Exercise Physiology: A Thematic Approach eBook

Held does an excellent job of exploring and explaining some quirks of human anatomy. Through a series of interesting and provocative questions, he examines human development and evolution in an entertaining and didactic but rigorous way. Using the coined term “bislagiatt,” an acronym for “but it seemed like a good idea at the time”, and an array of fascinating diagrams with detailed explanations, the author sets out to show how the current discipline of evolutionary development, or evo-devo, can address some of the most fundamental aspects of human form, growth, and development. Questions such as why some parts of our anatomy are symmetric and others are not, why are arms different from legs, why men and women have different size and shapes, and why some of our structures seem ill-equipped for certain tasks, provide the basis for covering much of what is known about evolution, genetics, and development. “Quirks of Human Anatomy” would be quite useful as additional reading for any course on evolution or development. It also stands alone as a very worthwhile, very enjoyable scientific book.