The Complete Human Body + DVD Review

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(More customer reviews)Upon my first browse-through of "The Complete Human Body," my initial impression was that it was an updated version of DK 2007 release The Human Body Book (Book & DVD) (referred to as THBB from now on), but twice as large. Having spent some time to actually explore the book more thoroughly, that view hasn't changed much.
First off, this book is MASSIVE. If you've owned any of DK's other "definitive visual guides" you know what to expect. The book is broken into five main parts: Integrated Body, Anatomy, How The Body Works, Life Cycle, and Diseases And Disorders. Like the other Definitive Visual Guides, The Complete Human Body is divided into two and four-page thematic spreads. The book utilizes a combination of computer models, medical imagery, and traditional drawings in depicting the inner workings of the human body.
The biggest improvement from THBB lies in the Anatomy section, which occupies half of the book. The first section focuses on overall views of different body systems, with detailed spreads on the structure of hones, ligaments, veins, skin, etc. The Anatomy Atlas divides the body into seven main regions, each of the systems within that region depicted in a two-page spread. In the case of the skeletal and muscular systems, posterior and anterior views are provided. The depiction of muscles is especially well done, with views of deep and superficial muscles of the anterior and posterior in each region. Views of the major organs, close-ups of various structures, and MRI scans are also included in this part.
Unfortunately, many of the illustrations in the rest of the book are simply rehashed from THBB, and much of the thematic content from that book is reproduced here rearranged and rewritten. The Diseases and Disorders section is the biggest offender in that regard - at least 80% of the illustrations come straight from THBB. That's not to say this book isn't an impressively detailed reference work, and in some ways is actually superior to The Human Body Book. The anatomical illustrations are all larger, more detailed, and feature better textures, the page layouts are cleaner and easier to understand, and considering the book's size, there's quite a bit of content not found in THBB, especially in "How The Body Works."
As a visual guide to the human body and it's functions, this an excellent book, but as a revised edition of The Human Body Book, it seems a little rushed. I bought my copy of the latter in September 2007, and can't help but feel this would have been a better book if DK held off another year. If you don't already own THBB, The Complete Human Body is worth the price Amazon is currently asking. If you DO own a copy, you might want to hold off a while.

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