R. McNeill Alexander (1934–2016)

How do we walk, chew, speak, or use our hands? How does a pitcher wind up? Why does arthritis inhibit motion? No robot could ever duplicate exactly the delicate and complex maechanisms of human movement, so unique is the operation of the body. In The Human Machine, R. McNeill Alexander explains the mechanical workings of the human body by using engineering principles.

This fascinating book analyzes the full range of body motion and all aspects of human movement from everyday activities such as writing to sporting techniques such as weightlifting. The book accurately expalins the mechanical principles involved, detailing such activities as swimming and cycling. Alexander also discusses mechanical faults and accidents-medical problems that might disturb the working of the body-including sprains, bone fractures, arthritis and heart attacks.

While there are other books on athletic movement, they attempt to describe only rudimentary mechanics and do not draw on recent findings. The Human Machine presents current theories and the latest experiments, and offers a complete detailed and interdisciplinary analysis of human locomotion needed for those in physical education, sports science, physiotherapy, nursing, human biology, kinesiology, or biomechanics. Whether scientists or laypersons with little background in science, people interested in how their own bodies work will find The Human Machine engrossing.

R. McNeill Alexander is Professor of Zoology at the University of Leeds. He is a fellow of the Royal Society and an Honorary Member of the American Society of Zoologists and has been awarded medals by the Zoological Society of London, the Linnean Society, and the International Society for Biomechanics. He has written Animal Mechanics and, for Columbia University Press, Dynamics of Dinosaurs and other Extinct Giants.

Have you ever wondered:

Which part of the runner's foot touches ground first? See the chapter on running.
Why do our legs stay so straight when we walk? The fifth chapter has the details.
What if our arms had exta joints or different proportions-would they be more useful? The answer is revealed in chapter one.
How is it opera singers need no micorphones? Find out in chapter fourteen.
How can our hands strike strong blows, andet be capable of delicate and ocmplex manipulations, such as a caress? Read chapter two.
What facial muscles do you use when you frown or smile? Figure it out for yourself in chapter fifteen.

The Human Machine answers these and many other fascinating questions about the mechanical principles underlying all human movement from weightlifting to singing. R. McNeill Alexander treats human movement as would an engineer, but explains the mechanics simply and clearly, aided by detailed illustrations and photographs. Non-scientists, science buffs, and scientists alike will enjoy this new approach to undrstanding the body's motions!

'It is not easy to write simply, clearly, and concisely. R. McNeill Alexander is a master of the art.'-Nature

Contents

Preface
One Reaching
Two Handling
Three Lifting
Four Standing
Five Walking
Six running
Seven Jumping
Eight Cycling
Nine Swimming
Ten Throwing
Eleven Eating
Twelve Breathing
Thirteen Blood circulation
Fourteen Speaking
fifteen The human machine
Principal sources of information (bibliography)
Index… (meer)

From Library Journal
Dinosaurs are in vogue these days (see also Dougal Dixon's The Macmillan Illustrated Encyclopedia of Dinosaurs and Prehistoric Animals, reviewed in this issue, p.00). In Alexander's latest, he exercises his considerable expertise in engineering; he tackles questions of dinosaur weight, gait, agility, behavior, and metabolism from a mechanical perspective, and emphasizes methods a paleontologist can use to infer or calculate whole animal structure and function from bones and trackways. Flying and marine reptiles and giant birds and mammals are also included. For the intelligent lay reader who wonders how scientific reconstructions of fossil animals can be created; and for the professional seeking an approachable version of topics covered in Alexander's more technical works.
- Margery C. Coombs, Univ. of Massachusetts, Amherst
Copyright 1989 Reed Business Information, Inc.… (meer)