Body Structures and Functions: Hardcover Edition

Now in its 10th Edition, this best-selling anatomy and physiology book is better than ever! Body Structures & Functions has been completely updated and now includes great new features such as a review of medical terminology, case studies to promote critical thinking, and complete coverage on the effects of aging. A new chapter on Infection Control has been added to give more coverage to this critical topic in health care.

This book contains predominantly color illustrations, with some black-and-white illustrations.

This beginning textbook introduces the basic anatomy and processes of the human body with chapters on cells, membranes, blood, and the skeletal, muscular, nervous, respiratory, and digestive systems. The tenth edition adds a chapter on infection control and standard precautions. The CD-ROM contains anatomy and physiology tutorials. Annotation (c)2003 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR

Doody Review Services

Reviewer:Kent Douglas Koerner, BS, BS, MA, MA, ABD (PhD)(Indiana State University)
Description:This book is perhaps the most easy to read anatomy and physiology textbook I have seen. The targeted audience (LPNs and allied health professional aides) will find this book well written and easily comprehendible. Its length is appropriate to provide adequate coverage without being daunting in size. I particularly liked the medical terminology section at the end of each chapter and the manner in which it is presented. The authors have taken great care in developing a useful format. The CD-ROM that comes with the book is wonderful, beginning with a simple anatomical overview, continuing with a more complete physiological discussion of the anatomical structures, and providing a self-test for the students. The only suggestion I would make is to expand the coverage to include chemistry, cells and perhaps the nutrition sections. The career profiles are concise and complete, providing the student with much needed information concerning career options. This is a frequently overlooked component in education.
Purpose:The purpose is to address the needs of healthcare workers in advancing their careers and providing students with the appropriate level of training for each step in the career ladder. Are these worthy objectives? Definitely! The authors rise to meet their objectives quite well. Covering such a broad student base of interest is never easy, but on balance the book achieves its objectives.
Audience:The book is written, in my opinion, for students just beginning a career in the allied medical professions, beginning with health aides and continuing to the LPN level. The authors' experience with cooperative education and the career ladder program leads me to believe the primary focus is on the nontraditional student beginning or furthering their careers. The authors certainly are credible based on their experience and the pedagogical aspects of the book.
Features:This book is extremely well written for its target audience. The coverage is complete without being overwhelming. The lab activities associated with each chapter are good; they are simple and easily accomplished and will demonstrate the important anatomical and physiological concepts in an easy to understand manner. The career profiles are an important part of this book, each appearing within the appropriate chapter, which only reiterates the importance of the material contained within and provides much needed career counseling to the student. However, additional illustrations are needed throughout the book (especially in chapter 2, on the chemistry of living things). Many of the photographs require color correction (in the copy I reviewed, many of the photographs appeared yellowed). This is not a fatal flaw, and is easily corrected. I suggest expanding the coverage on the accompanying CD-ROM (retaining the wonderful format), and perhaps including with a pictorial study guide for each chapter.
Assessment:If I were teaching anatomy and physiology to the intended audience, I would seriously consider this book. It is, in my opinion, the most well written and its coverage is complete without being daunting. It is well organized and flows well from one section to the next. Many textbooks in this subject area attempt to be all things to all people, appearing overwhelming and becoming difficult to read, thus the usefulness to the student is lost. This one remains quite useful, yet quite simple. It has a different audience than what I teach (students in RN, BSN, and other bachelor level programs), but I would most definitely rate the quality of this book at the same level as the one I use, Saladin's Anatomy And Physiology: The Unity of Form and Function, 3rd edition (McGraw-Hill, 2003). The authors have written a book that is poised to become the standard in its area. Correcting the shortcomings can be easily accomplished, and will only raise the bar for other books.

Ann Senisi Scott was previously the Coordinator of the Health Occupations and Practical Nursing at Nassau Tech Board of Cooperative Education Services ,Westbury, New York. There she established a career ladder program from health care worker to practical nurse and taught Practical Nursing for twelve-years. Ann remains actively involved in the health care field.