A broad and entertaining (if less than encyclopedic) new definition for gross anatomy.
A doctor-guided tour of our “weird” human body and some of its maladies, aimed at readers who’ll giggle over the suggestion that gluteus maximus was a Roman emperor.
Leaving the titular riff on the classic reference work Gray’s Anatomy unacknowledged, Kay moves from skin-side to inside and back—beginning with the cloud of germs, dead cells, and “farticles” that surround us all, covering anatomical features from internal organs to hair and nails, and closing with a frank, if sometimes giddy, description of the reproductive system (“the male one is mostly on the outside, dangling there like a chandelier”), brisk and sensible remarks about death, and a final sweep past the immune system, allergies, and select good, bad, and “pukey” microbes. Though his coverage is so catch-as-catch-can that he identifies each layer in a tooth and all eight wrist bones but neglects to mention the pituitary or thyroid glands, he does include basic personal hygiene and nutritional guidelines, reassuring comments about acne (“face art”) and other signs of puberty, and strong opinions about smoking, hand-washing, and anti-vaxxers. He also tucks in descriptions of common conditions and diseases, from anxiety and depression to diabetes. Along with labeled cutaway views, Paker’s cartoons pick up on the droll tone with expressive faces on many body parts and germs and sight gags like a stack of tiny elephants posed next to rotated views of the spinal column.
A broad and entertaining (if less than encyclopedic) new definition for gross anatomy. (glossary, index, further information) (Nonfiction. 10-14)Pub Date: July 26, 2022
ISBN: 978-0-593-48340-4
Page Count: 416
Publisher: Delacorte
Review Posted Online: July 12, 2022
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 1, 2022
A quick skim; flashy though not particularly nourishing.
More hip pop-art science from Basher and Green, though here the collaborators may have “bytten” off more than they can chew.
They lead off with a tribute to “that ancient Greek brainiac” Archimedes, the only inventor who gets more than a quick name-drop. Then, portrait-gallery–style, the team introduces several dozen personified machines from “Wheel and Axle” (“Hey there, let’s start this thing rollin’!”) to “Radar” and “Rocket.” Household appliances like “Toilet” and (landline) “Telephone” also step up to the mike, as do such basic materials as “Concrete” and “Plastic,” as well as high-tech wizardry including “User Interface” and “Internet.” Each subject introduces itself with a pair of paragraphs over a trio of unrelated facts, while Basher provides for each a stylized, considerably simplified cartoon portrait anthropomorphized by a smiling white face with slanted, slit eyes. Though readers will come away at least exposed to terms like “thermosetting” and “laser sintering,” Green’s facts aren’t always kosher—“once defunct,” says Satellite, “we move to a graveyard orbit”—or even comprehensible (“World’s most efficient gas turbine: 60%.”). Furthermore, despite statements from “Smart Card” and “Particle Accelerator” not all of the entries are so cutting-edge; the “Cell Phone,” for instance, only makes phone calls and sends texts.
A quick skim; flashy though not particularly nourishing. (foldout poster) (Nonfiction. 10-12)Pub Date: July 17, 2012
ISBN: 978-0-7534-6819-7
Page Count: 128
Publisher: Kingfisher
Review Posted Online: May 15, 2012
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 1, 2012
Occasionally clever—fifth-grade boys will love it.
“There is a lot of nonsense written about the human body,” writes the author, “and this book is no exception.”
Though not quite making good on his promise of “100 percent fact-free chapters,” (he does accurately describe “chondrolaryngoplasty”) Griffiths’ anatomical tour in general steers clear of anything that would be marked as correct on a test. From “Ears can be big or small, depending on their size” to “Capillaries are the larval form of butterflies,” he offers pithy inanities about 68 mostly real body features. Though he closes every entry with “That is all you need to know about…,” he then goes on to regale readers with the news that the epiglottis was named after a Greek philosopher and other “Fun Body Facts.” Similarly, noting that his illustrations “may not be scientifically accurate” (the understatement of the decade), Denton nonetheless provides on nearly every spread profusely labeled, free-association cartoon views of each body part. These are filled out with tiny figures, mechanical apparatus and miscellaneous junk. Though serious young researchers may be disappointed to find the “Private Parts” pages blacked out, a full index follows to provide ready access to any references to poo, pus, farts, drool, “sneeze-powered missiles” and like essentials.
Occasionally clever—fifth-grade boys will love it. (Humor. 10-12)Pub Date: Nov. 13, 2012
ISBN: 978-0-312-36790-9
Page Count: 192
Publisher: Feiwel & Friends
Review Posted Online: Aug. 14, 2012
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 15, 2012
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