awesome not a gimmick its awesome, 19 Jul 2008
My husband a dentist bought this book in 1994/5 the second edition and I use it now (he only coloured in the head) I am studying medicine and this book is awesome, the reason being I have a pictorial memory and by learning by colouring it has helped tremendously, in addition it is great when you are running out of time and the table at the back is invaluable giving you a breakdown of the muscle and the nerve supply and root value, I would definitely recommend getting this book for any medical student, I used this book as main core knowledge and built on it its a great starting block, I have limited spacial awareness and the way this books layers each muscle group is a real asset, it separates muscles groups into logical orders making them easier to remember. Given the fact that we learnt from prosection I honestly found this book a valuable asset. I photocopied the pages after colouring it in stuck it in a plastic wallet and took it in to the dissecting room that was a huge benefit as it helps you to learn quickly what you are looking at and it doesn't take much prep time worth every single penny!!! When Paul told me about the book in 1994 and I never of course needed it I thought aye right Paul its a gimmick you'll waste time, well now I need it, it really isn't a gimmick its awesome.

Fantastic teaching Aid!, 20 Feb 2008
I have been teaching Anatomy & Physiology for many years and this book is the best for; visual learning, physical, in the colouring aspect,in addition to supporting the auditory lecture. A fun yet infomative and effective method to reach all learning styles. A great asset to teaching!

A great resource for learning anatomy, 03 Aug 2007
Having just completed the first year of a medical degree, I can vouch for the usefulness of this anatomy colouring book. While I might have felt like my education had regressed somewhat after hours spent colouring in, this really is an excellent way to learn.

The diagrams are so clear and well laid-out that I ended up cutting out the pages and using them as an integral part of my notes. The page on the peritoneal sac was literally the clearest explanation I've seen anywhere. But as well as that, the actual process of putting coloured pencil to paper means that they stick in your head far better than a diagram you've just stared at in a book. It's a welcome (and often therapeutic!) respite from reading/writing notes, and the challenge of a different way of learning really makes the massive memory task of anatomy much easier.

However, as others have said, it's by no means sufficient on its own as a way to study anatomy. Perhaps its greatest weakness is that it's organised systemically, ie muscles/bones/nerves/blood vessels etc. This is an approach that's more useful when it comes to learning the muscles and bones, but it gives barely any indication of the relations to other structures - something that's essential to learn especially in a medical degree, and which my course particularly focussed on. This also means that details such as nerve/blood supply to muscles is rather weak. As well as that, the more 'physiological' pages (eg the immune system) are much more messily drawn and less clearly set out.

However, in conjunction with other resources and used alongside a more detailed anatomy course, this is a very useful book, and one which made learning anatomy much easier.

Fab book for revision, 25 Apr 2007
I brought this book half way through my first year of Physiotherapy, and found it so helpful, especially for revising musculoskeletal as it helped me put all the muscles into place, along with revising the bones and joints. It also has the nervous system and respiratory anatomy so it has been a very good buy, and ive recommended it to all my friends!
Learning while colouring sounded a brilliant option to me!


Good as learning aid or for revision., 30 Jan 2006
For various reasons I decided to revise my anatomy this year after a break of 24 years and bought this book for entertainment purposes.

In 1982 this book was in its first edition and I remember considering purchasing it, but everyone bought Snell and I wasn't prepared to take the risk. In the end I ended up learning anatomy by drawing my own diagrams so this book would have probably come in handy.

The diagrams are clear and the process of colouring-in key elements helps with learning. However the textual information is superficial and the body's components are not integrated together.

I think this book is well placed if you want to use visual imagery to learn anatomy or if you need a revision aid. However you will need other sources if you want to learn gross anatomy in detail from scratch.

awesome not a gimmick its awesome, 19 Jul 2008
My husband a dentist bought this book in 1994/5 the second edition and I use it now (he only coloured in the head) I am studying medicine and this book is awesome, the reason being I have a pictorial memory and by learning by colouring it has helped tremendously, in addition it is great when you are running out of time and the table at the back is invaluable giving you a breakdown of the muscle and the nerve supply and root value, I would definitely recommend getting this book for any medical student, I used this book as main core knowledge and built on it its a great starting block, I have limited spacial awareness and the way this books layers each muscle group is a real asset, it separates muscles groups into logical orders making them easier to remember. Given the fact that we learnt from prosection I honestly found this book a valuable asset. I photocopied the pages after colouring it in stuck it in a plastic wallet and took it in to the dissecting room that was a huge benefit as it helps you to learn quickly what you are looking at and it doesn't take much prep time worth every single penny!!! When Paul told me about the book in 1994 and I never of course needed it I thought aye right Paul its a gimmick you'll waste time, well now I need it, it really isn't a gimmick its awesome.

Fantastic teaching Aid!, 20 Feb 2008
I have been teaching Anatomy & Physiology for many years and this book is the best for; visual learning, physical, in the colouring aspect,in addition to supporting the auditory lecture. A fun yet infomative and effective method to reach all learning styles. A great asset to teaching!

A great resource for learning anatomy, 03 Aug 2007
Having just completed the first year of a medical degree, I can vouch for the usefulness of this anatomy colouring book. While I might have felt like my education had regressed somewhat after hours spent colouring in, this really is an excellent way to learn.

The diagrams are so clear and well laid-out that I ended up cutting out the pages and using them as an integral part of my notes. The page on the peritoneal sac was literally the clearest explanation I've seen anywhere. But as well as that, the actual process of putting coloured pencil to paper means that they stick in your head far better than a diagram you've just stared at in a book. It's a welcome (and often therapeutic!) respite from reading/writing notes, and the challenge of a different way of learning really makes the massive memory task of anatomy much easier.

However, as others have said, it's by no means sufficient on its own as a way to study anatomy. Perhaps its greatest weakness is that it's organised systemically, ie muscles/bones/nerves/blood vessels etc. This is an approach that's more useful when it comes to learning the muscles and bones, but it gives barely any indication of the relations to other structures - something that's essential to learn especially in a medical degree, and which my course particularly focussed on. This also means that details such as nerve/blood supply to muscles is rather weak. As well as that, the more 'physiological' pages (eg the immune system) are much more messily drawn and less clearly set out.

However, in conjunction with other resources and used alongside a more detailed anatomy course, this is a very useful book, and one which made learning anatomy much easier.

Fab book for revision, 25 Apr 2007
I brought this book half way through my first year of Physiotherapy, and found it so helpful, especially for revising musculoskeletal as it helped me put all the muscles into place, along with revising the bones and joints. It also has the nervous system and respiratory anatomy so it has been a very good buy, and ive recommended it to all my friends!
Learning while colouring sounded a brilliant option to me!


Good as learning aid or for revision., 30 Jan 2006
For various reasons I decided to revise my anatomy this year after a break of 24 years and bought this book for entertainment purposes.

In 1982 this book was in its first edition and I remember considering purchasing it, but everyone bought Snell and I wasn't prepared to take the risk. In the end I ended up learning anatomy by drawing my own diagrams so this book would have probably come in handy.

The diagrams are clear and the process of colouring-in key elements helps with learning. However the textual information is superficial and the body's components are not integrated together.

I think this book is well placed if you want to use visual imagery to learn anatomy or if you need a revision aid. However you will need other sources if you want to learn gross anatomy in detail from scratch.

Comprehensive, but with some minor annoyances, 29 Oct 2008
This is a very interesting book, and certainly succeeds in providing a good introduction to the wonders of the human body.

The previous reviewers on here seemed to love this book, and while I found it a good read, I would like to mention a few minor annoyances that prevented it from earning a top rating from me.

Firstly: anatomy books need to have a lot of pictures or diagrams. While this book does have some, I felt that there weren't nearly enough. More often that not, the uninitiated reader is given a text description, and left to draw a picture in their head (or look it up somewhere else).

Secondly, the book has far, far too many cross references, in the form of text in brackets referring the reader to an earlier/later chapter/section/paragraph. Though the author states at the start that the book is designed to be read in any order, this overuse of references really breaks up the flow - and is, in any case, not necessary, as there is perfectly good table of contents at the front, and an index at the back!

Thirdly, terms are sometimes used before they're defined, which can be a little confusing.

Finally, the author tries to lighten the mood by use of puns and jokes. I'm sure that lots of readers will enjoy her sense of humour. I, regrettably, found it quite annoying.

So to summarise: a comprehensive beginners' guide to the human body, let down by some minor annoyances.

Superb, 12 Apr 2007
As with all Dummies books, this one is excellent. Covers all areas of Anatomy and Physiology from A'Level and through to at least 2nd Year Degree level. Physiological Systems and Anatomy are explained in a humorous way with many well thought out analigies to really give you a understanding of complex subjects. once again if you are doing A'Level or starting a degree in any human based science then this is a must have. Superb

Ain't the body great?, 21 Dec 2006
This book is really good at getting someone from basic biology to understanding how the body works. The book flows through from cells to organs and then onto how the organs work together, just so that you can still be alive to read this review!

It does try to make light of things, with jokes here and there (you may even giggle at some of them too) and also lots of examples to help things sink-in.


Great book that's really easy to understand., 22 Oct 2004
This is a great book which I highly recommend. It explains everything in very simple terms making it easy to get your head round. I am a nursing student and used it to help me through my anatomy and physiology exam. It was fantastic for helping me to lay the foundations needed to get to grips with some of the more complicated aspects of a&p. That said it was not as detailed as I would have needed to completely get me through the exam. I found it worked well as a book to read before looking at the more detailed and technical text books which are a lot more daunting.

It uses lots of every day examples to make things easier to understand and remember. For example it likens the negative and positive feedback systems within the body to a thermostat like you might have in your home which will only make changes if the environmental temperature changes.

Makes anatomy & physiology very accessible.

awesome not a gimmick its awesome, 19 Jul 2008
My husband a dentist bought this book in 1994/5 the second edition and I use it now (he only coloured in the head) I am studying medicine and this book is awesome, the reason being I have a pictorial memory and by learning by colouring it has helped tremendously, in addition it is great when you are running out of time and the table at the back is invaluable giving you a breakdown of the muscle and the nerve supply and root value, I would definitely recommend getting this book for any medical student, I used this book as main core knowledge and built on it its a great starting block, I have limited spacial awareness and the way this books layers each muscle group is a real asset, it separates muscles groups into logical orders making them easier to remember. Given the fact that we learnt from prosection I honestly found this book a valuable asset. I photocopied the pages after colouring it in stuck it in a plastic wallet and took it in to the dissecting room that was a huge benefit as it helps you to learn quickly what you are looking at and it doesn't take much prep time worth every single penny!!! When Paul told me about the book in 1994 and I never of course needed it I thought aye right Paul its a gimmick you'll waste time, well now I need it, it really isn't a gimmick its awesome.

Fantastic teaching Aid!, 20 Feb 2008
I have been teaching Anatomy & Physiology for many years and this book is the best for; visual learning, physical, in the colouring aspect,in addition to supporting the auditory lecture. A fun yet infomative and effective method to reach all learning styles. A great asset to teaching!

A great resource for learning anatomy, 03 Aug 2007
Having just completed the first year of a medical degree, I can vouch for the usefulness of this anatomy colouring book. While I might have felt like my education had regressed somewhat after hours spent colouring in, this really is an excellent way to learn.

The diagrams are so clear and well laid-out that I ended up cutting out the pages and using them as an integral part of my notes. The page on the peritoneal sac was literally the clearest explanation I've seen anywhere. But as well as that, the actual process of putting coloured pencil to paper means that they stick in your head far better than a diagram you've just stared at in a book. It's a welcome (and often therapeutic!) respite from reading/writing notes, and the challenge of a different way of learning really makes the massive memory task of anatomy much easier.

However, as others have said, it's by no means sufficient on its own as a way to study anatomy. Perhaps its greatest weakness is that it's organised systemically, ie muscles/bones/nerves/blood vessels etc. This is an approach that's more useful when it comes to learning the muscles and bones, but it gives barely any indication of the relations to other structures - something that's essential to learn especially in a medical degree, and which my course particularly focussed on. This also means that details such as nerve/blood supply to muscles is rather weak. As well as that, the more 'physiological' pages (eg the immune system) are much more messily drawn and less clearly set out.

However, in conjunction with other resources and used alongside a more detailed anatomy course, this is a very useful book, and one which made learning anatomy much easier.

Fab book for revision, 25 Apr 2007
I brought this book half way through my first year of Physiotherapy, and found it so helpful, especially for revising musculoskeletal as it helped me put all the muscles into place, along with revising the bones and joints. It also has the nervous system and respiratory anatomy so it has been a very good buy, and ive recommended it to all my friends!
Learning while colouring sounded a brilliant option to me!


Good as learning aid or for revision., 30 Jan 2006
For various reasons I decided to revise my anatomy this year after a break of 24 years and bought this book for entertainment purposes.

In 1982 this book was in its first edition and I remember considering purchasing it, but everyone bought Snell and I wasn't prepared to take the risk. In the end I ended up learning anatomy by drawing my own diagrams so this book would have probably come in handy.

The diagrams are clear and the process of colouring-in key elements helps with learning. However the textual information is superficial and the body's components are not integrated together.

I think this book is well placed if you want to use visual imagery to learn anatomy or if you need a revision aid. However you will need other sources if you want to learn gross anatomy in detail from scratch.

Comprehensive, but with some minor annoyances, 29 Oct 2008
This is a very interesting book, and certainly succeeds in providing a good introduction to the wonders of the human body.

The previous reviewers on here seemed to love this book, and while I found it a good read, I would like to mention a few minor annoyances that prevented it from earning a top rating from me.

Firstly: anatomy books need to have a lot of pictures or diagrams. While this book does have some, I felt that there weren't nearly enough. More often that not, the uninitiated reader is given a text description, and left to draw a picture in their head (or look it up somewhere else).

Secondly, the book has far, far too many cross references, in the form of text in brackets referring the reader to an earlier/later chapter/section/paragraph. Though the author states at the start that the book is designed to be read in any order, this overuse of references really breaks up the flow - and is, in any case, not necessary, as there is perfectly good table of contents at the front, and an index at the back!

Thirdly, terms are sometimes used before they're defined, which can be a little confusing.

Finally, the author tries to lighten the mood by use of puns and jokes. I'm sure that lots of readers will enjoy her sense of humour. I, regrettably, found it quite annoying.

So to summarise: a comprehensive beginners' guide to the human body, let down by some minor annoyances.

Superb, 12 Apr 2007
As with all Dummies books, this one is excellent. Covers all areas of Anatomy and Physiology from A'Level and through to at least 2nd Year Degree level. Physiological Systems and Anatomy are explained in a humorous way with many well thought out analigies to really give you a understanding of complex subjects. once again if you are doing A'Level or starting a degree in any human based science then this is a must have. Superb

Ain't the body great?, 21 Dec 2006
This book is really good at getting someone from basic biology to understanding how the body works. The book flows through from cells to organs and then onto how the organs work together, just so that you can still be alive to read this review!

It does try to make light of things, with jokes here and there (you may even giggle at some of them too) and also lots of examples to help things sink-in.


Great book that's really easy to understand., 22 Oct 2004
This is a great book which I highly recommend. It explains everything in very simple terms making it easy to get your head round. I am a nursing student and used it to help me through my anatomy and physiology exam. It was fantastic for helping me to lay the foundations needed to get to grips with some of the more complicated aspects of a&p. That said it was not as detailed as I would have needed to completely get me through the exam. I found it worked well as a book to read before looking at the more detailed and technical text books which are a lot more daunting.

It uses lots of every day examples to make things easier to understand and remember. For example it likens the negative and positive feedback systems within the body to a thermostat like you might have in your home which will only make changes if the environmental temperature changes.

Makes anatomy & physiology very accessible.

Lightweight but worthwhile, 03 Oct 2008
Whilst always very readable, there's something just a little unsatisfying about Neil Shubin's exploration of the evolution of the body up to the one currently occupied by homo sapiens. I think ultimately because it comes over as a little too lightweight, even though the subject is overwhelmingly big.

Nevertheless, there is no denying, ultimately, the level of fascination in the material.

It is, of course, not always comforting to find that, once analysed, human beings are based on the same blueprint as any other animal with a head (and anus, as it happens - Shubin seems to take delight in repeating the word) and some without, where mouth and anus (there it is again!) combine, as in the sea anemone.

Through words and pictures the author demonstrates the similarities between your nearest and dearest and sharks, salamanders, flies and all sorts of other creatures you normally wouldn't be inviting to a family reunion. There's an inevitable quantity of technical vocabulary, but it's never in torrents so it never overwhelms.

So whilst a trifle unsatisfactory as heavyweight Natural History, the book has more than enough going for it to recommend it to the general reader.

Post Script

Some way through the book I will admit to reflecting on first its potential as a treatise on evolution, but then second on the potential it holds for the Intelligent Design lobby - basic blueprint, materials reuse, continuous development.

Shubin doesn't tackle this, which is a shame; I'm reminded of the misuse of Nietzsche under different circumstances and wonder at the naïveté of it all. The ID myth is, of course, nothing more than that, but why give it a potential scientific credence?

A brief check confirms that Shubin is in the evolutionary camp, but that does not dispel some of the ambiguity of Inner Fish, with mentions of the Creator (his capital), no small amount of teleology (suggesting on a number of occasions that species determined for themselves in what direction to develop), and the suggestion that a basic "design" "arose" rather than that a pattern evolved - incredibly there is not much mention of the word "evolution".

In a period during which the forces of reaction are trying their best to roll back the gains of evolutionary science in dispelling superstition, it seems irresponsible to provide them with an open goal.


Good but not splendid, 28 Aug 2008
Neil Shubin, codiscoverer of the Tiktaalit, shows in this book that to become a human you must first become a fish. Its a wonderful argument against the notion of `intelligent design'. Or would you call a car manufacturer intelligent who makes a Mercedes by first building a wooden coach? Nevertheless there is an unwholesome streak of creationism and anti-darwinism in Shubins otherwise lucid descriptions, a streak which seems to belong to US-American culture like Samba belongs to Brazil. For example, he criticizes Haeckels `ontogeny recapitulates phylogeny' understanding of the way evolution shows up in embryos when Haeckel "would compare a human embryo to an adult fish". But any changes in the features of an embryo - like going from fish to human - require the action of natural selection to have acted once - and not on an embryo. Natural selection operates on the reproduction success of an animal, and that means adults. Therefore, for any developmental stage of an embryo, there must have existed an adult creature that had evolved just to this stage; and when you trace the embryonic development, a fossil must exist at every level that had achieved just this stage. To understand the embyro, you need to understand Natural selection, which means you must understand the reproduction success of the adult. It does not suffice to compare the embryos of different species - their "blueprints" ; Shubin just loves to talk all the time about "blueprints", which is a typical design term. Tracing embryos runs parallel to tracing the fossils of adults.
For another example, look at the way he describes the recent research situation when it was found that "in many single-celled animals, much of the molecular machinery for cell adhesion, interaction, and so on is just not there", which "would seem to support the notion that the genes that help cells unite to make bodies arose together with the origin of bodies. And at first glance, it seems to make sense that the tools to build bodies should arise in lockstep with the bodies themselves." This idea makes sense, yes - if you are a creationist. If you think like Haeckel, this is nonsense because for selection to produce bodies there must have been a single cell animal with all the needed machinery existing. And as Shubin beautifully narrates, just such an animal turned up : the choanoflagellates.
Science has been kind to Haeckel, contrary to what Shubin asserts in the book.
Despite my reservations, I highly recommend his book because of Shubins genuine enthusiasm for his subject, and the wealth of new results that he presents. If it had more of Dawkins and much less Gould in it, it would have been splendid. The pictures are as miserable as I have come to expect nowadays in good books about science.


The Story of Fossils and Geneology, 26 Aug 2008
Through extensive fossil records and geneology, Mr. Shubin takes the reader through the development of single celled organisms (bacteria), multi-cell (jellyfish), bodies (worms), skull (fish), hands and feet (reptiles), three-boned middle ear (mammals), and finally, bipedal with large brain (humans).

We have in us anatomical design improvements that can take us only so far from our water borne ancestors. Mr. Shubin asserts if humans were designed from scratch, "we would not have to suffer everything from hemorrhoids to cancer."

If, like me, you have always wondered why the male scrotum tucks close to the body in chilling weather, "Your Inner Fish" is an excellent source.

Curiously, Mr. Shubin made no mention of how a Cro-Magnon was able to win the U.S. presidency twice; in 2000 and 2004.

And a marvellous fish it is, 22 Aug 2008
Neil Shubin has an extraordinary gift for making science that can be difficult to sift through highly interesting. Drawing on his own and other's discoveries many of the more difficult areas of human development are covered with a truly admirable passion. Throughout the book Shubin's passion literally leaps of the page making the book an enjoyable one-sitting read

Shubin's Majestic Trek into the Human Body, Billions of Years in the Making, 08 Aug 2008
"Your Inner Fish" truly merits ample praise for being one of the best-written books on science I've read in years. It also ranks easily as an early, leading candidate as one of the finest books published this year. In clear, concise, and quite vivid, prose, this marvelous terse tome recounts in spectacular fashion, the incredible saga of the evolutionary history of our human body. Vertebrate paleobiologist and anatomy professor Neil Shubin is our enthusiastic, expert guide through this amazing journey into our body's primordial past, weaving with utmost brevity, a most compelling, and intricate, tale from fossils, genes and developmental biology. A fascinating trek through these aspects of evolutionary biology that represents too an intriguing personal scientific odyssey from a novice graduate student to a seasoned scientific veteran of major field expeditions in search of rare, often unique, vertebrate fossils across the globe and of substantial laboratory work in evolutionary developmental biology. In short, in terse, exquisite, well-written, prose, Shubin demonstrates the deep evolutionary connections that unite humanity not only with other mammals, but with other vertebrates too, and indeed, as well, with a veritable tree of life.

Most of Shubin's succinct chapters are devoted to the evolutionary history of both the human body plan and its major organs, such as the eyes and teeth. The opening chapters briefly explain man's kinship with other vertebrates, and recount the unexpected discovery by Shubin and his team of Tiktaalik, the earliest known transitional fossil between fish and tetrapods (land-dwelling vertebrates, including us). These are followed by an extremely short, quite lucid, introduction to the relevance of genetics in evolutionary developmental biology research (Chapter Three), in which Shubin clearly traces the evolution of limbs from fins to bird wings, and finally, human hands. Succeeding chapters include those devoted to the evolutionary history of teeth (Chapter Four), eyes (Chapter Nine) and ears (Chapter Ten). However, the two most intriguing chapters are those devoted to the development of the vertebrate body plan (Chapter Six) - drawing upon both classical embryology and modern molecular biology and genetics, emphasizing the importance of Hox genes - and the evolutionary developmental history of multicellular animals (Chapter 7), culminating in a terse discussion of the Precambrian Ediacaran fauna. Shubin concludes this fascinating little volume with an intriguing discussion (Chapter 11) of human ailments ranging from hiccups to hernias and obesity, demonstrating how these have their origins in our distant evolutionary past, as far back as four hundred million years ago. Without a doubt, "Your Inner Fish" will delight not only students - and others - interested in evolutionary biology, but also those seeking a deeper understanding of both human anatomy and medicine from the perspective of evolutionary biology.

awesome not a gimmick its awesome, 19 Jul 2008
My husband a dentist bought this book in 1994/5 the second edition and I use it now (he only coloured in the head) I am studying medicine and this book is awesome, the reason being I have a pictorial memory and by learning by colouring it has helped tremendously, in addition it is great when you are running out of time and the table at the back is invaluable giving you a breakdown of the muscle and the nerve supply and root value, I would definitely recommend getting this book for any medical student, I used this book as main core knowledge and built on it its a great starting block, I have limited spacial awareness and the way this books layers each muscle group is a real asset, it separates muscles groups into logical orders making them easier to remember. Given the fact that we learnt from prosection I honestly found this book a valuable asset. I photocopied the pages after colouring it in stuck it in a plastic wallet and took it in to the dissecting room that was a huge benefit as it helps you to learn quickly what you are looking at and it doesn't take much prep time worth every single penny!!! When Paul told me about the book in 1994 and I never of course needed it I thought aye right Paul its a gimmick you'll waste time, well now I need it, it really isn't a gimmick its awesome.

Fantastic teaching Aid!, 20 Feb 2008
I have been teaching Anatomy & Physiology for many years and this book is the best for; visual learning, physical, in the colouring aspect,in addition to supporting the auditory lecture. A fun yet infomative and effective method to reach all learning styles. A great asset to teaching!

A great resource for learning anatomy, 03 Aug 2007
Having just completed the first year of a medical degree, I can vouch for the usefulness of this anatomy colouring book. While I might have felt like my education had regressed somewhat after hours spent colouring in, this really is an excellent way to learn.

The diagrams are so clear and well laid-out that I ended up cutting out the pages and using them as an integral part of my notes. The page on the peritoneal sac was literally the clearest explanation I've seen anywhere. But as well as that, the actual process of putting coloured pencil to paper means that they stick in your head far better than a diagram you've just stared at in a book. It's a welcome (and often therapeutic!) respite from reading/writing notes, and the challenge of a different way of learning really makes the massive memory task of anatomy much easier.

However, as others have said, it's by no means sufficient on its own as a way to study anatomy. Perhaps its greatest weakness is that it's organised systemically, ie muscles/bones/nerves/blood vessels etc. This is an approach that's more useful when it comes to learning the muscles and bones, but it gives barely any indication of the relations to other structures - something that's essential to learn especially in a medical degree, and which my course particularly focussed on. This also means that details such as nerve/blood supply to muscles is rather weak. As well as that, the more 'physiological' pages (eg the immune system) are much more messily drawn and less clearly set out.

However, in conjunction with other resources and used alongside a more detailed anatomy course, this is a very useful book, and one which made learning anatomy much easier.

Fab book for revision, 25 Apr 2007
I brought this book half way through my first year of Physiotherapy, and found it so helpful, especially for revising musculoskeletal as it helped me put all the muscles into place, along with revising the bones and joints. It also has the nervous system and respiratory anatomy so it has been a very good buy, and ive recommended it to all my friends!
Learning while colouring sounded a brilliant option to me!


Good as learning aid or for revision., 30 Jan 2006
For various reasons I decided to revise my anatomy this year after a break of 24 years and bought this book for entertainment purposes.

In 1982 this book was in its first edition and I remember considering purchasing it, but everyone bought Snell and I wasn't prepared to take the risk. In the end I ended up learning anatomy by drawing my own diagrams so this book would have probably come in handy.

The diagrams are clear and the process of colouring-in key elements helps with learning. However the textual information is superficial and the body's components are not integrated together.

I think this book is well placed if you want to use visual imagery to learn anatomy or if you need a revision aid. However you will need other sources if you want to learn gross anatomy in detail from scratch.

Comprehensive, but with some minor annoyances, 29 Oct 2008
This is a very interesting book, and certainly succeeds in providing a good introduction to the wonders of the human body.

The previous reviewers on here seemed to love this book, and while I found it a good read, I would like to mention a few minor annoyances that prevented it from earning a top rating from me.

Firstly: anatomy books need to have a lot of pictures or diagrams. While this book does have some, I felt that there weren't nearly enough. More often that not, the uninitiated reader is given a text description, and left to draw a picture in their head (or look it up somewhere else).

Secondly, the book has far, far too many cross references, in the form of text in brackets referring the reader to an earlier/later chapter/section/paragraph. Though the author states at the start that the book is designed to be read in any order, this overuse of references really breaks up the flow - and is, in any case, not necessary, as there is perfectly good table of contents at the front, and an index at the back!

Thirdly, terms are sometimes used before they're defined, which can be a little confusing.

Finally, the author tries to lighten the mood by use of puns and jokes. I'm sure that lots of readers will enjoy her sense of humour. I, regrettably, found it quite annoying.

So to summarise: a comprehensive beginners' guide to the human body, let down by some minor annoyances.

Superb, 12 Apr 2007
As with all Dummies books, this one is excellent. Covers all areas of Anatomy and Physiology from A'Level and through to at least 2nd Year Degree level. Physiological Systems and Anatomy are explained in a humorous way with many well thought out analigies to really give you a understanding of complex subjects. once again if you are doing A'Level or starting a degree in any human based science then this is a must have. Superb

Ain't the body great?, 21 Dec 2006
This book is really good at getting someone from basic biology to understanding how the body works. The book flows through from cells to organs and then onto how the organs work together, just so that you can still be alive to read this review!

It does try to make light of things, with jokes here and there (you may even giggle at some of them too) and also lots of examples to help things sink-in.


Great book that's really easy to understand., 22 Oct 2004
This is a great book which I highly recommend. It explains everything in very simple terms making it easy to get your head round. I am a nursing student and used it to help me through my anatomy and physiology exam. It was fantastic for helping me to lay the foundations needed to get to grips with some of the more complicated aspects of a&p. That said it was not as detailed as I would have needed to completely get me through the exam. I found it worked well as a book to read before looking at the more detailed and technical text books which are a lot more daunting.

It uses lots of every day examples to make things easier to understand and remember. For example it likens the negative and positive feedback systems within the body to a thermostat like you might have in your home which will only make changes if the environmental temperature changes.

Makes anatomy & physiology very accessible.

Lightweight but worthwhile, 03 Oct 2008
Whilst always very readable, there's something just a little unsatisfying about Neil Shubin's exploration of the evolution of the body up to the one currently occupied by homo sapiens. I think ultimately because it comes over as a little too lightweight, even though the subject is overwhelmingly big.

Nevertheless, there is no denying, ultimately, the level of fascination in the material.

It is, of course, not always comforting to find that, once analysed, human beings are based on the same blueprint as any other animal with a head (and anus, as it happens - Shubin seems to take delight in repeating the word) and some without, where mouth and anus (there it is again!) combine, as in the sea anemone.

Through words and pictures the author demonstrates the similarities between your nearest and dearest and sharks, salamanders, flies and all sorts of other creatures you normally wouldn't be inviting to a family reunion. There's an inevitable quantity of technical vocabulary, but it's never in torrents so it never overwhelms.

So whilst a trifle unsatisfactory as heavyweight Natural History, the book has more than enough going for it to recommend it to the general reader.

Post Script

Some way through the book I will admit to reflecting on first its potential as a treatise on evolution, but then second on the potential it holds for the Intelligent Design lobby - basic blueprint, materials reuse, continuous development.

Shubin doesn't tackle this, which is a shame; I'm reminded of the misuse of Nietzsche under different circumstances and wonder at the naïveté of it all. The ID myth is, of course, nothing more than that, but why give it a potential scientific credence?

A brief check confirms that Shubin is in the evolutionary camp, but that does not dispel some of the ambiguity of Inner Fish, with mentions of the Creator (his capital), no small amount of teleology (suggesting on a number of occasions that species determined for themselves in what direction to develop), and the suggestion that a basic "design" "arose" rather than that a pattern evolved - incredibly there is not much mention of the word "evolution".

In a period during which the forces of reaction are trying their best to roll back the gains of evolutionary science in dispelling superstition, it seems irresponsible to provide them with an open goal.


Good but not splendid, 28 Aug 2008
Neil Shubin, codiscoverer of the Tiktaalit, shows in this book that to become a human you must first become a fish. Its a wonderful argument against the notion of `intelligent design'. Or would you call a car manufacturer intelligent who makes a Mercedes by first building a wooden coach? Nevertheless there is an unwholesome streak of creationism and anti-darwinism in Shubins otherwise lucid descriptions, a streak which seems to belong to US-American culture like Samba belongs to Brazil. For example, he criticizes Haeckels `ontogeny recapitulates phylogeny' understanding of the way evolution shows up in embryos when Haeckel "would compare a human embryo to an adult fish". But any changes in the features of an embryo - like going from fish to human - require the action of natural selection to have acted once - and not on an embryo. Natural selection operates on the reproduction success of an animal, and that means adults. Therefore, for any developmental stage of an embryo, there must have existed an adult creature that had evolved just to this stage; and when you trace the embryonic development, a fossil must exist at every level that had achieved just this stage. To understand the embyro, you need to understand Natural selection, which means you must understand the reproduction success of the adult. It does not suffice to compare the embryos of different species - their "blueprints" ; Shubin just loves to talk all the time about "blueprints", which is a typical design term. Tracing embryos runs parallel to tracing the fossils of adults.
For another example, look at the way he describes the recent research situation when it was found that "in many single-celled animals, much of the molecular machinery for cell adhesion, interaction, and so on is just not there", which "would seem to support the notion that the genes that help cells unite to make bodies arose together with the origin of bodies. And at first glance, it seems to make sense that the tools to build bodies should arise in lockstep with the bodies themselves." This idea makes sense, yes - if you are a creationist. If you think like Haeckel, this is nonsense because for selection to produce bodies there must have been a single cell animal with all the needed machinery existing. And as Shubin beautifully narrates, just such an animal turned up : the choanoflagellates.
Science has been kind to Haeckel, contrary to what Shubin asserts in the book.
Despite my reservations, I highly recommend his book because of Shubins genuine enthusiasm for his subject, and the wealth of new results that he presents. If it had more of Dawkins and much less Gould in it, it would have been splendid. The pictures are as miserable as I have come to expect nowadays in good books about science.


The Story of Fossils and Geneology, 26 Aug 2008
Through extensive fossil records and geneology, Mr. Shubin takes the reader through the development of single celled organisms (bacteria), multi-cell (jellyfish), bodies (worms), skull (fish), hands and feet (reptiles), three-boned middle ear (mammals), and finally, bipedal with large brain (humans).

We have in us anatomical design improvements that can take us only so far from our water borne ancestors. Mr. Shubin asserts if humans were designed from scratch, "we would not have to suffer everything from hemorrhoids to cancer."

If, like me, you have always wondered why the male scrotum tucks close to the body in chilling weather, "Your Inner Fish" is an excellent source.

Curiously, Mr. Shubin made no mention of how a Cro-Magnon was able to win the U.S. presidency twice; in 2000 and 2004.

And a marvellous fish it is, 22 Aug 2008
Neil Shubin has an extraordinary gift for making science that can be difficult to sift through highly interesting. Drawing on his own and other's discoveries many of the more difficult areas of human development are covered with a truly admirable passion. Throughout the book Shubin's passion literally leaps of the page making the book an enjoyable one-sitting read

Shubin's Majestic Trek into the Human Body, Billions of Years in the Making, 08 Aug 2008
"Your Inner Fish" truly merits ample praise for being one of the best-written books on science I've read in years. It also ranks easily as an early, leading candidate as one of the finest books published this year. In clear, concise, and quite vivid, prose, this marvelous terse tome recounts in spectacular fashion, the incredible saga of the evolutionary history of our human body. Vertebrate paleobiologist and anatomy professor Neil Shubin is our enthusiastic, expert guide through this amazing journey into our body's primordial past, weaving with utmost brevity, a most compelling, and intricate, tale from fossils, genes and developmental biology. A fascinating trek through these aspects of evolutionary biology that represents too an intriguing personal scientific odyssey from a novice graduate student to a seasoned scientific veteran of major field expeditions in search of rare, often unique, vertebrate fossils across the globe and of substantial laboratory work in evolutionary developmental biology. In short, in terse, exquisite, well-written, prose, Shubin demonstrates the deep evolutionary connections that unite humanity not only with other mammals, but with other vertebrates too, and indeed, as well, with a veritable tree of life.

Most of Shubin's succinct chapters are devoted to the evolutionary history of both the human body plan and its major organs, such as the eyes and teeth. The opening chapters briefly explain man's kinship with other vertebrates, and recount the unexpected discovery by Shubin and his team of Tiktaalik, the earliest known transitional fossil between fish and tetrapods (land-dwelling vertebrates, including us). These are followed by an extremely short, quite lucid, introduction to the relevance of genetics in evolutionary developmental biology research (Chapter Three), in which Shubin clearly traces the evolution of limbs from fins to bird wings, and finally, human hands. Succeeding chapters include those devoted to the evolutionary history of teeth (Chapter Four), eyes (Chapter Nine) and ears (Chapter Ten). However, the two most intriguing chapters are those devoted to the development of the vertebrate body plan (Chapter Six) - drawing upon both classical embryology and modern molecular biology and genetics, emphasizing the importance of Hox genes - and the evolutionary developmental history of multicellular animals (Chapter 7), culminating in a terse discussion of the Precambrian Ediacaran fauna. Shubin concludes this fascinating little volume with an intriguing discussion (Chapter 11) of human ailments ranging from hiccups to hernias and obesity, demonstrating how these have their origins in our distant evolutionary past, as far back as four hundred million years ago. Without a doubt, "Your Inner Fish" will delight not only students - and others - interested in evolutionary biology, but also those seeking a deeper understanding of both human anatomy and medicine from the perspective of evolutionary biology.

What Are You Looking For?, 28 Nov 2007
I bought this book as I am studying complimentary therapies and anatomy and physiology is a big component. My intention was for it to be as an extra study aid but I think that I would have preferred something that offered a little more.
The book is okay and does what it says. If you are studying the muscular system and you need to know a large amount of inofrmation, look for something else.

Very handy little book, 11 Aug 2005
Just bought this book as a quick reference for when giving massages and I am not disappointed. It is very handy to use and the spiral binding is excellent and very adequate for the type of book this is as i can leave it open flat while massaging and don't have to fiddle with it continuously.
It does just what it says, but of course doesn't replace the bigger more detailed/thorough books on muscles and anatomy.
This book is for taking with you when you're out and about and can't /don't want to take the bigger books.
Great quick reference guide.

A little handy primer, 09 Jan 2005
This book is a great handy primer for those on anatomy & physiology courses who need something to carry around with them as they learn the muscular-skeletal system of the body.

The big plus for this book is the comb binding which allows the book to be opened flat, or worse, folded over.

The artwork is clear, and covers the major muscles and bones, with additional tables setting out the origins and insertions, and the origins of ennervating nerves.

In short, a good buy.

New edition *with corrections* superb for students, 27 Mar 2003
The new edition of this little book has all the mistakes corrected which marred the last edition. This makes it the most useful, portable booklet I have seen. It covers trunk and limbs systematically with clear illustrations of the bones and ligaments first, then the muscles in their different layers. It also contains charts of muscles, origins, insertions, innervation and function for each of the muscles by area. Further short sections on joints, posture and movement patterns, types of muscle contraction and muscle fibre types, nerve supply, energy systems and common types of injury make this book invaluable.

Definitely one forthe students, 04 Dec 2002
As a teacher of Body Massage, Beauty Therapy and Holistic Therapies at a further education college, I feel this book offers, clear, colourful pictures, easy understanding of how the body moves, all in a neat and moderately priced book. This is a useful and quick teaching aid that the majority of my students have found(on recommendation) useful - I should be on commission!!

awesome not a gimmick its awesome, 19 Jul 2008
My husband a dentist bought this book in 1994/5 the second edition and I use it now (he only coloured in the head) I am studying medicine and this book is awesome, the reason being I have a pictorial memory and by learning by colouring it has helped tremendously, in addition it is great when you are running out of time and the table at the back is invaluable giving you a breakdown of the muscle and the nerve supply and root value, I would definitely recommend getting this book for any medical student, I used this book as main core knowledge and built on it its a great starting block, I have limited spacial awareness and the way this books layers each muscle group is a real asset, it separates muscles groups into logical orders making them easier to remember. Given the fact that we learnt from prosection I honestly found this book a valuable asset. I photocopied the pages after colouring it in stuck it in a plastic wallet and took it in to the dissecting room that was a huge benefit as it helps you to learn quickly what you are looking at and it doesn't take much prep time worth every single penny!!! When Paul told me about the book in 1994 and I never of course needed it I thought aye right Paul its a gimmick you'll waste time, well now I need it, it really isn't a gimmick its awesome.

Fantastic teaching Aid!, 20 Feb 2008
I have been teaching Anatomy & Physiology for many years and this book is the best for; visual learning, physical, in the colouring aspect,in addition to supporting the auditory lecture. A fun yet infomative and effective method to reach all learning styles. A great asset to teaching!

A great resource for learning anatomy, 03 Aug 2007
Having just completed the first year of a medical degree, I can vouch for the usefulness of this anatomy colouring book. While I might have felt like my education had regressed somewhat after hours spent colouring in, this really is an excellent way to learn.

The diagrams are so clear and well laid-out that I ended up cutting out the pages and using them as an integral part of my notes. The page on the peritoneal sac was literally the clearest explanation I've seen anywhere. But as well as that, the actual process of putting coloured pencil to paper means that they stick in your head far better than a diagram you've just stared at in a book. It's a welcome (and often therapeutic!) respite from reading/writing notes, and the challenge of a different way of learning really makes the massive memory task of anatomy much easier.

However, as others have said, it's by no means sufficient on its own as a way to study anatomy. Perhaps its greatest weakness is that it's organised systemically, ie muscles/bones/nerves/blood vessels etc. This is an approach that's more useful when it comes to learning the muscles and bones, but it gives barely any indication of the relations to other structures - something that's essential to learn especially in a medical degree, and which my course particularly focussed on. This also means that details such as nerve/blood supply to muscles is rather weak. As well as that, the more 'physiological' pages (eg the immune system) are much more messily drawn and less clearly set out.

However, in conjunction with other resources and used alongside a more detailed anatomy course, this is a very useful book, and one which made learning anatomy much easier.

Fab book for revision, 25 Apr 2007
I brought this book half way through my first year of Physiotherapy, and found it so helpful, especially for revising musculoskeletal as it helped me put all the muscles into place, along with revising the bones and joints. It also has the nervous system and respiratory anatomy so it has been a very good buy, and ive recommended it to all my friends!
Learning while colouring sounded a brilliant option to me!


Good as learning aid or for revision., 30 Jan 2006
For various reasons I decided to revise my anatomy this year after a break of 24 years and bought this book for entertainment purposes.

In 1982 this book was in its first edition and I remember considering purchasing it, but everyone bought Snell and I wasn't prepared to take the risk. In the end I ended up learning anatomy by drawing my own diagrams so this book would have probably come in handy.

The diagrams are clear and the process of colouring-in key elements helps with learning. However the textual information is superficial and the body's components are not integrated together.

I think this book is well placed if you want to use visual imagery to learn anatomy or if you need a revision aid. However you will need other sources if you want to learn gross anatomy in detail from scratch.

Comprehensive, but with some minor annoyances, 29 Oct 2008
This is a very interesting book, and certainly succeeds in providing a good introduction to the wonders of the human body.

The previous reviewers on here seemed to love this book, and while I found it a good read, I would like to mention a few minor annoyances that prevented it from earning a top rating from me.

Firstly: anatomy books need to have a lot of pictures or diagrams. While this book does have some, I felt that there weren't nearly enough. More often that not, the uninitiated reader is given a text description, and left to draw a picture in their head (or look it up somewhere else).

Secondly, the book has far, far too many cross references, in the form of text in brackets referring the reader to an earlier/later chapter/section/paragraph. Though the author states at the start that the book is designed to be read in any order, this overuse of references really breaks up the flow - and is, in any case, not necessary, as there is perfectly good table of contents at the front, and an index at the back!

Thirdly, terms are sometimes used before they're defined, which can be a little confusing.

Finally, the author tries to lighten the mood by use of puns and jokes. I'm sure that lots of readers will enjoy her sense of humour. I, regrettably, found it quite annoying.

So to summarise: a comprehensive beginners' guide to the human body, let down by some minor annoyances.

Superb, 12 Apr 2007
As with all Dummies books, this one is excellent. Covers all areas of Anatomy and Physiology from A'Level and through to at least 2nd Year Degree level. Physiological Systems and Anatomy are explained in a humorous way with many well thought out analigies to really give you a understanding of complex subjects. once again if you are doing A'Level or starting a degree in any human based science then this is a must have. Superb

Ain't the body great?, 21 Dec 2006
This book is really good at getting someone from basic biology to understanding how the body works. The book flows through from cells to organs and then onto how the organs work together, just so that you can still be alive to read this review!

It does try to make light of things, with jokes here and there (you may even giggle at some of them too) and also lots of examples to help things sink-in.


Great book that's really easy to understand., 22 Oct 2004
This is a great book which I highly recommend. It explains everything in very simple terms making it easy to get your head round. I am a nursing student and used it to help me through my anatomy and physiology exam. It was fantastic for helping me to lay the foundations needed to get to grips with some of the more complicated aspects of a&p. That said it was not as detailed as I would have needed to completely get me through the exam. I found it worked well as a book to read before looking at the more detailed and technical text books which are a lot more daunting.

It uses lots of every day examples to make things easier to understand and remember. For example it likens the negative and positive feedback systems within the body to a thermostat like you might have in your home which will only make changes if the environmental temperature changes.

Makes anatomy & physiology very accessible.

Lightweight but worthwhile, 03 Oct 2008
Whilst always very readable, there's something just a little unsatisfying about Neil Shubin's exploration of the evolution of the body up to the one currently occupied by homo sapiens. I think ultimately because it comes over as a little too lightweight, even though the subject is overwhelmingly big.

Nevertheless, there is no denying, ultimately, the level of fascination in the material.

It is, of course, not always comforting to find that, once analysed, human beings are based on the same blueprint as any other animal with a head (and anus, as it happens - Shubin seems to take delight in repeating the word) and some without, where mouth and anus (there it is again!) combine, as in the sea anemone.

Through words and pictures the author demonstrates the similarities between your nearest and dearest and sharks, salamanders, flies and all sorts of other creatures you normally wouldn't be inviting to a family reunion. There's an inevitable quantity of technical vocabulary, but it's never in torrents so it never overwhelms.

So whilst a trifle unsatisfactory as heavyweight Natural History, the book has more than enough going for it to recommend it to the general reader.

Post Script

Some way through the book I will admit to reflecting on first its potential as a treatise on evolution, but then second on the potential it holds for the Intelligent Design lobby - basic blueprint, materials reuse, continuous development.

Shubin doesn't tackle this, which is a shame; I'm reminded of the misuse of Nietzsche under different circumstances and wonder at the naïveté of it all. The ID myth is, of course, nothing more than that, but why give it a potential scientific credence?

A brief check confirms that Shubin is in the evolutionary camp, but that does not dispel some of the ambiguity of Inner Fish, with mentions of the Creator (his capital), no small amount of teleology (suggesting on a number of occasions that species determined for themselves in what direction to develop), and the suggestion that a basic "design" "arose" rather than that a pattern evolved - incredibly there is not much mention of the word "evolution".

In a period during which the forces of reaction are trying their best to roll back the gains of evolutionary science in dispelling superstition, it seems irresponsible to provide them with an open goal.


Good but not splendid, 28 Aug 2008
Neil Shubin, codiscoverer of the Tiktaalit, shows in this book that to become a human you must first become a fish. Its a wonderful argument against the notion of `intelligent design'. Or would you call a car manufacturer intelligent who makes a Mercedes by first building a wooden coach? Nevertheless there is an unwholesome streak of creationism and anti-darwinism in Shubins otherwise lucid descriptions, a streak which seems to belong to US-American culture like Samba belongs to Brazil. For example, he criticizes Haeckels `ontogeny recapitulates phylogeny' understanding of the way evolution shows up in embryos when Haeckel "would compare a human embryo to an adult fish". But any changes in the features of an embryo - like going from fish to human - require the action of natural selection to have acted once - and not on an embryo. Natural selection operates on the reproduction success of an animal, and that means adults. Therefore, for any developmental stage of an embryo, there must have existed an adult creature that had evolved just to this stage; and when you trace the embryonic development, a fossil must exist at every level that had achieved just this stage. To understand the embyro, you need to understand Natural selection, which means you must understand the reproduction success of the adult. It does not suffice to compare the embryos of different species - their "blueprints" ; Shubin just loves to talk all the time about "blueprints", which is a typical design term. Tracing embryos runs parallel to tracing the fossils of adults.
For another example, look at the way he describes the recent research situation when it was found that "in many single-celled animals, much of the molecular machinery for cell adhesion, interaction, and so on is just not there", which "would seem to support the notion that the genes that help cells unite to make bodies arose together with the origin of bodies. And at first glance, it seems to make sense that the tools to build bodies should arise in lockstep with the bodies themselves." This idea makes sense, yes - if you are a creationist. If you think like Haeckel, this is nonsense because for selection to produce bodies there must have been a single cell animal with all the needed machinery existing. And as Shubin beautifully narrates, just such an animal turned up : the choanoflagellates.
Science has been kind to Haeckel, contrary to what Shubin asserts in the book.
Despite my reservations, I highly recommend his book because of Shubins genuine enthusiasm for his subject, and the wealth of new results that he presents. If it had more of Dawkins and much less Gould in it, it would have been splendid. The pictures are as miserable as I have come to expect nowadays in good books about science.


The Story of Fossils and Geneology, 26 Aug 2008
Through extensive fossil records and geneology, Mr. Shubin takes the reader through the development of single celled organisms (bacteria), multi-cell (jellyfish), bodies (worms), skull (fish), hands and feet (reptiles), three-boned middle ear (mammals), and finally, bipedal with large brain (humans).

We have in us anatomical design improvements that can take us only so far from our water borne ancestors. Mr. Shubin asserts if humans were designed from scratch, "we would not have to suffer everything from hemorrhoids to cancer."

If, like me, you have always wondered why the male scrotum tucks close to the body in chilling weather, "Your Inner Fish" is an excellent source.

Curiously, Mr. Shubin made no mention of how a Cro-Magnon was able to win the U.S. presidency twice; in 2000 and 2004.

And a marvellous fish it is, 22 Aug 2008
Neil Shubin has an extraordinary gift for making science that can be difficult to sift through highly interesting. Drawing on his own and other's discoveries many of the more difficult areas of human development are covered with a truly admirable passion. Throughout the book Shubin's passion literally leaps of the page making the book an enjoyable one-sitting read

Shubin's Majestic Trek into the Human Body, Billions of Years in the Making, 08 Aug 2008
"Your Inner Fish" truly merits ample praise for being one of the best-written books on science I've read in years. It also ranks easily as an early, leading candidate as one of the finest books published this year. In clear, concise, and quite vivid, prose, this marvelous terse tome recounts in spectacular fashion, the incredible saga of the evolutionary history of our human body. Vertebrate paleobiologist and anatomy professor Neil Shubin is our enthusiastic, expert guide through this amazing journey into our body's primordial past, weaving with utmost brevity, a most compelling, and intricate, tale from fossils, genes and developmental biology. A fascinating trek through these aspects of evolutionary biology that represents too an intriguing personal scientific odyssey from a novice graduate student to a seasoned scientific veteran of major field expeditions in search of rare, often unique, vertebrate fossils across the globe and of substantial laboratory work in evolutionary developmental biology. In short, in terse, exquisite, well-written, prose, Shubin demonstrates the deep evolutionary connections that unite humanity not only with other mammals, but with other vertebrates too, and indeed, as well, with a veritable tree of life.

Most of Shubin's succinct chapters are devoted to the evolutionary history of both the human body plan and its major organs, such as the eyes and teeth. The opening chapters briefly explain man's kinship with other vertebrates, and recount the unexpected discovery by Shubin and his team of Tiktaalik, the earliest known transitional fossil between fish and tetrapods (land-dwelling vertebrates, including us). These are followed by an extremely short, quite lucid, introduction to the relevance of genetics in evolutionary developmental biology research (Chapter Three), in which Shubin clearly traces the evolution of limbs from fins to bird wings, and finally, human hands. Succeeding chapters include those devoted to the evolutionary history of teeth (Chapter Four), eyes (Chapter Nine) and ears (Chapter Ten). However, the two most intriguing chapters are those devoted to the development of the vertebrate body plan (Chapter Six) - drawing upon both classical embryology and modern molecular biology and genetics, emphasizing the importance of Hox genes - and the evolutionary developmental history of multicellular animals (Chapter 7), culminating in a terse discussion of the Precambrian Ediacaran fauna. Shubin concludes this fascinating little volume with an intriguing discussion (Chapter 11) of human ailments ranging from hiccups to hernias and obesity, demonstrating how these have their origins in our distant evolutionary past, as far back as four hundred million years ago. Without a doubt, "Your Inner Fish" will delight not only students - and others - interested in evolutionary biology, but also those seeking a deeper understanding of both human anatomy and medicine from the perspective of evolutionary biology.

What Are You Looking For?, 28 Nov 2007
I bought this book as I am studying complimentary therapies and anatomy and physiology is a big component. My intention was for it to be as an extra study aid but I think that I would have preferred something that offered a little more.
The book is okay and does what it says. If you are studying the muscular system and you need to know a large amount of inofrmation, look for something else.

Very handy little book, 11 Aug 2005
Just bought this book as a quick reference for when giving massages and I am not disappointed. It is very handy to use and the spiral binding is excellent and very adequate for the type of book this is as i can leave it open flat while massaging and don't have to fiddle with it continuously.
It does just what it says, but of course doesn't replace the bigger more detailed/thorough books on muscles and anatomy.
This book is for taking with you when you're out and about and can't /don't want to take the bigger books.
Great quick reference guide.

A little handy primer, 09 Jan 2005
This book is a great handy primer for those on anatomy & physiology courses who need something to carry around with them as they learn the muscular-skeletal system of the body.

The big plus for this book is the comb binding which allows the book to be opened flat, or worse, folded over.

The artwork is clear, and covers the major muscles and bones, with additional tables setting out the origins and insertions, and the origins of ennervating nerves.

In short, a good buy.

New edition *with corrections* superb for students, 27 Mar 2003
The new edition of this little book has all the mistakes corrected which marred the last edition. This makes it the most useful, portable booklet I have seen. It covers trunk and limbs systematically with clear illustrations of the bones and ligaments first, then the muscles in their different layers. It also contains charts of muscles, origins, insertions, innervation and function for each of the muscles by area. Further short sections on joints, posture and movement patterns, types of muscle contraction and muscle fibre types, nerve supply, energy systems and common types of injury make this book invaluable.

Definitely one forthe students, 04 Dec 2002
As a teacher of Body Massage, Beauty Therapy and Holistic Therapies at a further education college, I feel this book offers, clear, colourful pictures, easy understanding of how the body moves, all in a neat and moderately priced book. This is a useful and quick teaching aid that the majority of my students have found(on recommendation) useful - I should be on commission!!

An excellent book for Teachers and students, 28 Jun 2008
I used this book whilst studying and now use it to assist me in teaching Health, Fitness and Sports Massage courses. The book is well laid out in clear sections of the body. The individual muscle diagrams are superb but the book also includes the body in action and shows the reader the muscles that are used in functional activities. This is sometimes hard to understand, as some books look at muscles individually rather than working together. A great book for those on all levels of course that require anatomy knowledge as you can just use the sections that you need. I would also highly recommend that you look at the other books and DVD's available from this range of books. (Teachers Guide, Student Guide and DVD of muscle palpation for Massage Therapists)

Trail Guide, 07 Feb 2008
As a Structural Integration practitioner I find this book extremely useful for reference for both myself and at times to further inform my clients on specific areas as I am work with them. It's clear , concise, well planned and laid out, user friendly and easily digestable.

The best guide to the body for any therapist, 14 Mar 2007
I was recommended this book by a friend who is a therapist when I started out on my aromatherapy course. Having to learn all the A&P that goes with massage techniques was a major stumbling block for me. However with this book finding muscles and parts of the skeleton and how it all came together has been a dream. I recommend it. My tutor was so delighted with it that he has ordered copies for the college library. Just get this book you will find it is the best book you can ever have and it is so easy to follow and understand, with the most fantastic diagrams I have ever seen. If I could give it 10 stars I would.

Great Help - Sports Therapies, 25 Oct 2006
I have ordered this book as my lecturer at university is teaching parts from this book. The book is clear and concise, the diagrams are excellent and easily accessable. I would definatly recommend this book, it has and will continue to help me through my course!

practicle for therapists, 28 Sep 2003
This book was on the recommended reading list for my degree course at uni. It is well structured and clear to understand with a depth of knowledge required for most practising therapists or bodyworkers. The diagrams are clear and coloured in a way that enables the bodyworker or palpator to identify very specifically the bone or muscle that he/she is seeking.
Newest edition now ring-bound which is more practcle.

awesome not a gimmick its awesome, 19 Jul 2008
My husband a dentist bought this book in 1994/5 the second edition and I use it now (he only coloured in the head) I am studying medicine and this book is awesome, the reason being I have a pictorial memory and by learning by colouring it has helped tremendously, in addition it is great when you are running out of time and the table at the back is invaluable giving you a breakdown of the muscle and the nerve supply and root value, I would definitely recommend getting this book for any medical student, I used this book as main core knowledge and built on it its a great starting block, I have limited spacial awareness and the way this books layers each muscle group is a real asset, it separates muscles groups into logical orders making them easier to remember. Given the fact that we learnt from prosection I honestly found this book a valuable asset. I photocopied the pages after colouring it in stuck it in a plastic wallet and took it in to the dissecting room that was a huge benefit as it helps you to learn quickly what you are looking at and it doesn't take much prep time worth every single penny!!! When Paul told me about the book in 1994 and I never of course needed it I thought aye right Paul its a gimmick you'll waste time, well now I need it, it really isn't a gimmick its awesome.

Fantastic teaching Aid!, 20 Feb 2008
I have been teaching Anatomy & Physiology for many years and this book is the best for; visual learning, physical, in the colouring aspect,in addition to supporting the auditory lecture. A fun yet infomative and effective method to reach all learning styles. A great asset to teaching!

A great resource for learning anatomy, 03 Aug 2007
Having just completed the first year of a medical degree, I can vouch for the usefulness of this anatomy colouring book. While I might have felt like my education had regressed somewhat after hours spent colouring in, this really is an excellent way to learn.

The diagrams are so clear and well laid-out that I ended up cutting out the pages and using them as an integral part of my notes. The page on the peritoneal sac was literally the clearest explanation I've seen anywhere. But as well as that, the actual process of putting coloured pencil to paper means that they stick in your head far better than a diagram you've just stared at in a book. It's a welcome (and often therapeutic!) respite from reading/writing notes, and the challenge of a different way of learning really makes the massive memory task of anatomy much easier.

However, as others have said, it's by no means sufficient on its own as a way to study anatomy. Perhaps its greatest weakness is that it's organised systemically, ie muscles/bones/nerves/blood vessels etc. This is an approach that's more useful when it comes to learning the muscles and bones, but it gives barely any indication of the relations to other structures - something that's essential to learn especially in a medical degree, and which my course particularly focussed on. This also means that details such as nerve/blood supply to muscles is rather weak. As well as that, the more 'physiological' pages (eg the immune system) are much more messily drawn and less clearly set out.

However, in conjunction with other resources and used alongside a more detailed anatomy course, this is a very useful book, and one which made learning anatomy much easier.

Fab book for revision, 25 Apr 2007
I brought this book half way through my first year of Physiotherapy, and found it so helpful, especially for revising musculoskeletal as it helped me put all the muscles into place, along with revising the bones and joints. It also has the nervous system and respiratory anatomy so it has been a very good buy, and ive recommended it to all my friends!
Learning while colouring sounded a brilliant option to me!


Good as learning aid or for revision., 30 Jan 2006
For various reasons I decided to revise my anatomy this year after a break of 24 years and bought this book for entertainment purposes.

In 1982 this book was in its first edition and I remember considering purchasing it, but everyone bought Snell and I wasn't prepared to take the risk. In the end I ended up learning anatomy by drawing my own diagrams so this book would have probably come in handy.

The diagrams are clear and the process of colouring-in key elements helps with learning. However the textual information is superficial and the body's components are not integrated together.

I think this book is well placed if you want to use visual imagery to learn anatomy or if you need a revision aid. However you will need other sources if you want to learn gross anatomy in detail from scratch.

Comprehensive, but with some minor annoyances, 29 Oct 2008
This is a very interesting book, and certainly succeeds in providing a good introduction to the wonders of the human body.

The previous reviewers on here seemed to love this book, and while I found it a good read, I would like to mention a few minor annoyances that prevented it from earning a top rating from me.

Firstly: anatomy books need to have a lot of pictures or diagrams. While this book does have some, I felt that there weren't nearly enough. More often that not, the uninitiated reader is given a text description, and left to draw a picture in their head (or look it up somewhere else).

Secondly, the book has far, far too many cross references, in the form of text in brackets referring the reader to an earlier/later chapter/section/paragraph. Though the author states at the start that the book is designed to be read in any order, this overuse of references really breaks up the flow - and is, in any case, not necessary, as there is perfectly good table of contents at the front, and an index at the back!

Thirdly, terms are sometimes used before they're defined, which can be a little confusing.

Finally, the author tries to lighten the mood by use of puns and jokes. I'm sure that lots of readers will enjoy her sense of humour. I, regrettably, found it quite annoying.

So to summarise: a comprehensive beginners' guide to the human body, let down by some minor annoyances.

Superb, 12 Apr 2007
As with all Dummies books, this one is excellent. Covers all areas of Anatomy and Physiology from A'Level and through to at least 2nd Year Degree level. Physiological Systems and Anatomy are explained in a humorous way with many well thought out analigies to really give you a understanding of complex subjects. once again if you are doing A'Level or starting a degree in any human based science then this is a must have. Superb

Ain't the body great?, 21 Dec 2006
This book is really good at getting someone from basic biology to understanding how the body works. The book flows through from cells to organs and then onto how the organs work together, just so that you can still be alive to read this review!

It does try to make light of things, with jokes here and there (you may even giggle at some of them too) and also lots of examples to help things sink-in.


Great book that's really easy to understand., 22 Oct 2004
This is a great book which I highly recommend. It explains everything in very simple terms making it easy to get your head round. I am a nursing student and used it to help me through my anatomy and physiology exam. It was fantastic for helping me to lay the foundations needed to get to grips with some of the more complicated aspects of a&p. That said it was not as detailed as I would have needed to completely get me through the exam. I found it worked well as a book to read before looking at the more detailed and technical text books which are a lot more daunting.

It uses lots of every day examples to make things easier to understand and remember. For example it likens the negative and positive feedback systems within the body to a thermostat like you might have in your home which will only make changes if the environmental temperature changes.

Makes anatomy & physiology very accessible.

Lightweight but worthwhile, 03 Oct 2008
Whilst always very readable, there's something just a little unsatisfying about Neil Shubin's exploration of the evolution of the body up to the one currently occupied by homo sapiens. I think ultimately because it comes over as a little too lightweight, even though the subject is overwhelmingly big.

Nevertheless, there is no denying, ultimately, the level of fascination in the material.

It is, of course, not always comforting to find that, once analysed, human beings are based on the same blueprint as any other animal with a head (and anus, as it happens - Shubin seems to take delight in repeating the word) and some without, where mouth and anus (there it is again!) combine, as in the sea anemone.

Through words and pictures the author demonstrates the similarities between your nearest and dearest and sharks, salamanders, flies and all sorts of other creatures you normally wouldn't be inviting to a family reunion. There's an inevitable quantity of technical vocabulary, but it's never in torrents so it never overwhelms.

So whilst a trifle unsatisfactory as heavyweight Natural History, the book has more than enough going for it to recommend it to the general reader.

Post Script

Some way through the book I will admit to reflecting on first its potential as a treatise on evolution, but then second on the potential it holds for the Intelligent Design lobby - basic blueprint, materials reuse, continuous development.

Shubin doesn't tackle this, which is a shame; I'm reminded of the misuse of Nietzsche under different circumstances and wonder at the naïveté of it all. The ID myth is, of course, nothing more than that, but why give it a potential scientific credence?

A brief check confirms that Shubin is in the evolutionary camp, but that does not dispel some of the ambiguity of Inner Fish, with mentions of the Creator (his capital), no small amount of teleology (suggesting on a number of occasions that species determined for themselves in what direction to develop), and the suggestion that a basic "design" "arose" rather than that a pattern evolved - incredibly there is not much mention of the word "evolution".

In a period during which the forces of reaction are trying their best to roll back the gains of evolutionary science in dispelling superstition, it seems irresponsible to provide them with an open goal.


Good but not splendid, 28 Aug 2008
Neil Shubin, codiscoverer of the Tiktaalit, shows in this book that to become a human you must first become a fish. Its a wonderful argument against the notion of `intelligent design'. Or would you call a car manufacturer intelligent who makes a Mercedes by first building a wooden coach? Nevertheless there is an unwholesome streak of creationism and anti-darwinism in Shubins otherwise lucid descriptions, a streak which seems to belong to US-American culture like Samba belongs to Brazil. For example, he criticizes Haeckels `ontogeny recapitulates phylogeny' understanding of the way evolution shows up in embryos when Haeckel "would compare a human embryo to an adult fish". But any changes in the features of an embryo - like going from fish to human - require the action of natural selection to have acted once - and not on an embryo. Natural selection operates on the reproduction success of an animal, and that means adults. Therefore, for any developmental stage of an embryo, there must have existed an adult creature that had evolved just to this stage; and when you trace the embryonic development, a fossil must exist at every level that had achieved just this stage. To understand the embyro, you need to understand Natural selection, which means you must understand the reproduction success of the adult. It does not suffice to compare the embryos of different species - their "blueprints" ; Shubin just loves to talk all the time about "blueprints", which is a typical design term. Tracing embryos runs parallel to tracing the fossils of adults.
For another example, look at the way he describes the recent research situation when it was found that "in many single-celled animals, much of the molecular machinery for cell adhesion, interaction, and so on is just not there", which "would seem to support the notion that the genes that help cells unite to make bodies arose together with the origin of bodies. And at first glance, it seems to make sense that the tools to build bodies should arise in lockstep with the bodies themselves." This idea makes sense, yes - if you are a creationist. If you think like Haeckel, this is nonsense because for selection to produce bodies there must have been a single cell animal with all the needed machinery existing. And as Shubin beautifully narrates, just such an animal turned up : the choanoflagellates.
Science has been kind to Haeckel, contrary to what Shubin asserts in the book.
Despite my reservations, I highly recommend his book because of Shubins genuine enthusiasm for his subject, and the wealth of new results that he presents. If it had more of Dawkins and much less Gould in it, it would have been splendid. The pictures are as miserable as I have come to expect nowadays in good books about science.


The Story of Fossils and Geneology, 26 Aug 2008
Through extensive fossil records and geneology, Mr. Shubin takes the reader through the development of single celled organisms (bacteria), multi-cell (jellyfish), bodies (worms), skull (fish), hands and feet (reptiles), three-boned middle ear (mammals), and finally, bipedal with large brain (humans).

We have in us anatomical design improvements that can take us only so far from our water borne ancestors. Mr. Shubin asserts if humans were designed from scratch, "we would not have to suffer everything from hemorrhoids to cancer."

If, like me, you have always wondered why the male scrotum tucks close to the body in chilling weather, "Your Inner Fish" is an excellent source.

Curiously, Mr. Shubin made no mention of how a Cro-Magnon was able to win the U.S. presidency twice; in 2000 and 2004.

And a marvellous fish it is, 22 Aug 2008
Neil Shubin has an extraordinary gift for making science that can be difficult to sift through highly interesting. Drawing on his own and other's discoveries many of the more difficult areas of human development are covered with a truly admirable passion. Throughout the book Shubin's passion literally leaps of the page making the book an enjoyable one-sitting read

Shubin's Majestic Trek into the Human Body, Billions of Years in the Making, 08 Aug 2008
"Your Inner Fish" truly merits ample praise for being one of the best-written books on science I've read in years. It also ranks easily as an early, leading candidate as one of the finest books published this year. In clear, concise, and quite vivid, prose, this marvelous terse tome recounts in spectacular fashion, the incredible saga of the evolutionary history of our human body. Vertebrate paleobiologist and anatomy professor Neil Shubin is our enthusiastic, expert guide through this amazing journey into our body's primordial past, weaving with utmost brevity, a most compelling, and intricate, tale from fossils, genes and developmental biology. A fascinating trek through these aspects of evolutionary biology that represents too an intriguing personal scientific odyssey from a novice graduate student to a seasoned scientific veteran of major field expeditions in search of rare, often unique, vertebrate fossils across the globe and of substantial laboratory work in evolutionary developmental biology. In short, in terse, exquisite, well-written, prose, Shubin demonstrates the deep evolutionary connections that unite humanity not only with other mammals, but with other vertebrates too, and indeed, as well, with a veritable tree of life.

Most of Shubin's succinct chapters are devoted to the evolutionary history of both the human body plan and its major organs, such as the eyes and teeth. The opening chapters briefly explain man's kinship with other vertebrates, and recount the unexpected discovery by Shubin and his team of Tiktaalik, the earliest known transitional fossil between fish and tetrapods (land-dwelling vertebrates, including us). These are followed by an extremely short, quite lucid, introduction to the relevance of genetics in evolutionary developmental biology research (Chapter Three), in which Shubin clearly traces the evolution of limbs from fins to bird wings, and finally, human hands. Succeeding chapters include those devoted to the evolutionary history of teeth (Chapter Four), eyes (Chapter Nine) and ears (Chapter Ten). However, the two most intriguing chapters are those devoted to the development of the vertebrate body plan (Chapter Six) - drawing upon both classical embryology and modern molecular biology and genetics, emphasizing the importance of Hox genes - and the evolutionary developmental history of multicellular animals (Chapter 7), culminating in a terse discussion of the Precambrian Ediacaran fauna. Shubin concludes this fascinating little volume with an intriguing discussion (Chapter 11) of human ailments ranging from hiccups to hernias and obesity, demonstrating how these have their origins in our distant evolutionary past, as far back as four hundred million years ago. Without a doubt, "Your Inner Fish" will delight not only students - and others - interested in evolutionary biology, but also those seeking a deeper understanding of both human anatomy and medicine from the perspective of evolutionary biology.

What Are You Looking For?, 28 Nov 2007
I bought this book as I am studying complimentary therapies and anatomy and physiology is a big component. My intention was for it to be as an extra study aid but I think that I would have preferred something that offered a little more.
The book is okay and does what it says. If you are studying the muscular system and you need to know a large amount of inofrmation, look for something else.

Very handy little book, 11 Aug 2005
Just bought this book as a quick reference for when giving massages and I am not disappointed. It is very handy to use and the spiral binding is excellent and very adequate for the type of book this is as i can leave it open flat while massaging and don't have to fiddle with it continuously.
It does just what it says, but of course doesn't replace the bigger more detailed/thorough books on muscles and anatomy.
This book is for taking with you when you're out and about and can't /don't want to take the bigger books.
Great quick reference guide.

A little handy primer, 09 Jan 2005
This book is a great handy primer for those on anatomy & physiology courses who need something to carry around with them as they learn the muscular-skeletal system of the body.

The big plus for this book is the comb binding which allows the book to be opened flat, or worse, folded over.

The artwork is clear, and covers the major muscles and bones, with additional tables setting out the origins and insertions, and the origins of ennervating nerves.

In short, a good buy.

New edition *with corrections* superb for students, 27 Mar 2003
The new edition of this little book has all the mistakes corrected which marred the last edition. This makes it the most useful, portable booklet I have seen. It covers trunk and limbs systematically with clear illustrations of the bones and ligaments first, then the muscles in their different layers. It also contains charts of muscles, origins, insertions, innervation and function for each of the muscles by area. Further short sections on joints, posture and movement patterns, types of muscle contraction and muscle fibre types, nerve supply, energy systems and common types of injury make this book invaluable.

Definitely one forthe students, 04 Dec 2002
As a teacher of Body Massage, Beauty Therapy and Holistic Therapies at a further education college, I feel this book offers, clear, colourful pictures, easy understanding of how the body moves, all in a neat and moderately priced book. This is a useful and quick teaching aid that the majority of my students have found(on recommendation) useful - I should be on commission!!

An excellent book for Teachers and students, 28 Jun 2008
I used this book whilst studying and now use it to assist me in teaching Health, Fitness and Sports Massage courses. The book is well laid out in clear sections of the body. The individual muscle diagrams are superb but the book also includes the body in action and shows the reader the muscles that are used in functional activities. This is sometimes hard to understand, as some books look at muscles individually rather than working together. A great book for those on all levels of course that require anatomy knowledge as you can just use the sections that you need. I would also highly recommend that you look at the other books and DVD's available from this range of books. (Teachers Guide, Student Guide and DVD of muscle palpation for Massage Therapists)

Trail Guide, 07 Feb 2008
As a Structural Integration practitioner I find this book extremely useful for reference for both myself and at times to further inform my clients on specific areas as I am work with them. It's clear , concise, well planned and laid out, user friendly and easily digestable.

The best guide to the body for any therapist, 14 Mar 2007
I was recommended this book by a friend who is a therapist when I started out on my aromatherapy course. Having to learn all the A&P that goes with massage techniques was a major stumbling block for me. However with this book finding muscles and parts of the skeleton and how it all came together has been a dream. I recommend it. My tutor was so delighted with it that he has ordered copies for the college library. Just get this book you will find it is the best book you can ever have and it is so easy to follow and understand, with the most fantastic diagrams I have ever seen. If I could give it 10 stars I would.

Great Help - Sports Therapies, 25 Oct 2006
I have ordered this book as my lecturer at university is teaching parts from this book. The book is clear and concise, the diagrams are excellent and easily accessable. I would definatly recommend this book, it has and will continue to help me through my course!

practicle for therapists, 28 Sep 2003
This book was on the recommended reading list for my degree course at uni. It is well structured and clear to understand with a depth of knowledge required for most practising therapists or bodyworkers. The diagrams are clear and coloured in a way that enables the bodyworker or palpator to identify very specifically the bone or muscle that he/she is seeking.
Newest edition now ring-bound which is more practcle.

Really awful!!!, 03 Jan 2008
I read the reviews and as a Key Stage 2 science teacher I thought it might be useful. The illustrations are tiny and the text is far to advanced (and long winded) for children. Not sure what the other reviewers used theirs for!!!!

Exceptionally simple, 26 Apr 2006
Interesting and fun way to waste a few hours of your life but is way too below the level expected of any medical undergraduate. But I guess medical education is moving on from the days when I did it (gosh do I sound old?) when you were expected to know the course and distribution of almost every nerve!

An excellent way to learn about the way the body works..., 20 Aug 2001
Although the colouring book is primarily aimed at children, this book is a must for any medical or nursing student learning about the anatomy and physiology of the human body. The accurately illustrated drawings inwhich the functions, major systems and organs of the human body are laid out in the book, and the easy colour coding system used for each one, aids the learner immensely. I personally found that it helps the information to "sink in" easier through the unique and fun way this book is presented. Also, The 40+ plates are accompanied by brief straightforward summaries (wrote in plain English) about the pictures you are colouring in. Don't think this book is only for children, it can be used by anyone, young or old, for an enjoyable learning experience. Since getting the book myself, I have recommended it to other nursing students who have ordered it themselves. So get your crayons at the ready... and get colouring in!