THE HUMAN BODY

The latest in Simon’s seemingly endless series of nonfiction books published in conjunction with the Smithsonian, this one fares better than most, perhaps because the subject matter is large and fascinating. The work covers the 12 major systems of the body (skeletal, muscular, etc.), devoting a few pages to each. Rounding out the volume, the author briefly covers genetics, the five senses and human growth and development. The pictures—most of them scanning electron microscope images or X-rays of actual body parts—are brilliant, but lack accompanying captions, which make them hard to understand (explanations of the images appear after the index). A clear sense of organization, some subheadings and fewer “gee-whiz” graphics would improve the book, but for an overview it isn’t bad. (glossary, index) (Nonfiction. 6-10)