Body: [an Amazing Tour of Human Anatomy]

This is a book for younger readers. If I were a kid (or were reviewing this book on behalf of kids), I would almost certainly give it five stars. But, as an adult who got this book for my own reference, I can only give it four stars, because it just doesn't have the level of detail that I want from an anatomy book. But it is worth four stars because the illustrations are excellent. Unlike most anatomy texts, which use artist's drawings that tend to look rather flat and artificial; the illustrations in this book are high-quality, computer-generated graphics -- based on scans of actual cadavers -- and have a "three-dimensional" look to them. These illustrations really give you a good intuitive feel for where the various bones, muscles, and organs are located within the body -- something that the drawings found in most anatomy texts fail to do. The CD-ROM included with this book will run on both a Mac and a PC. I'm sure that the CD-ROM is great for kids; but, once again speaking as an adult who got this book for my own reference, the CD-ROM doesn't really add much to the book. It doesn't include very much information at all. If you've got kids who want to learn about the human body; this book is great -- I'm sure they would love it. If you are an adult who just wants to use this book for your own reference, it's good (because of the wonderful illustrations); but isn't great (because it doesn't provide enough information or enough detail). On the other hand, it's a whole lot cheaper than the anatomy books used in medical schools; so, in my opinion, it's worth the price.

This is really a fantastic book. Even as an adult reader with an interest in anatomy, I found this book fabulous. The images are clear and comprehendable. There is more information in this short book than in the Anatomy for Dummies book that I previously read. I originally found this book in the library but after reading it I decided that this would make an excellent addition to my library of reference books. If you are interested in anatomy or have a child or teenager with such an interest I highly reccomend this. On the downside the CD though cool is too limited to be of real use.