"Although everyone who has ever had a cold is familiar with the human immune system and its importance, few understand just how complex and intricate the immune system is. In Immune, Internet creator and storyteller Philipp Dettmer takes readers on a journey through the fortress of the human body and its defenses. There is a constant battle raging just under our skin, full of stories of invasion, strategy, defeat, and noble self-sacrifice. In fact,...

"We assume we know our bodies intimately, but for many of us they remain uncharted territory. How many of us understand the way seizures affect the brain, how the heart is connected to wellbeing, or the why the foot carries the key to our humanity? In Adventures in Human Being, award-winning author Gavin Francis leads readers on a journey into the hidden pathways of the human body, offering a guide to its inner workings and a celebration of its marvels....

For fans of Bill Bryson and Mary Roach, this entertaining exploration of human evolution reveals where we inherited our adaptable, achy, brilliant bodies. "From blurry vision to crooked teeth, ACLs that tear at alarming rates and spines that seem to spend a lifetime falling apart, it's a curious thing that human beings have beaten the odds as a species. After all, we're the only survivors on our branch of the tree of life. The flaws in our makeup...

Few of us realize what strange wet miracles of science operate inside us after every meal. In her trademark style, Mary Roach investigates the beginning, and end, of our food.

"A lively and unconventional exploration of our senses, how they work, what is revealed when they don't, and how they connect us to the world. Over the past decade neuroscience has uncovered a wealth of new information about our senses and how they serve as our gateway to the world. This splendidly accessible book explores the most intriguing findings of this research. With infectious enthusiasm, Rob DeSalle illuminates not only how we see, hear,...

"The ageing of the world's population is one of the most important issues facing humanity in the 21st century. Sometime before 2020, the number of people over 65 worldwide will, for the first time, be greater than the number of 0-4 year olds, and this will keep on rising. The strain this is causing on society are already evident as health and social services everywhere struggle to cope with the care needs of the elderly. But why do we age, and how?...

"Every day, we are beset by millions of sounds-ambient ones like the rumble of the train and the hum of air conditioner, as well as more pronounced sounds, such as human speech, music, and sirens. But how do we process what we hear every day? This book answers such revealing questions as: Why do we often fall asleep on train rides or in the car, and what does it have to do with hearing? What is it about the sound of fingernails on a chalkboard that...

Combines anatomical terminology and function so readers not only learn names and terms but also gain an understanding of how the human body works. Readers of this updated edition will come to understand the meanings of terms in anatomy and physiology, will get to know the body's anatomical structures, and will gain insights into how the structures and systems function in sickness and health.

"Some low-frequency sounds--such as noise from storms or truck engines--can make you feel dizzy and nauseated. An index finger's light touch can stop people from losing balance. You are more prone to trip when you think someone is watching you. A breakthrough in improving balance as we age might just come through the study of the Achilles tendon. A person gets "falling down drunk" due to a tiny structure in the inner ear that floats when it becomes...

"A clear and straightforward explanation of genetics in this new edition of the popular 101 series. Our genetic makeup determines so much about who we are, and what we pass on to our children--from eye color, to height, to health, and even our longevity.Genetics 101 breaks down the science of how genes are inherited and passed from parents to offspring, what DNA is and how it works, how your DNA affects your health, and how you can use your personal...