Anatomy and Physiology: the literal and metaphorical Heart of biomedical engineering?

Chapter two introduces physiological systems and fills up about half the book, or just a little over 200 pages.  Much of chapter two is dedicated primarily to the cardiovascular system. 

After reading chapter one, I was expecting to continue transacting with more analogies, historical accounts and comic relief.  Instead, the reader is forced to take an efferent stance to fully engage with the text.  This is no surprise because most science and engineering text books require higher-level involvement as they are meant to disseminate information. 

I’m a little disappointed to have been enticed by such a flow-etic introduction, only to have been misled about the book’s overall tone.  Understanding the Human Machine – A Primer for Bioengineers, nonetheless provides a fountain of information I find to be useful in the study of bioengineering.  The text is interspersed with classroom discussion-questions, but most are open ended and require independent research to investigate.  This book however may be suitable for graduate-level study because chapter two delves beyond introductory fluid flow mechanics and electrophysiology.  At times, the math gets pretty convoluted as Valentinuzzi feels the need demonstrate proofs and derivations for certain formulas.  Oftentimes Valintinuzzi even asks the reader to derive formulas with subtle hints and absolutely no answers to check your work.   

   

Again, about half the book, just one chapter, is dedicated primarily to the cardiovascular system.  It is typical for a primer to distribute content without tirelessly spending too much time in one content area.  Compilation of the book’s content appears to have been influenced by Valentinuzzi’s original research as the text often makes references to his own work.

Probably not intended to elicit a chuckle, though I find it amusing that the title refers to the Human Machine and yet provides pictures and diagrams of reptile physiology and herpetology e.g. a snake’s ECG and a frog’s heart!  By way of evolution, the advanced student can take similarities among animal physiology and extrapolate to human form and function, although this would be challenging for introductory students with a limited background in biological science.   

A primer serves as an introductory text book although it would be merciless to inflict Understanding the Human Machine – A Primer for Bioengineers, on a high school bioengineering class, or even on an introductory college class.  Better suited as a supplemental read for a graduate-level biomedical engineering course, it has many shortcomings to be used as a stand-alone text book.  Not only is the content beyond the scope of introductory bioengineering, it also lacks a glossary of terms.  It would have been useful to start each chapter with an index of nomenclature and a summary of learning points, followed by an exercise section at the end of each chapter.  This book nonetheless does a good job referring the reader to suggested areas for future research, although its applications are less practical and more theoretical.