Book Description

With this Third Edition, the authors and contributors set a new standard for textbooks in the field by tailoring the study of plant physiology to virtually every student—providing the basics for introductory courses without sacrificing the more challenging material sought by upper-division and graduate-level students.

Key pedagogical changes to the text will result in a shorter book. Material typically considered prerequisite for plant physiology courses, as well as advanced material from the Second Edition, will be removed and posted at an affiliated Web site, while many new or revised figures and photographs (now in full color), study questions, and a glossary of key terms will be added. Despite the streamlining of the text, the new edition incorporates all the important new developments in plant physiology, especially in cell, molecular, and developmental biology.

The Third Edition's interactive Web component is keyed to textbook chapters and referenced from the book. It includes WebTopics (elaborating on selected topics discussed in the text), WebEssays (discussions of cutting-edge research topics, written by those who did the work), additional study questions (by chapter), additional references, and suggestions for further reading. ... Read more

Reviews (4)

an excellent review on plant physiology for students
I teach plant physiology at the University of paris. I have bought the first edition of this boor five years ago and I have bought the new one about one month ago. It was a concise, clear and well up to date documented review. I appreciate particularly all the section on bioenergetic and transport in solutes in relation with morphology and development of the plant. I appreciate also very much the part on the influence of the light either for the classical phytochrome or to the appartition of the effect on the blue light. Scheme are simple, but precise and well descibed. This book was a very good intermediate between books of pure biochemistry or pure morphology.All information is integrated and well discussed. In the domain of the plant physiology I think really on my knowledge that this book was actually, in the domain of the plant physiology, one of the best review, and perhaps the better.

It is a useful tool for understanding plant physiology.
I teach plant physiology for biological sciences students in Bogotá, Colombia. I think this book is excelent. Also, it is written in a comprehensive English, and explains clearly the principles of plant physiology for everyboby including Spanish speakers. It is a very good way to motivate undergraduate students with the knowledge in plant physiology. I would liKe to congratulate the authors.

New Edition
The Second Edition of Plant Physiology builds on the strengths of the First Edition by integrating modern, state-of-the-art approaches to the study of plant function, particularly in the areas of gene regulation and molecular genetics, cell biology and signal transduction, and bioenergetics, into the framework of traditional plant physiology. The Second Edition also reflects the growing importance and prominence of biochemistry, cell biology and molecular biology in the field of plant physiology. Each chapter has been thoroughly revised to reflect new developments in the field. In addition, several new chapters have been added, including chapters on "Cell Walls," "Growth, Development and Differentiation," and "Blue Light Responses." A new chapter entitled "Gene Expression and Signal Transduction" provides a summary of current models for the control of gene expression and cell signaling pathways in prokaryotes and eukaryotes, parti! cularly those topics relevant to plants. As in the First Edition, expert contributing authors provide authoritative accounts that include important recent advances in their fields. These contributions are integrated into the unified style that made the First Edition a benchmark in the teaching of Plant Physiology. The Second Edition is extensively illustrated and will be published in two colors.

Excelent. Very clearly written. Good figures.
Nothing else to say. Is there a new edition? ... Read more

Book Description

This full-color manual is designed for students with minimal backgrounds in science who are pursuing careers in allied health fields. Designed to support the eighth edition of Hole's Essentials of Human A&P by Shier, Butler, and Lewis, this manual contains 47 laboratory exercises and reports, which are integrated closely to the textbook. Exercises are planned to illustrate and review the anatomical and physiological facts and principles presented in the text and to help students investigate some of these ideas in greater detail. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Good Introductory Text for General Education
Q> How do you get non-majors interested in biology?
A> Talk about something that's interesting and relevant to them.
This is why we decided to start a Human Health and Disease course for non-biology / non-health science majors. Our philosophy was to lay down the minimum foundation that enabled students to understand most diseases. The problem is finding a text book to support such a course. That's why I'm really grateful to have this text book. I reviewed a dozen others before this and was looking at having to develop my own.
However, it's not perfect. It could be more balanced. For example, why does a student at this level need to know the bones of the skull? I'd also like to have a lab book to go with it, preferrably one that taught some of the concepts in that setting to make lecture less intense for non-majors. Still, developing a lab text for to go with this product is a lot less than I was looking at before, so - Thanks! ... Read more

Reviews (2)

The people of Framingham have indeed made a difference
Americans everywhere owe a huge debt of gratitude to the citizens of Framingham, Massachusetts who for more than 50 years have voluntarily participated in the groundbreaking Framingham Heart Study.When the study was conceived back in 1948 very little was known about cardiovascular disease."A Change of Heart" examines the history of the Framingham Heart Study, its methodology and most importantly introduces the reader to some of those who were directly involved in the program both as administrators and as participants. It is a story worth telling.
Back in 1948, the average American ate red meat nearly every day.Medical science was not yet aware that high blood pressure was a dangerous contributor to heart attack and stroke. No one thought much about their cholesterol levels, and smoking was far more predominant in the adult populuation than it is today.Middle aged men were dropping like flies and no one understood why.The federal government decided that is was time to conduct a study to look for the root causes of heart disease.Framingham Mass. seemed to be the perfect place for the study and so the government dispatched a physician named Gilkin Meadors and nurse Nell McKeever to Framingham to set up a 20 year study.Meadors and McKeevor enlisted the efforts of a number of community leaders to sell the program to the townspeople. Soon more than 5000 residents had signed up.The requirements were quite simple really.Each participant agreed to submit to a rigorous physical examination every two years and to answer a detailed questionaire about their eating, smoking and exercise habits.Most folks understood that the chief beneficiaries of this study would not be themselves but future generations of Americans. Another unselfish gesture from "The Greatest Generation".
Well, the program has been extended a number of times and here we are more than 50 years later and the Framingham Heart Study has proven to be worth its weight in gold.Americans have taken to heart much of what has been learned so far.But as you will learn in "A Change of Heart" there is still considerable room for improvement and so much more to be discovered.Hats off to the people of Framingham for their commitment to this study and to authors Daniel Levy M.D. (the current director of the program)and Susan Brink for a most interesting and informative book.Recommended!

Gripping Tale about the Framingham Heart Study
A wonderfully told story about the trials and tribulations of the Famingham Heart Study, it's dedicated and unyielding supporters who helped to bring it to fruition, its heart felt gratitude to the people of Framingham for their enthusiastic involvement making this study possible, and of course its enormous contribution to the understanding and causes of cardiovascular disease which is now moving on to new dimensions and still yet unexplored areas of research. ... Read more

Book Description

Simple, easy-to-use presentation of core regional anatomy presented in 195 black and white line drawings arranged on 81 plates. Consistent layout includes medically correct terminology with clear, understandable definitions. Helpful do-it-yourself coloring format maximizes comprehension and retention. ... Read more

Book Description

A provocative look at how new research is highlighting the emerging powers of the aging mind

In The Wisdom Paradox, world-renowned neuropsychologist Elkhonon Goldberg argues that though some mental abilities (such as recent-memory recall) decline as the mind enters the "autumn season" of our life span, the brain becomes more powerful in its ability to recognize patterns. As a result, we are able to make decisions at more intuitive and effective levels-a late-emerging mental strength he terms "wisdom."

In lively, accessible prose, Goldberg delves into the mechanisms of the mind, outlining how the elegant structures of the brain develop and change over the course of a lifetime as they work increasingly in concert. Drawing on recent and historical examples of leaders and artists who achieved their greatest successes late in life-from Churchill to Reagan, from Goethe to Grandma Moses-Goldberg illustrates the effects of an emerging scientific understanding of the biology of wisdom. Drawing on the latest research in brain function, he takes to task outdated neurological concepts and argues that new neurons can be created throughout our lives, the left brain's specialization in pattern recognition accounts for its increased activity as we age, and the strengthening of neural pathways in later years accelerates decision-making processes. Most provocatively, he outlines how a "cognitive fitness" program can both curtail the negative mental effects of aging and enhance our decision-making powers. ... Read more

Reviews (7)

BRAIN PLASTICITY IN ACTION
This is a terrific book explaining how new knowledge of brain plasticity can be put to use to combat mental decline. It combines state-of-the-art knowledge about the brain delivered in a very clear and lucid manner with enjoyable cultural and historical digressions. I liked Goldberg's other book, The Executive Brain, but this one is even better. It is refreshing to see a serious scientist stepping out of the ivory tower and developing practical applications. The idea of cognitive fitness through cognitive exercise is fascinating and I can't wait to start!

Brain machanics!
This is a wordy, diatribe on brain mechanics.

The best that can be said is that Dr. Goldberg is considering establishing for profit cognitive enhancements centers along side retirement chains around the nation.

In chapter 15, Goldberg gives ancedotes about the aging who benefit from attending his cognitive center.He does not describe the contents of the computer programs they use.(trade secrets?)

This center offers, "personal cognitive fitness trainers and a broad, all inclusive cognitive cocktail." (whatever that may be?)All this and a 'bag of chips' are sure to be expensive.

My pattern recognition system has seen this sleaz before.It used to show up on television in the wee hours of the morning.The 'informercial' has now hit the scientific community and book publishing.

Opinionated , original, and independent
If you like the thinker's prose, the so-called "romantic science",a style attributed to the Russian neuroscientist A. R. Luria,which consists in publishing original researchin literary form, you would love this book. Clearly intellectual scientists are vanishing under the weight of the commoditization of the discipline. But once in a while someone emerges to reverse such setbacks.
Goldberg, who was the great Luria's student and collaborator, is even more colorful and fun to read than the master.He is egocentric, abrasive, opinionated, and colorful. He is also disdainful of the conventional beliefs in neurosciences --for instance he is suspicious of the assignment of specific functions, such as language, to anatomical regions. He is also skeptical of the journalistic "triune" brain. His theory is that the hemispheric specialization is principally along pattern matching and information processing lines:the left side stores patterns, while the right one processes novel tasks. It is convincing to see that children suffer more from a right brain injury, while adults have the opposite effect.
There is a little bit of open plugging of Goldberg's for-profit institute;he would have gotten better results by being subtle. A fre minor points. I did not understand why Goldberg discusses "modularity", of which he is critical, as if it were the same thing in bothneurobiology and in cognitive science. In neurobiology, modularity implies regional localization, while cognitive scientists (Marr, Fodor, etc.) make no such assumption: for them it is entirely functional and they would be in great agreement with Goldberg. Also I did not understand why he attributes the language instinct to Pinker, not Chomsky, and why he makes snide remarks about behavioral scientists like Kahneman and Tversky. But these are very minor details that do not weaken the message (I still gave the book 5 stars). I am now spoiled; I need more essays by opinionated, original,and intellectual, contemporary scientists.

Interesting, but a bit of a tease at the end
This is a very well-written, readable, and interesting book that incorporates some of the latest information about brain neurology, consciousness, and memory.Goldberg presents complex information in an easy to understand way.His thesis is that early in life, our brains have a greater ability to analyze and assimilate new information, developing neural "patterns."As we age, our analytical ability degrades due to physical aging of the brain, but we continue to thrive because the many "patterns" accreted over our lifetime help us to quickly recognize new data and categorize it.The adult brain's extensively-developed repertoire of patterns/data funnels is an analogy for "wisdom" which intuitively reaches insightful conclusions without much analysis.

As a result, Goldberg suggests that if we consciously cultivate our mental activity, building up neural connections and "patterns," we will insulate ourselves against any potential cognitive erosion due to aging.In the final chapters, Goldberg goes on to describe his facility that provides computer-mediated mental "workouts" to those who desire such therapy.I felt that this part of the book was a bit of a tease, or advertisement.Goldberg doesn't tell us what mental exercises to undertake, the implication is that we need to seek the services of his facility, or devise our own mental exercise program.I found this part a bit disappointing.

Cheers to the benfits of healthy aging !!!!
The Wisdom Paradox is a book about the benefits and possible preventive power of vigorous mental life. Goldberg provides an optimistic perspective on the aging process of the brain and of the mind. In this book, the author combines historical and clinical anecdotes with sound theories of neuroscience in a lively discourse, which is both informative and entertaining. This is a must read for both neuroscience aficionados and professionals. Having read the book, I couldn't help but to draw a parallel between the mind and wine. In both cases, effervesence is more characteristic of the young while depth and complexity is more characteristic of those who are more mature. Cheers to the benefits of healthy aging!

... Read more

Book Description

The second edition of this well-received text is at least 50% larger than its predecessor, with most of the additional pages devoted to clinical dianosis and treatment of a wide range of common neuro-otologic disorder. Algorithms and tables guide the practitioner confronted with a patient complaining of dizziness or related symptoms. Newer tests are discussed, and the chapter on the evaluation of hearing has been dignificantly expanded. The highly praised sections on basic neurophysiology relfect the latest research. This edition features 87 new illustrations including tables, dianostic charts, and MR and CT scans. ... Read more

Book Description

Why have we humans always longed to connect with something larger than ourselves? Even today in our technologically advanced age, more than seventy percent of Americans claim to believe in God. Why, in short, won’t God go away? In this groundbreaking new book, researchers Andrew Newberg and Eugene d’Aquili offer an explanation that is at once profoundly simple and scientifically precise: The religious impulse is rooted in the biology of the brain.

In Why God Won’t Go Away, Newberg and d’Aquili document their pioneering explorations in the field of neurotheology, an emerging discipline dedicated to understanding the complex relationship between spirituality and the brain. Blending cutting-edge science with illuminating insights into the nature of consciousness and spirituality, they bridge faith and reason, mysticism and empirical data. The neurological basis of how the brain identifies the “real” is nothing short of miraculous. This fascinating, eye-opening book dares to explore both the miracle and the biology of our enduring relationship with God. ... Read more

Reviews (57)

Meditations effect on the Brain
This book does not try to prove the existence of God, but what it does is emphasize that there is evidence that the existence of God is at least a possibility. The authors mainly takes a view that humankind can't help but ponder the plausibility of an afterlife. Their studies mainly focus on meditative states of various religions and shows why there is some truth or common theme underlying all religions which is hard to disagree with. Where the authors and I part company however is that he believes that "all roads can lead to Rome", per se, or at least that all roads lead you to the right road.

However, the reader should focus on the neurological aspects which are interesting and where the author's strength lies. The rest is opinion, which they are certainly entitled to. The true beauty of the text is that they are able to at least able to add some physical, logical legitimacy to the notion of deep meditative states and the explanations given by those that have encountered them across various religions. To their credit, they do a decent job of adding some realism to a very controversial subject in the scientific community.

An Important book for our time
This is an outstanding book. Having been brought up in a scientific household, I have long suspected that the prevalence of religion in human history can only be explained by evolutionary theory, i.e., there must be an evolutionary advantage to the brain structures that cause humans to believe in god, in the face of so much contrary evidence. This book does an elegant job of positing just such an advantage, but it also does more. It offers evidence of the precise brain structures that give rise to religious feeling, and makes a good case for how they came into being in the first place. Clearly the book will have its detractors, principally other scientists envying the authors' job of putting their hypothesis together. And it is certainly plausible that some aspects of their supporting evidence may be in need of refinement. In the main, however, they have made a major contribution to resolving one of the central issues of our time, the seeming conflict between science and religion. Moreover, they suggest a moral implication, which is that when people understand the common biological basis of religion, perhaps they will begin to realize the stupidity of religious intolerance. Can anything be more important to the survival of our species?

Exciting subject
I was impressed that subject matter of this nature is gaining more widespread interest in the last few years. It seems there was a real dearth of study on the concepts of religion and the science of the brain. This book dovetails nicely then with a number of great books that have recently hit the market exploring this topic.

Horgan's "Rational Mysticism," Pinker's "The Blank Slate," and even the Dalai Lama's "Art of Happiness" were books I was reading at about the same time as this one. The cumulative effect was very thought-provoking.

This book is again refreshing because it dares to explore the relationship (all too often the struggle) between Religion and Science - concepts as old as humankind itself.

I think a truly free-thinker has to entertain ALL possibilities so as not to become a raving theophobe that excludes possible answers in the name of the deity of Science. Religion has taken its toll in human casualties throughout history, true, but we may well be living in an age that can embrace both without stigma or favouritism to the other?

The research at times appears hit and miss, even inconclusive, but a systematic approach to the world of mysticism is long over-due and for this reason the seminality of the work is to be applauded. Perhaps in time others will stand on the shoulders of this kind of study, taking it further.

A fascinating book well worth the time.

Walking By Faith -- Intrigued By Science
In the epilogue to the paperback edition the authors write, "...Reality happens in the brain, and while our imaging studies do not prove the existence of a higher spiritual plane, they do indicate that to the brain, these states are as real as any other" (p.178). Therein lies the crux of this book. If you are interested in an in-depth explaination of the how, what, where etc., in fairly popular language, this is an excellent choice.

The authors argue neither "for" or "against" the actuality of God or a realm of the spiritual, they merely demonstrate how the findings of neurobiology indicate that we are hard-wired for transcendent experiences. Personally, I believe in a Creator behind, above, beneath, before, around, in, through, and energizing all of Creation, who created me and all of us with the very hard wiring that would instill in us a longing and a capacity to experience the transcendent.

My friend Darrell Johnson, professor at Regent College in Canada, puts it this way: "At the center of the universe is a relationship...It is out of that relationship that you and I were created and redeemed. And it is for that relationship that you and I were created and redeemed" (see his book Experiencing The Trinity). I have found this relationship with the transcendent through the grace and truth that have come to me through the love of Christ. I know others who have comparable but different experiences with the transcendent through other avenues.

The fact that throughout human history, long before the Jesus through whom I have found this connection walked the earth, humans have sought to engage with something greater than oursevles is not necessarily evidence that God exists. And, the apparent fact that our brains "create" the capacity to seek and experience the transcendent is not necessarily evidence that God does not exist.

Those of us who choose to take a spiritual path know better than to depend on science to prove that our experiences are real or that the God we believe in exists. Ultimately, faith is assurance of things hoped for and the evidence of things not seen. As the saints and mystics in many traditions have shown us, it is typically in the unknowing and darkness that the spiritual life most deeply unfolds.

A worthwhile read
Not perfect, but a good read. The authors are on to something here and have done their homework. They present a well thought-out body of theories based on scientific evidence and reason, but while they deeply examine how brain structure and function relate to religious belief and experience, they do not use this as an opportunity to *invalidate* religious belief. Carefully done. ... Read more

Book Description

Ion channels underlie a broad range of the most basic biological processes, from excitation and signaling to secretion and absorption. Like enzymes, they are diverse and ubiquitous macromolecular catalysts with high substrate specificity and subject to strong regulation. This fully revised and expanded Third Edition of Ion Channels of Excitable Membranes describes the known channels and their physiological functions, then develops the conceptual background needed to understand their architecture and molecular mechanisms of operation. It includes new chapters on calcium signaling, structural biology, and molecular biology and genomics. Ion Channels of Excitable Membranes begins with the classical biophysical work of Hodgkin and Huxley, continues with the roles of channels in cellular signaling, then develops the physical and molecular principles needed for explaining permeation, gating, pharmacological modification, and molecular diversity, and ends with a discussion of channel evolution. Ion Channels of Excitable Membranes is written to be accessible and interesting to life scientists and physical scientists of all kinds. It introduces all the concepts that a graduate student should be aware of but is also effective in advanced undergraduate courses. It has long been the recognized authoritative overview of this field used by all neuroscientists. ... Read more

Reviews (5)

Keeps getting better with each Edition
This book is a must-have for anyone working with excitable cells, be they experimentalists or modelers. It's a great reference book; everything is clearly indexed and almost compulsively cited. I've been using this book since its first edition, and it just keeps getting better each time.

Rara avis
This classic deserves all the praise it gets. It is an excellent introduction to the molecular biology of channels, told with an eye to history as well as science.

A classic. Still authoritative.
This is an authoritative textbook on ion channels that is often quoted in numerous textbooks in neurophysiology. Hille himself has contributed a lot in this field. The Hogkin-Huxley model is the de facto standard model in neurophysiology but certain things about neurons cannot be explained only with voltage-controlled sodium and potassium channels. With the patch-clamp technique, we have found a way to explore other interesting channles. To remind you, there are a world of ion channels! Hille's textbook show there are indeed a variety of channels most of which are poorly understood. As a reviewer below has commented, it also gives a unique insight into the history of neural membrane research. Concepts are explained with clearity. Details measurement techniques.

Why we visualize ion channels as distinct entities
There are new books on this subject, but they are not as strong on fundamentals as this classic.

One of the surprises in this splendid, fascinating book arises from Hille's thumbnail history of the very idea of individual ion channels.

It is a much more recent idea than I realized. Not until the mid-1960s did neurophysiologists finally arrive at the now commonplace image of an ion channel as an individual structure - an ion-specific porthole or passageway through the cell membrane.

Hille emphatically characterizes the individual channel as "a discrete entity," and as "a distinct molecule." By 1965 this concept had been in the air for a while, but it did not prevail or become the dominant picture until binding studies were conducted with tetrodotoxin and saxitoxin. Largely thanks to this work, by the late 1960s, the author recounts, the names "Na Channel" and "K Channel" began to be used consistently.

The familiar picture of individual channels embedded in the cell membrane was brought to us by the magic of long division. For example, "Dividing specific binding by membrane area yields an average saxitoxin receptor density of 110 sites per square micrometer on the axon membranes of the vagus. We now know that the tetrodotoxin-saxitoxin receptor is a single site on the Na channel, so this experiment tells us how many Na channels there are in the membrane. Surface densities of 100 to 400 channels per square micron are typical ..."

The picture you get is one of barrel like protein ports floating like buoys in the membrane, nicely regimented into rows and columns, neatly anchored at the intersection points of an imaginary grid. It is, of course, an image made ideal by the arithmetic which originally produced it.

Hille concludes: "Now that we can record from single channels - and even purify the chemically, and sequence and modify their genes - there remains no question of their molecular individuality.

Well, it is in some sense just a semantic matter, but a few observers, of whom I am one, think there remains after all a colossal, towering, staggeringly important question about the molecular "individuality" of these passages. This is because they can be structurally and functionally linked.

Linked receptors are a commonplace of biochemistry. Extensive linkage between ion channels in nerves would open up some very nice possibilities, explain many mysteries, etc.

Is there any evidence for linked or complex ion receptors? At the end of Chapter 5, in a literature summary, the author remarks on the then newly discovered double barreled anionic channels, and notes some Cl channel electrophysiological data that seem to make it look "as though the channel were a cluster of pores - like a sieve or an aggregate of straws. An alternative would be that the pore fluctuates through frequent rearrangements of many constituent parts."

This is precisely the type of liberated thinking that could get us somewhere fast. If you put two pulls on an ordinary zipper, you can create a pore that travels. It is easier, not harder, to come up with this kind of mechanism by assembling protein subunits. You can also make starbursts, "cootie catchers", "Jacob's ladders" sliding anagram toys, and many other plaything analogs using protein repetitive units, links, foldings and conformational changes.

To what end? Why should linked or continuous pore structures be more interesting that discrete and isolated pores?

Imagine a nerve in which finely graded input information can be conveyed, by all-or-nothing impulses, all the way from input to output using, let's say, 100 distinct information channels that extend longitudinally from one end of the nerve to the other. The longitudinal channels are created by linking transverse channels. A corduroy membrane. Possibly linear, possibly helical.

In a nerve of this type, an increment of graded information is inherent in the longitudinal channel number: 1, 2, 3, etc. An impulse traveling down the axon would appear, to conventional instruments used to study nerves, as the blank, familiar, all-or-nothing impulse so confidently presented to us on page 1 of every neurophysiology text. But such an impulse would not be blank. It would be freighted with meaning. With this single impulse, the intensity of the original input stimulus could be conserved and communicated all the way to the brain.

The idea is reasonable because it points to a type of neuron that would enable us to think as fast as we do.

It is also reasonable in light of evidence accumulated since 1993 (See Spikes, Rieke et al) that a single impulse does in fact convey information to the brain. Adrian was wrong. The long familiar rate code isn't one. Somehow, a single nerve impulse carries information. How? The secret seems inherent in the neuron - and the neuron is a mechanism built up using ion gates.

Ion channel research is becoming one the most fruitful and fashionable fields in biological science. There are more recent books on the subject, (Frances Ashcroft's for example) but perhaps because they must cover more ground, they seem a lot less careful about pointing out the assumptions and reiterating the history of the ideas on which the field is grounded.

This book is bedrock. Bertil Hille identifies in precise language each significant underlying assumption, and details the experimental tools that were used to develop the (still pretty fuzzy) picture we hold in our minds' eyes of the nerve membrane. As the field evolves, some of the basic assumptions are going to have to be re-examined. This book will help you understand exactly what they were and, thus, where to push for fresh possibilities.

The author has received the Lasker award, and this one quite often foreshadows the Nobel. You can sense, in reading this book, the extreme quality of his science and of his intelligence.

Concise text from the first expert in the field
Excellent collection of essays about biophysics of ion channels. Concise, easy to understood, the same time not oversymplified, text from the first rank scientist. The book is suitable for biophysicist and molecular and cellular neuroscientists, although for the last, the book which cover a genetic and cellular components of channel signalling is needed also. The book is also suitable for reader whose knowledge in physics and chemistry is far from beeing the best - the author will remind you the basics in physics and thermodynamics in user friendly and "understoodable" manner. ... Read more

Book Description

Careful, scientifically accurate line renderings of the body’s organs and major systems: skeletal, muscular, nervous, reproductive, etc. Numerous views, cross-sections, diagrams. Suggestions for coloring. Complete text. 43 plates.
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Reviews (3)

Great visual learning aid
I found this to be a helpful tool for my college anatomy and physiology class. Definitely get this book, it will help you recall items on tests more efficiently. If you want to know the kind of questions A and P teachers ask on tests get the following books:
Anatomy and Physiology Study Guide: Key Review Questions and Answers with Explanations
Vol 1 ISBN: 0971999619
Vol 2 ISBN: 0971999627
These 3 sources should help you get good grades in your A and P class. My friends and I used them and we all did quite well.

Human Anatomy Coloring Book
This book is an inexpensive review of basic anatomy.

Excellent value and introduction
Having completed the Matt/Ziemian book in addition to the 'Anatomy Coloring Book' by Kapit and Elson, I've found the former to be a first-rate introduction to the body systems and their components, and a valuable precursor to the latter. This book will ingrain a solid general understanding of the human body in you while sharpening your coloring skills, both of which come to aid in navigating the more comprehensive and complicated 'Anatomy Coloring Book.' The price is very reasonable. Highly recommended. ... Read more

Book Description

This lab manual is designed for A&P lab courses that utilize the pig as the primary dissection specimen. Human Anatomy and Physiology Laboratory Manual--Fetal Pig Dissection offers excellent, full color dissection photos of the fetal pig with matching corresponding labeled art. Web site activities found in numerous labs give students additional resources for learning. This laboratory manual contains sixty-two laboratory exercises and reports.The exercises illustrate and review anatomical and physiological facts and principles presented in an A&P textbook and help students investigate these ideas in greater detail. ... Read more

Book Description

Human Anatomy Update, Third Edition uses a functional approach to explain how the shape and composition of the anatomical structures allow them to perform their functions. This gives readers the framework they need to assimilate anatomical concepts and apply them to new situations. The book is distinguished by an art program that brilliantly illuminates the complexities of human anatomy, and a writing style that is clear, informal, and accessible. For this edition, a comprehensive media supplements package has been crafted with the same careful attention to accuracy and teaching effectiveness found in the book.For college instructors and students, or anyone interested in human anatomy. ... Read more

Book Description

Since the first edition of The Owner's Manual , Dr. Howard has appeared on Oprah , conducted countless seminars and added new topics and 300+ pages of new brain research to the book. ... Read more

Reviews (17)

This book should replace every self-help book in the market.
"The Owner's Manual for the Brain" is filled to the binding with interesting, informative, concise, and above all, ENTERTAINING articles that breaks our sometimes inexplicable human behavior down to its simplest forms. I didn't get it back for over two months when I brought it to work to show around; I kept finding it on other people's desks. Each article reads like a magazine sidebar, designed so that the average person can not only learn something new, but learn to apply it as well. Move over pop-psychology and self-help authors! It covers why blue rooms lower blood pressure and stress, why men tend to like food sweeter than women, why women have a better sense of smell, and why men are able to talk about sports and work on a car at the same time, while women are able to combine right and left brain activities. The amount of information contained in "The Owner's Manual for the Brain" is as staggering as the amount of space your brain never uses in a lifetime-- but you'll never find out unless you pick it up.

I totally agree with the previous review.
Previously I have read 3 books dealing with the brain but this one contains more useful and practical information. It's great!

There are two key reasons why I like this book: 1. It's written in easy to understand language. 2. The author spends more time dealing with how we can apply the material than going into too much technical detail.

The Encyclopedia of the Human Mind
Whether you use this book as a reference or read it cover to cover, The Owner's Manual for the Brain is a great book to have around. From describing the most basic fundamentals of how the human brain functions to analyzing the latest research in various fields of psychology, the author presents each topic in an easy to understand manner that is enjoyable to read as it is informative.

The best part of this book is that every sub-chapter includes a list of "applications" for what you have just read. This elevates the book from the simple listing of facts to an extremely usable tool. I would dare anyone to read this book and not come away with at least one application that could not vastly improve their life. Time with this book is time well spent.

The Owners Manual for the Brain
Theres some really outdated information in here, ie. "there is no none benifits to taking Fish Oil" ...not according to the Physicians Desk Reference for the Mental Health Practitioners. The author seems very opinionated and makes some very broad sweeping statements.

Excellent starting point for understanding the brain
If you are beginning to study the mind and brain, this is clearly the place to start. The book covers all the major topics related to the human brain function, with a focus on breadth rather than depth. It's easy to read and full of everyday applications that you can start using the first day to improve both your personal self and your relationships.

If you are already knowledgeable on this field, the book is filled with thousands of references to other books, papers, web sites and institutes where you can find more information on the latest advances for each topic.

Even if you skip all the technical terms, the book is really worth reading and keeping it close as a reference. ... Read more

Book Description

Human Anatomy by Van De Graaff is designed for the one-semester human anatomy course. This course is usually offered at the freshman/sophomore level, is taught primarily in biology, physical education, or allied health departments, and is often a prerequisite for programs in occupational therapy, physical therapy, massage therapy, sports medicine, athletic training, chiropractic medicine, etc. This edition features new cadaver photos, expanded pedagogy, and more clinical coverage. ... Read more

Reviews (6)

Great illustrations, poor descriptions
I have a conflicting opinion on this textbook.All the stuff my professor talked about didn't seem to be on it.Maybe I didn't look hard enough.I am thinking about selling it and looking for a better textbook to keep around the house.There are some really good points to this textbook though.The CDs contain really interesting pictures; they also contain some quizzes that help boost your confidence.The author have wonderful illustrations, cool pictures (of dissections), and clear pictures of microscopic pictures.

great for beginners
This book is very easy to understand.It is laid out a little differently than the Marieb, Martini and Tortora books.I find it easier to understand though.The extra tidbits in the book are really interesting as well.The book has answered things I have often wondered about but, never asked anyone.If you are new to A&P this book will really help you out without overwhelming you and confusing you.Thank you Dr Van de Graaff

great for beginners
This book is very easy to understand.It is laid out a little differently than the Marieb, Martini and Tortora books.I find it easier to understand though.The extra tidbits in the book are really interesting as well.The book has answered things I have often wondered about but, never asked anyone.If you are new to A&P this book will really help you out without overwhelming you and confusing you.Thank you Dr Van de Graaff

Great Anatomy Tool
I have to use this book for Human Anatomy and it is great the detail put into the book.If you buy it new from the publisher it even comes with a CD and a thinner, helpful spiral bound book that contains all of the diagrams.

this book is so expensive!!!
This book is essential to anyone taking Anatomy.It is very detailed and provides a lot of pictures.It is sometimes too detailed, which makes it difficult for the average student to understand.I recommend using italong with the anatomy coloring book.My only complaint is the price, whyis it so expensive? ... Read more

Amazon.com

Medical case studies can be fascinating to read, full of drama, heroism,and sometimes tragedy. Most doctors' tales take place in clinics orhospitals, but those pedestrian settings are not for Kenneth Kamler, whopractices medicine outside, patching people up with surprising successunder harrowing conditions. Surviving the Extremes starts withopen-air surgery in the steamy jungles of the Amazon River, moves todisturbingly detailed descriptions of the many ways humans can die atsea, and from there takes white-knuckled readers through the rest ofEarth's extreme environments. Krakauer fans will gasp at the book's bestchapter, covering the high-altitude medical feats Kamler has performedon Mt. Everest and other peaks. "No course in medical school taught methe proper mixture of oxygen, IV fluids, and Tibetan chants to treat asubdural hematoma in below-zero temperatures on a 3-mile-high glacier,"Kamler writes. Instead, he has learned the fine art of adventuredoctoring by doing it, and in the process, he's won fans among theworld's most prominent risk-takers. Through it all, Kamler remainsfascinated by the human body's ability to heal under horrificallydangerous conditions. His medical adventures are inspiring andthrilling, as well as occasionally bloody and disgusting. In short,perfect stories of human survival. --Therese Littleton ... Read more

Reviews (5)

Surviving the Extremes: A Doctor's Journey to the Limits of
Physiological constraints confine our bodies to less than one-fifth of the earth's surface. Beyond that fraction lie the extremes. What happens when we go to them?" "Dr. Kenneth Kamler has spent years observing exactly what happens. A vice president of the legendary Explorers Club, he has climbed, dived, sledded, floated, and trekked through some of the most treacherous and remote regions in the world. A consultant for NASA, Yale University, and the National Geographic Society, he has explored undersea caves, crossed the frozen Antarctic wastelands, and stitched a boy's hand back together while kneeling in knee-deep Amazonian mud." "The words extreme and survival have lost some of their value from overuse and media hype. By showing us what happens when life is at stake and the body's capacities are put to their greatest test, this book reminds us what these words truly mean. Divided into six sections - jungle, high seas, desert, underwater, high altitude, and outer space - Surviving the Extremes uses firsthand testimony and documented accounts to illustrate what goes on in environments where our instinctive survival strategies must become fully engaged. These stories reveal how infinitely complex are the workings of the human body - and also how heartbreakingly fragile. At the core of this book is a request for the source of our will to survive and the haunting question of why some can and others cannot summon its awesome and nearly mystical power at their moment of greatest need

Surprising reality attention grabber
I have to start off by saying I picked this up as a random purchase while at a CD/book sale at my company. pretty much an impulse buy after already getting a DVD that I sort of wanted, and cheap. Well...

I think this is the first book I've picked up in a while, and maybe the first non-fiction one in even longer. It is definitely amazing. The idea that it is all firsthand stories, most from specific life experiences, is great. The detail and accuracy (i'll have to assume being that I'm not a doctor) is killer, and makes you think about what you really are capable of. Also a great reminder that we're living an illusing within the safety of civilization's confines for the most part.

The best thing is how you can learn to cope with extremes that you otherwise might just overreact and die if you don't keep a cool head and have some knowledge such as what is touched on in here.

I just wish it wasn't so short, cause it was great to have something like this to read.

Fascinating book, misleading marketing
This is one of the most interesting books I have read in ages. I'll agree with the other reviewer that the jacket information is misleading. This isn't really a "thriller" as conventionally defined. The author shares some first person as well as historical anecdotes but this really is an incredible biology book, interweaving physiology with some evolutionary biology. A very thoughtful and well-written book! It leaves the reader with jaw-dropping respect for the human body and its ability to adapt to extreme situations. It also touches on the adaptations other animals have to routinely live in environments which are totally inhospitable to humans. It is just too bad that people are disappointed in it because it isn't what the jacket says it is. I have taught basic survival classes for teens and I'm really glad to have this book to recommend because it is a different slant compared to what is out there in survival literature. My teenage daughters read Into Thin Air in high school English and I just wish I had this book before the younger one did her paper last month on dehydration!

Not what I expected.
This is a book mostly on elementary anatomy. If you are looking for exciting and suspenseful stories, buy another book. There are a lot of fabricated scenarios and theories from past events rather than actual live experiences as indicated on the book jacket. This book was written in National Geographic style. The majority of the book describes the environment of each situation. I purchased the book to read about the real life threatening situations, not to read about the landscape or anatomy.

This is what "survival" really means!
I make my home in a place that can challenge the human body. Alaska is a land of extremes-altitude, cold, sheer geological scale. Human survival in the Alaskan outdoors is dependent upon proper clothing and equipment, careful planning, and physical conditioning. But even then, people make mistakes and end up in trouble. Sometimes, they end up dead.

How does the human body cope with the effects of exhaustion, the extremes of hunger or thirst, the crushing pressure of the ocean's depths, and the burning heat of the barren desert? Microsurgeon Kenneth Kamler, MD has forged a career out of understanding the body's reactions to these extremes, and the medical procedures that can help when things go wrong.

Dr. Kamler was on Everest in 1996 during the tragic climb profiled in the books INTO THIN AIR and THE CLIMB, and in his own 1998 book A DOCTOR ON EVEREST. He treated climber Beck Weathers, the climber left for dead near the summit who survived terrible frostbite to his hands and face. He has performed intricate hand surgery in the mud of a rainforest jungle, and has treated a patient in an underwater habitat on the ocean floor. In his new book SURVIVING THE EXTREMES: A DOCTOR'S JOURNEY TO THE LIMITS OF HUMAN ENDURANCE, Dr. Kamler writes compellingly of the mental and physiological elements that combine to determine who lives and who dies when the human body is faced with extremes of altitude, temperature, heat, cold and pressure.

This book is fascinating, compelling, and explains what the concept of "survival" really means within the context of the body's ability (and failure) to cope with extreme environments. Do not miss it! ... Read more

Book Description

This test preparation study guide is the best in the industry. It is designed for students of college anatomy and physiology. It is written in a "very easy to understand style". It is very thorough, specific and complete for each topic, which includes the following: Orientation of the Body, Structure and Function of Cells, Structure and Function of Tissues and Integumentary System. ... Read more

Reviews (2)

If you want an "A", this book will help you get it!!
I bought both this book and Volume 2 in the series [Anatomy and Physiology Study Guide: Key Review Questions and Answers with Explanations (Volume 2: Orientation of the Body, Cells, Tissues, Integumentary System) by Patrick Leonardi] and both these books helped me get an "A" in my A&P class!! They helped to reinforce the book material and quickly showed me which areas I didn't understand so I could study and get better grades for each exam. Many of the topics in A&P are complicated and it's VERY helpful to have a wonderful resource guide such as this to anticipate test questions so you can make your mistakes with the resource guide and not on your tests.

Number 1 study guide 5/02
This study guide is great. It taught me what type of questions to look for on my exam. In fact, at least, 75% of the questions in the study guide appeared on my test. It wasn't the exact questions however, the questions were very similar. The explanations were great and simple. It was written in simple language. I got an "A" in the class because of this study guide. What's great about this study guide is that it is very focused to specific topics of Anatomy and Physiology. I also used his other anatomy and physiology study guide (Volume 2)-great also. Other study guides are way too general. Dr. Leonardi knows what type of questions teachers ask! I would give this book 6 stars if I could. ... Read more

Book Description

This best-selling Laboratory Manual, written by Terry R. Martin, has been updated throughout. The new edition of this effective manual is organized into units that correlate directly with the text and include new art tomatch Hole's tenth edition. ... Read more