The Oxford Companion to the Body [Hardcover]

Another in the "Oxford Companion" series (it was preceded in the sciences by companions to the mind in 1987 and to medicine in 1986), this is a beautifully produced tome comprising over 1000 entries written by 350 contributors, the majority of whom are British academicians. Editors Blakemore and Jennett are physiology professors at Oxford and the University of Glasgow, respectively, and British spelling is used throughout. Many entries provide See also references, and longer entries include suggestions for further reading. There is also a comprehensive index. Illustrations, including line drawings, black-and-white photographs, and full-color plates, are used conservatively, and some entries, such as "Surgery," could have been enhanced by the inclusion of some sort of illustration. However, the editors have succeeded admirably in their goal of providing a "seamless blending of science and humanities." Entries range from major religions and how each views the body (e.g. "Hinduism and the Body," a two-page article) to many parts of the body ("Fallopian Tubes" merits a brief paragraph as well as See also references, and while neither fingers nor toes warrants an entry, "Fingerprints" does). There are entries for professions that specialize in the use of the body ("Model, Artist's," with the requisite nude photograph) and even for concepts, like "Leisure," with See also references to "Relaxation" and "Sport." "Mandrake Root" is listed because it resembles a person and is beautifully illustrated by a reproduction from Dioscorides's Materia medica. Remarkably affordable and compulsively readable, this volume will find a home in any academic or public library's history of medicine or reference collection. Martha E. Stone, Massachusetts General Hosp. Lib., Boston
Copyright 2002 Cahners Business Information, Inc.

Developed by Oxford University Press with the support of the Physiological Society, The Oxford Companion to the Body strives to bring "the wonders and excitement of the science of physiology to a broad audience." In addition to science, it includes cultural, historical, and religious perspectives.

The approximately 1,000 alphabetically arranged entries range from short definitions to longer entries that that include contributors' names and recommended readings. Many scholars, mostly from the U.S and UK, including historians and physiologists, contributed to this guide. Although anatomical systems and physiological functions make up the bulk of the entries, examples of the broad scope of coverage include Furniture and the body, Hinduism and the body, Lifespan, Mermaid, and Tattooing. Also included are some biographies of noted physicians. There are a few color plates, and plates of the human body follow the index. The emphasis in many of the entries is British though the scope is international.

This is neither a medical guide nor a medical dictionary; rather, it is a summary of the art and science of our bodies. Suitable for a wide audience, The Oxford Companion to the Body is recommended for academic, medical, and large public libraries. RBB
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`Body healthy, body beautiful, body improvable: whatever category you fall into, your curiosity will be fed, even satisfied by this megabook.' New Scientist

`'A deft interweaving of anatomy and biology with psychology, anthropology, philosophy, religion, literature, history, art history and physical science. The book begs to be picked up again and again.'' Los Angeles Times

`. . . an anatomy of human ideas, a physiology of human endeavour, a companion to human culture . . . that rare thing, an encyclopaedia you want to go on reading.' The Guardian

`. . . succeeds brilliantly. It combines the palatable essence of the historical, anthropological and gender-based insights of social approaches to the body with accessible and full accounts of contemporary scientific understanding of the way our bodies work. The eclectic and sometimes wacky coverage . . . is the most striking element of this wonderfully readable volume.' Times Literary Supplement

Who is not interested in how the body works: how it grows, develops, and ages; how it goes wrong; how it has inspired artists and been the focus of ceremony and ritual? The extraordinary human body has been one of the great subjects of fascination and enquiry over the centuries. The Oxford Companion to the Body presents many of the results of this curiosity from a wide variety of viewpoints, including those of writers, life scientists, historians, philosophers, health professionals, artists, psychologists, anthropologists, theologians, and many others. The Companion is a fascinating and authoritative guide to every aspect of the body. It provides concise and readable accounts of the structure and function of all the major systems of the body, and the causes of disorders which affect them. Interwoven with this coverage of the science of the body are entertaining and informative articles on social and religious attitudes to the body, its decoration and mutilation throughout history, the ceremonies and myths that surround the body, and its significance for artists, philosophers and writers. Although the contributors are international experts, it is written for a wide audience, and will appeal to anyone seeking an approachable reference to the human body, as well as to those studying or working in related fields. Included in the Companion: DT Over 1000 entries, from addiction and Adam's rib to witchcraft and X-rays, and over 350 expert contributors, under the guidanceof a distinguished editorial board. DT Extensive coverage of subjects relating to the body, from the molecular events in individual cells to the nude in art, from birth to funeral practices, from ape man to space travel, and the biomedical sciences in their cultural and historical contexts. DT Over 750 pages with 150 illustrations and 8 pages of colour plates. DT Alphabetically arrranged entries with full cross-referencing, comprehensive indexing, and suggested further reading. The Companion is a unique and important reference source, which will be invaluable to anyone with an interest in the human body Colin Blakemore is Professor of Physiology, University of Oxford. His research interests include vision and the development of the brain, and he has written and broadcast on many issues, ranging from consciousness and mad cow disease, to mobile phones and ethical issues in medical research. Sheila Jennett is Emeritus Profesor of Physiology, University of Glasgow. Starting from a background in clinical medicine, her research interest in cardiorespiratory function has included responses to analgesics, to high and low oxygen, and to exercise.

20pp colour plates, numerous halftones and line drawings

Professor Colin Blakemore (Editor), British, Professor of Physiology, University of Oxford - prominent writer and broadcaster Professor Sheila Jennett (Editor), British, Emeritus Professor of Physiology, University of Glasgow Alan Cuthbert (Section Editor), Emeritus Shield Professor of Pharmacology, University of Cambridge Roy Porter (Section Editor), Professor, Wellcome Trust Centre for the History of Medicine, University College London Londa Schiebinger (Section Editor), Edwin E. Sparks Professor of the History of Science, Pennsylvania State University Tom Sears (Section Editor), Emeritus Professor, School of Biomedical Sciences, Kings College London Tilli Tansey (Section Editor), Reader in the History of Medicine, University College London