Biological Sciences in The Books Store

Besides heft and beauty, Animal has authority. Editors-in-chief David Burnie and Don E. Wilson are top biologists, and they have assembled a crack team of consultants for each section of the book. For instance, Richard Rosenblatt of the Scripps Institution of Oceanography takes charge of the chapter on fishes, so all the classification, behavior, and distribution data is up-to-date and full of the kind of detail that comes from years of professional specialization. In addition to basic size, location, and status information, each animal gets a short, one- to two-paragraph description, enough to give a feel for the creature:

The blackfin icefish produces a natural "antifreeze," enabling it to survive in the subzero waters of the Antarctic. It lacks red blood cells and hence looks rather pale, but has excellent blood circulation, and a strong heart which weighs as much as that of a small mammal. Its large, toothy mouth led to it being called the crocodile fish by 19th-century whalers.

Biodiversity has never been more at the forefront of biologists' concerns, and Animal reports on the issues critical to ecology, from habitat loss to the species that are most endangered within each class.

Whether you’re an aspiring health-care or fitness professional or just somebody who’s curious about the human body and how it works, this book offers you a fun, easy way get a handle on the basics of anatomy and physiology.  In no time you’ll:

• Understand the meanings of terms in anatomy and physiology
• Get to know the body’s anatomical structures—from head to toe
• Explore the body’s systems and how they interact to keep us alive
• Gain insights into how the structures and systems function in sickness and health
• Understand the human reproductive system and how it creates new life

Written in plain English and illustrated with dozens of beautiful illustrations, Anatomy and Physiology For Dummies covers everything from atoms to cells to organs, including:

• Anatomic position and the divisions of the body
• Increasingly magnified aspects of the body, from atoms to organs to systems
• The anatomy and pathophysiology of the skeleton, muscles and skin
• The anatomy, physiology, pathophysiology of the nervous, endocrine and circulatory systems
• The anatomy, physiology, and pathophysiology of the respiratory, digestive, urinary and immune systems
• The anatomy, physiology, and pathophysiology of the reproductive system
• Keeping the body healthy through good nutrition

One of the world's leading neuroscientists explores how best to understand the human condition by examining the biological, psychological, and highly social nature of our species within the social context of our lives.

What happened along the evolutionary trail that made humans so unique? In his widely accessible style, Michael Gazzaniga looks to a broad range of studies to pinpoint the change that made us thinking, sentient humans, different from our predecessors.

Neuroscience has been fixated on the life of the psychological self for the past fifty years, focusing on the brain systems underlying language, memory, emotion, and perception. What it has not done is consider the stark reality that most of the time we humans are thinking about social processes, comparing ourselves to and estimating the intentions of others. In Human, Gazzaniga explores a number of related issues, including what makes human brains unique, the importance of language and art in defining the human condition, the nature of human consciousness, and even artificial intelligence.