatomy and associated clinical scenarios that I was tested on for Step 1. The mini atlas of brain anatomy is a guaranteed question. The clinical info about brain/brainstem/spinal cord injuries is also covered very well in this book.

Concise review of neuroanatomy
This is a great little book! I used it in medical school, and now that I'm a neurology resident, I *still* use it. Has enough depth to be useful, but not overwhelming. Easy to read. Tends to cover the pimpable/testable highlights. Good summary tables.

Understanding the incomprehensible neuroanatomy
Yikes !!!! When they start talking about neuroanatomy you get a marked sympathetic reaction ( your skin gets cold and clammy, you start sweating and start feeling your heartbeats ). That, and " what the hell are they asking for and how is it that thing clinically important " matter, do have a solution.
High Yield neuroanatomy is written in a superbly comprehensive way ( a lot to ask for from a science such as neuroanatomy ) and with a lot of helpful illustrations that help to consolidate written concepts. Finally, loaded with certain clinical applications of the concepts reviewed, this book is good not only for the USMLE step1, but for the clinical wards as well. During rounds, my fellow students just kept saying " how did this guy know that answer ? ". ... Read more

Book Description

(Churchill Livingstone) Kinesis Incorporated, ME. Presents two main types of text: the main discursive text and additional 'boxed' text, with numerous illustrations referring to both. Main text describes the 'anatomy trains' concept and the relevant anatomy. The boxed text includes information on application of the concepts and relevant side issues. Softcover. ... Read more

Reviews (4)

Superb!
Probably the most brilliant piece of work in 500 years of anatomy studies. You will never think of the body in the same way ever again. HIGHLY recommended!

A RNs review from a patient/practioner's prospective
Wow! I thought I'd ordered the wrong book for my needs, which are 1.more knowledge of the process of myofascial release and 2. more understanding of places/points of anatomy. It has been a long while since I've been in school and a long time since I worked at a top teaching hospital in the Bay area in California.

I read a few paragraphs, taking care not to damage the book, because I thought I'd probably return it. HOWEVER, after a few sentences I was immediately caught up in the beauty and clarity of this work. NEVER has physiology been made so interesting. Finally, I understand so many things that were just a jumble of memorized facts in preparation for exams. This book has rekindled my love of physiology and is even undoing my dislike of anatomy. Anatomy didn't make sense to me - it was boring - it was memorization. Now I am understanding why my body is so damaged from the stresses I subject it to, but better, I understand how I can undo some damage and prevent more.

I worked on a Sports Medicine unit where famous athletes came for surgery. So much surgery can be avoided with corrective measures for chronic stressors. The medical community needs to be aware of this important material.

So bravo for such a readable work. What depth of historial findings, beautiful graphics, excellent grammar and text. I feel as though I'm in school again, but this time it is for pleasure and for pain relief.

After a few pages I tried to find out more about the author and was surprised not to see a Ph.D. by his name, although I'm not sure a Ph.D. makes one any wiser.

I totally concur with the first review.

Don't buy this book if you are looking for a simple, trendy approach to bodywork. This is so much more.

The author replies
I am so grateful to Dr Kuperman for his kind words. All the copies we have have the illustration he mentions, so it must be just a singular printing snafu. I am grateful to be able to correct the spelling of oligodendrocytes for the 2nd printing which will be here shortly, but I would maintain that peizoelectricity is a property of most materials - it is how the crystal in your watch works - and that most endothelial linings are endodermally derived.

But everything else in his review is true, true, true! (though Ah do declayuh, I am blushing.) Thanks.

A work of true genius, and lots of sweat
I am a Board Certified MD Neurologist, with osteopathic training, a Yoga Practitioner of 25 years, and have been teaching Yoga in the Ashtanga and Iyengar styles for 10 of those years. I was familiar with Tom Myers' work for some time. Needless to say I was awaiting this book's release with an anticipation that was not disappointed.

Myers is that rare bird who can convey his insights in a way that is not only accessible but also enjoyable. As is often the case, the revelations in his book (and all of his previous articles) will, I predict, have a profound effect in the Medicine of the XXI century, and have come from "outside" the mainstream of the profession.

The style is agile and yet precise (I particularly enjoy his command of Latin) The book's design is ideal both for straight-through reading and for focusing on particular interests the reader (manual therapist, yoga instructor or practitioner, etc) may have. The illustrations are awesome (to use that tired adjective, for once, in its true etymological sense) although my edition lacked the one facing page 93 (Superficial Front Line) due no doubt to a printing snafu.

The basic idea, that tensegrity ()tension integrity) patterns and structures undergird function at a macroscopic level, while not new, is presented here with clarity, scientific and anatomical rigor, and esthetic sense. It is, above all a practical book, a veritable "Instruction Manual for the Human Body" whether our own or that of the fortunate human that is a reader's cliant.

The few errata (Myers should have specified that piezoelectricity is a property of some materials, having to do with their molecular conformation and disposition; specific glial cells are called "oligodendrocytes" not "oligodendrytes"; the mesoderm, rather that the endoderm, gives origin to endothelial cells in page 36) are minor, and do not detract at all from the overall quality of this work.

I imagine that Myers is already hard at work, perhaps taking this to the next level of visceral manipulation, all the way (who knows) to the manipulation of cytoskeletal and trans-cellular elements. There again, yogis and yoginis have been manipulating microtubules and integrins for millennia...

Make no mistake, there is nothing "New-Agey" or "woo-woo" about this book, though. It is as concrete, flesh, blood and sinew as they come. I could not recommend it more heartily. ... Read more

Amazon.com

Why do fools fall in love? Why does a man's annual salary, on average, increase $600 with eachinch of his height? When a crack dealer guns down a rival, how is he just like Alexander Hamilton, whoseface is on the ten-dollar bill? How do optical illusions function as windows on the human soul? Cheerful,cheeky, occasionally outrageous MIT psychologist Steven Pinker answers all of the above and more in hismarvelously fun, awesomely informative survey of modern brain science. Pinker argues that Darwin pluscanny computer programs are the key to understanding ourselves--but he also throws in apt references toStar Trek, Star Wars, The Far Side, history, literature, W. C. Fields, Mozart,Marilyn Monroe, surrealism, experimental psychology, and Moulay Ismail the Bloodthirsty and his 888children. If How the Mind Works were a rock show, tickets would be scalped for $100. This bookdeserved its spot as Number One on bestseller lists. It belongs on a short shelf alongside such classics asDarwin's Dangerous Idea: Evolution and theMeanings of Life, by Daniel C. Dennett, and The Moral Animal: Why We Are the Way We Are:The New Science of Evolutionary Psychology, by Robert Wright. Pinker's startling ideas pop outas dramatically as those hidden pictures in a Magic Eye 3D stereogram poster, which healso explains in brilliantly lucid prose. ... Read more

Reviews (139)

Steven Pinker's 'How the Mind Works' Précis
Steven Pinker begins his explanation of "How the Mind Works" arguing that the mind is best understood in terms of a computational model and that, in part, by reverse engineering the mind one can understand many aspects of cognition. He also examines why aspects of cognition, such as consciousness, knowledge, meaning, free will, self, morality, etc. still remain beyond the purview of cognitive science. Pinker identifies natural selection as the process which shaped the mind; subsequently, history, cognitive and social psychology, and human ecology are the most important factors which for him continue to shape the mind. The significance of the book lies, in part, in Pinker's differentiation of what reverse engineering can show from what is still beyond the tools of cognitive science. Pinker suggests that the reason biologically unnecessary aspects of human behavior such as language, art, wit, music, literature, etc. are so significant to people and remain problematic may be because scientists don't yet have the cognitive equipment to solve them and suggests that consciousness and free will, for example, may ultimately remain elusive aspects of the mind.

By arguing that "the mind is a system of organs of computation, designed by natural selection to solve the kinds of problems our ancestors faced in their foraging way of life, in particular, understanding and outmaneuvering objects, animals, plants, and other people," (21) Pinker rejects most other views of the mind that have held sway in the last century. By insisting on the complexity of the mind, Pinker claims that a) thinking is a kind of computation used to work with configurations of symbols, b) that the mind is organized into specialized modules or mental organs, c) that the basic logic of the modules is contained in our genetic program, and d) that natural selection shaped these operations to facilitate replication of genes into the next generation (21, 25). Pinker thus shows that the computational model of mind is highly significant because it has solved not only philosophical problems, but also started the computer revolution, posed important neuroscience questions, and provided psychology with a very valuable research agenda (77).

By examining mental processes which are reverse-engineerable, Pinker lays the groundwork for examining which cognitive processes aren't yet understandable. For example, chapter 4, "The Mind's Eye," describes how the mind's vision process turns retinal images into mental representations, how the mind moves "splashes of light to concepts of objects, and beyond them to a kind of interaction between seeing and thinking known as mental imagery" (214). By describing a specific modular process, Pinker shows how this modular process fits together like a puzzle, as well as with other parts of the mind. Taken together the chapters thus also show what processes, such as sentience and especially consciousness, are still not readily explained.

Pinker asks not only how scientists might understand "the psychology of the arts, humor, religion, and philosophy within the theme of this book, that the mind is a naturally selected neural computer" but also why they are so resistantly inscrutable (521). He suggests that the arts "engage not only the psychology of aesthetics but the psychology of status," thus making the arts more readily understood by economics and social psychology (521).

According to Pinker, consciousness, too, resists understanding. He asks: "How could an event of neural information-processing cause the feel of a toothache or the taste of lemon or the color purple?" (558) thus highlighting the important 'Gordian-knot' question of causality in consciousness. In suggesting that such questions are difficult because Homo Sapiens' minds don't have the cognitive equipment to solve them, "because our minds are organs, not pipelines to truth" (561), he emphasizes the significance of natural selection in shaping the mind to solve matters of life and death for our ancestors (356) and leaves open the possibility of explaining consciousness at a later date. Pinker's book is significant, therefore, because it explains both how many aspects of the mind work, as well as what we don't yet know about how the mind works. In his conclusion, Pinker offers only tentative answers about why scientists don't understand consciousness, for example, and leaves open the possibility that we may never understand it.

brilliant
with simple, familiar language MIT professor Pinker delves into how the mind evolved and how it works. Of special interest to me were the parallells he drew between computer code (logic) and brain tasks. Easy to read (considering the material) and right on as far as factual material goes, 5 stars for me. He could have cut the book down to ~500 pages or so (i struggled through most of the chapter on perception and finally just skipped on) but overall a great book.

In and Out of his element
Steven Pinker certainly knows his stuff when it comes to how our brain works. If you have the endurance and are a scientist already, you may get through this incredibly monotonous book. He is able to comprehend the mechanics of how the human mind works, but flops when it comes to drawing any meaningful implications. His views about religion and philosophy are stale and hackneyed. While his discussions about the biology of the brain and its varied mechanisms are within his expertise, his discussions of religion and philosophy are shallow and un-thoughtful-bordering upon arrogance. I would still recommend the book; it is better than counting sheep!

Three pounds of hamburger
Great book about how the Brain works but should be titled, "How the Brain Works". Without the Soul, there is no mind. The Soul IS the mind operating within the brain. Three pounds of hamburger with ten trillion neurons flashing is still not MIND!.

Families not Species?
I enjoy Mr Pinker's books - this is not the first one I have read.A nd yet I find myself balking at some of it. Indeed I have a personal characteristic, not unique of course, that separates me from a lot of what is said here. A physical characteristic, not an emotional one. Consequently I keep finding myself challenging, defending, objecting .....

Previously I had read 'Why Sex is Fun?' by Jared Diamond and during this book I realised that the title is totally misleading. It suggests that sex was developed by a conscious entity who thought - 'How can I make this work? I know, I'll make it fun.' For me this is back to front. We are here - our species - because sex just happens to be fun. If it were unpleasant or a chore we probably wouldn't be here.

So here we are again looking at evolution and trying to justify human behaviour as somehow driven by genetic imperatives - as if the genes are trying to meet objectives. For me, this is crazy. The genes are the accidental vehicles that keep the species going, but they don't do it by design.

And midway through the chapter on families in Mr