The Oxford Companion to the Body. . - Book Notice - book review

Townsend Letter for Doctors and Patients,  June, 2002  by Beatrice Trum Hunter

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The Oxford Companion to the Body

edited by Cohn Blakemore and Sheila Jennett Oxford University Press

18 Madison Ave., New York, New York 10616 USA

Oversized hardcover, 763 pages, black and white and color illustrations, 8 medical color plates of the body's systems, $55

This tour de force is a monumental compilation of the wonders of the human body. The work combines science and art, along with cultural, mythological, religious, historical, and artistic perspectives on the body. In addition to the two main editors, there are five section editors, and contributions from more than 350 academics, with more than a thousand listings of subjects. The inclusions, in alphabetical order, begin with Abdomen, and end with Zygote. The book covers every major system and organ of the human body; the latest research in evolutionary biology and medical technology; and more. There are entries for all major medical specialties, common diseases' and injuries, advances in treatments and diagnoses, and other medical topics. The work also examines historical contributors to understanding our bodies, such as Galen, Vesalius, Da Vinci, Mendel,. and Darwin.

Due to the breadth of the work, discussions for each entry necessarily are limited, This is not a book to be read cover to cover, but rather intended for browsing, or for finding a specific subject. Many entries provide entertaining reading for the curious, such as codpieces, pubic wigs, and the Hottentot apron. For the serious researcher, however, the entries and suggested further readings on the topic are too limited to be of great value. Nevertheless, the book holds much of interest. The price is modest, considering its size. Its publication was made possible with the generous support of the Physiological Society.

COPYRIGHT 2002 The Townsend Letter Group
COPYRIGHT 2002 Gale Group