15 Minute Better Back Workout

July 1, 2007
Gr 6-9- -Mostly new but based in part on Charles B. Clayman'sThe Human Body (DK, 1995), this coffee-table quarto combines jaw-dropping illustrations with meaty captions and commentary to give "Eyewitness" graduates a mesmerizing tour of the body's parts and common diseases. After opening with examples of different nonsurgical ways of peering beneath the skin-all of which are used in the pictures that follow-and other general observations, the itinerary begins with cells and DNA, finishes with reproduction and aging, and in between stops at each of 10 systems for close-up looks at major physical structures, processes, and disorders. Distinguished for razor-sharp detail, realistic modeling, clean colors, and clear and thorough labeling, the art ranges from simple ECG lines and small diagrams showing muscles in motion to dramatic full-spread cutaways that capture the transmission of a nerve impulse, the structure of an eye, the body's response to inflammation. Blocks of text that fill up, but don't look squeezed into, the remaining page space provide basic definitions, discussions of processes, and illuminating explanations of the accompanying art. Packaged with a CD that contains interactive and animated versions of many illustrations, this title will be a popular addition to classroom and reference collections.-John Peters, New York Public Library

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