Classics in Movement Science

The great scientists of the past who shaped the field of movement science are frequently cited in textbooks and research papers. But rarely do students and scholars have the opportunity to actually read the original papers–either they're not translated into English, or they're simply not accessible.

Now Classics in Movement Science makes it easy for inquisitive minds to access, read, understand, and appreciate the works and wisdom of the past and put them into historical and contemporary scientific perspective.

This fascinating book presents–under one cover–a selection of 13 classical papers representing the thinking of famous scientists of the past who worked in areas now associated with biomechanics, neurophysiology of movement, and motor control.

Each paper is accompanied by a thoughtful analysis by a contemporary authority in movement science, and hence reflecting a subjective viewpoint of the commentator. Bringing together a variety of old and new perspectives, this unique format provides readers with an understanding of the influential scientist as well as his or her contemporary counterpart.

In some cases, the book presents the classical paper in its entirety; in other cases, a significant excerpt or quotation is provided. Either way, you can read for yourself–without concern about misrepresentation–the groundbreaking ideas expressed by Woodworth, Hill, Sherrington, Bernstein, Fenn, Hughlings Jackson, Denny-Brown, and others.

Classics in Movement Science begins with a thorough and provocative introductory chapter on the beginnings of movement science, which sets the stage for the rest of the book. The text is well illustrated, featuring 90 rich representations of drawings contained in the original classics.

Classics in Movement Science is the only text of its kind available today. It provides students and scholars of movement science with a lively and varied forum for analyzing the great ideas of the past and their development at present.

This volume presents thirteen selections from classical works in the areas of biomechanics, motor control, and the neurophysiology of movement. Each is paired with commentary by a contemporary scientist working in the same field. Hence, both the original work and a discussion of its influence are available for consideration. Among the scientists whose work is included are Bernstein, Braune, Fischer, Denny-Brown, Pennybacker, Fenn, Elftman, Granit, von Helmholz, Hill, Jackson, Lombard, Sherrington, Wachholder, and Woodworth. The opening chapter introduces the history of movement science. Annotation c. Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)

Doody Review Services

Reviewer:James C. Galloway, PhD, PT(University of Delaware)
Description:This book contains the classic writings of 12 influential movement scientists of the past together with interpretations and annotations by current scientists in the fields of biomechanics, neuromuscular physiology and psychology. Such a compilation is unique in the interdisciplinary field of movement science.
Purpose:The editors aspire to combine a glance back at select historical writings with a current (and necessarily subjective) interpretation from workers active in the specific field of the now classic work. Each contributing author takes readers back to the issues and techniques of the time of the original thoughts, then brings them forward with this new perspective to the modern issues of movement science. The editors and authors succeed in delivering a rich and detailed work that is part reference book, part historical celebration, and part review of the current issues.
Audience:Although this is not an introductory motor control text, it is well suited to the serious student of movement science, whether undergraduate or full professor. Neurologists and physical therapists involved in motor control research will also find several chapters containing issues directly relevant to clinical diagnosis and rehabilitation.
Features:The first chapter by Onno Meijer provides an essay on the historical significance of attempting to coordinate and control things in the world, whether they are limbs or clocks. Subsequent chapters are devoted to the writings of one or two authors within a specific field. These include N. A. Bernstein (multijoint control), W. Braune and O. Fisher (mechanics and muscle activity in gait), R. Granit (spinal circuitry), A.V. Hill (muscle performance), W. O. Fenn and H. Elftman (mechanical work), Hughlings Jackson (cortical organization), Sherrington (neurophysiology) and Robert Woodworth (motor control theory). No book is without limitations. Historical writings can be labored, rambling, and ambiguous. Interpretations are subjective. Thus, qualified guesses become prophecy whereas hard fought findings are dismissed as obvious. Issues critical to one field of movement science are drivel to another. This book has all of these characteristics, but I expected this as a natural result of a book that is as much about scientific, personal, and historical relationships as about facts, figures, or technology.
Assessment:The editors and authors should be congratulated on a very fine effort. This is a book to turn to for issues and data, as well as for history and perspective on much that is coordination and control. Lastly, this is the type of book that you check before you write or discuss an idea as 'new' to avoid that audience member who publicly reminds you that actually King Charles V had the same idea in the 1500s and he was wrong, but Bernstein solved the problem in the summer of 1935!

Mark L. Latash, PhD, is a professor of kinesiology at Penn State University. Since the 1970s he has worked extensively in the areas of normal and disordered motor control. He is the author of Neurophysiological Basis of Movement and Control of Human Movement and the editor of Progress in Motor Control, volume 1, and the journal Motor Control. He also translated Bernstein's classic On Dexterity and Its Development in 1996. He has written more than 100 papers published in refereed journals.

Dr. Latash was an assistant professor and associate professor in the department of physiology and the department of physical medicine and rehabilitation at Rush Medical College in Chicago, Illinois.

He earned a master's degree in physics of living systems from the Moscow Physico-Technical Institute in 1976 and a PhD in physiology from Rush University in 1989. He is a member of the Society for Neuroscience and the American Society of Biomechanics.

Vladimir M. Zatsiorsky, PhD, is an expert in the biomechanics of human motion. He has been a professor in the department of kinesiology at Penn State University since 1991 and is the director of the university's biomechanics laboratory. Before to coming to North America in 1990, Dr. Zatsiorsky served as professor and chair of the department of biomechanics at the Central Institute of Physical Culture in Moscow. He has received several awards for his achievements, including the Geoffrey Dyson Award from the International Society of Biomechanics in Sport (the society's highest honor).

Dr. Zatsiorsky has authored or co-authored more than 250 scientific papers. He has also authored or co-authored 11 books on various aspects of biomechanics that have been published in English, Russian, German, Italian, Spanish, Portuguese, Chinese, Japanese, Polish, Romanian, Czech, Serbo-Croation, and Bulgarian. His latest books are Science and Practice of Strength Training (1995), Kinematics of Human Motion (1997), and Biomechanics in Sport (2000, editor).