Essentials of Anatomy and Physiology, 2 vols.

The purpose of these volumes is to provide undergraduate students taking an introductory course in anatomy and physiology with a textbook and a workbook. Considering the number of textbooks available on these subjects, producing a text that stands out from the crowd is a formidable task. This text, however, is as good as any I have seen covering the same topics and offers the student more than just a reference text. The authors have succeeded in producing a text that provides a high-quality learning experience for the student new to these subjects.

The text covers all the major organ systems and includes introductory chapters on biochemistry, cells, and developmental anatomy. It appears to be comprehensive, providing adequate depth of coverage for an introductory course in anatomy and physiology. I do not believe, however, that this text and workbook are detailed enough for an advanced anatomy course covering musculoskeletal studies or neuroanatomy, as required by physical therapy students. There are three things that set these volumes apart from most other anatomy and physiology books: illustrations, format, and the student workbook.

The most outstanding feature of the text is the use of numerous, clear, and colorful illustrations. The illustrations are both multicolored and well-labeled and make it much easier for the student to visualize relationships between form and function. The publisher also offers a set of transparencies that are replications of the textbook illustrations.

The format of the text appears to be one that will maximize student learning. Each chapter is organized in the same way, beginning with a chapter outline and student objectives, followed by a terminology list for that chapter. Along with the traditional coverage of each topic, the text uses clinical applications to bridge the gap between didactic knowledge and clinical practice. The text makes excellent use of tables and bold-faced type to clarify and organize material, as well as to emphasize new words and definitions. Each chapter ends with a study outline that consists of a quick review of the main points in that chapter and review questions for the student to study. The publisher also offers an instructor's manual, which includes answers to the review questions and discussion topics. The text has a complete and easy-to-use index, along with a glossary section that serves as a dictionary, giving pronunciations and definitons for key words used in the text.

The student workbook is a major highlight of this two-volume set. The workbook provides a chapter of questions corresponding to each chapter of the text. The workbook includes short-answer, matching, and multiple-choice questions. There are numerous well-drawn diagrams to label and even a crossword puzzle using key words presented in each chapter. There are also problem-solving questions relating to clinical diagnoses.

Overall, the books accomplish their stated goal of providing students with a text and workbook that will "help them be successful in their introductory anatomy and physiology course." These books would be applicable for any allied health professional enrolled in this type of course. They would not, however, be detailed enough for the physical therapist who wishes to have an in-depth reference book, nor for use in an advanced anatomy or physiology course. Professors who are looking for an introductory text and workbook of this nature should definitely consider these books.