Book Description
All cultures everywhere have attempted to
change their body in an attempt to meet their cultural standards of
beauty, as well as their religious and or social obligations. In
addition, people modify and adorn their bodies as part of the complex
process of creating and re-creating their personal and social
identities. Body painting has probably been practiced since the
Paleolithic as archaeological evidence indicates, and the earliest
human evidence of tattooing goes back to the Neolithic with mummies
found in Europe, Central Asia, the Andes and the Middle East.
Adornments such as jewelry have been found in the earliest human graves
and bodies unearthed from five thousand years ago show signs of
intentional head shaping. It is clear that adorning and modifying the
body is a central human practice. Over 200 entries address the major
adornments and modifications, their historical and cross-cultural
locations, and the major cultural groups and places in which body
modification has been central to social and cultural practices. This
encyclopedia also includes background information on the some of the
central figures involved in creating and popularizing tattooing,
piercing, and other body modifications in the modern world. Finally,
the book addresses some of the major theoretical issues surrounding the
temporary and permanent modification of the body, the laws and customs
regarding the marking of the body, and the social movements that have
influenced or embraced body modification, and those which have been
affected by it. Entries include, acupuncture, amputation, Auschwitz,
P.T. Barnum, the Bible, body dysmorphic disorder, body piercing,
branding, breast augmentation and reduction, Betty Broadbent,
castration, Christianity, cross dressers, Dances Sacred and Profane,
Egypt, female genital mutilation, foot binding, freak shows, genetic
engineering, The Great Omi, Greco-Roman world, henna, infibulation,
legislation & regulation, lip plates, medical tattooing,
Meso-America, military tattoos, National Tattoo Association, nose
piercing, obesity, permanent makeup, primitivism, prison tattooing,
punk, rites of passage, scalpelling, silicone injections, Stalking Cat,
suspensions, tanning, tattoo reality shows, tattooing, Thailand,
transgender, tribalism.
A richly illustrated medical atlas of the five main human sensory systems together with their neural pathways, from primary sensation to processing by the brain.
The authors provide a detailed anatomical survey of each sensory organ, covering their ontogeny (development), central pathways, and functional mechanisms. Highlights include microanatomy and endoscopic images of the temporal bone, human embryonic specimens demonstrating the histology of the developing ear, and scanning electron micrographs of the organ of Corti and the vestibular receptors.
There are also easy-to-use tables providing an overview of the nerves and arteries of the eye and orbit and clinical specimens of ...
This book is an outstanding contribution to the philosophical study of language and mind, by one of the most influential thinkers of our time. In a series of penetrating essays, Chomsky cuts through the confusion and prejudice that has infected the study of language and mind, bringing new solutions to traditional philosophical puzzles and fresh perspectives on issues of general interest, ranging from the mind-body problem to the unification of science. Using a range of imaginative and deceptively simple linguistic analyses, Chomsky defends the view that knowledge of language is internal to the human mind. He argues that a proper study of language must deal with this mental construct. According to Chomsky, therefore, human language is a "biological object" and should be analyzed using the methodology of the sciences. His examples and analyses come together in this book to give a unique and compelling perspective on language and the mind.
Human Evolution provides a comprehensive overview of hominid evolution, synthesising data and approaches from fields as diverse as physical anthropology, evolutionary biology, molecular biology, genetics, archaeology, psychology and philosophy. The book starts with chapters on evolution, population genetics, systematics, and the methods for constructing evolutionary trees. These are followed by a comprehensive review of the fossil history of human evolution since our divergence from the apes. Subsequent chapters cover more recent data, both fossil and molecular, relating to the evolution of modern humans. A final section describes the evolution of culture, language, art, and morality. The authors are leading experts in two complementary fields of scholarship, physical anthropology and molecular evolution. Throughout the book they successfully integrate their expertise in evolutionary theory, phylogenetics, genomics, cultural evolution, language, aesthetics and morality to produce a cutting edge textbook, copiously illustrated and with an extensive and up-to-date bibliography. It will be suitable for both senior undergraduate and graduate level students taking courses on human evolution within departments of biology, anthropology, psychology and philosophy. The book will also appeal to a more general audience seeking a readable, up-to-date and inclusive treatment of human origins and evolution.
Fundamental Anatomy presents essential human anatomy and embryology in a readable and well-illustrated concise text. Written in narrative form, this reader-friendly textbook provides the conceptual framework that will help students need to master the structure and function of human anatomy. Using a systems-based approach, Fundamental Anatomy emphasizes organizational and development and insightfully integrates embryology for a more thorough understanding of adult gross anatomy. A companion Website offers the book's fully searchable online text.