Description
Book SynopsisThe human body is a machine whose movements are directed by the soul, wrote René Descartes in the early seventeenth century. The intr- sic mechanisms of this machine gradually became clear through the hard work of Renaissance scientists. Leonardo da Vinci is one such scientist from this period of enlightenment. In pursuit of knowledge, Leonardo dissected the bodies of more than 30 men and women. He sawed the bones lengthwise, to see their internal structure; he sawed the skull, cut through the vertebrae, and showed the spinal cord. In the process, he took extensive notes and made carefully detailed sketches. His drawings d- ferentiated muscles that run across several joints from those muscles that act on a single joint. Nature has made all the muscles appertaining to the motion of the toes attached to the bone of the leg and not to that of the thigh, wrote Leonardo in 1504 next to one of his sketches of the lower extremity, because when the knee joint is flexed, if attached to the bone
Trade Review From the reviews:
"This book represents a very ambitious undertaking of providing, in a single volume, a comprehensive exposition of the kinematics and dynamics governing the motion of the human body as well as a complete course of general mechanics. The author has been remarkably successful in achieving both objectives. He has produced a very accessible text without sacrificing the accuracy of arguments and avoiding undue simplifications of the problems. The book should prove to be a great value to the practitioners in orthopedics, sports medicine and bioengineering research. University students interested in careers in medicine or bioengineering may find it an interesting alternative to the standard courses in mechanics." Maciej P. Bieniek, Renwick Professor Emeritus of Engineering Mechanics, Columbia University
"Human Body Dynamics is a remarkable book. A concise, comprehensive, well-written and well-illustrated first chapter gives a necessary introduction to the anatomy of the human body. In the following chapters human body dynamics is explored using the principles of classical mechanics. The concluding chapter deals with the methods of three-dimensional mechanics. With these powerful tools, a myriad of very interesting problems are solved. This, I would say is the dessert of the feast." H. Buelent Atabek, Professor Emeritus of Biomedical Engineering, Catholic University of America
Table of ContentsHuman Body Structure: Muscles, Tendons, Ligaments, and Bones.- Laws of Motion: Snowflakes, Airborne Balls, Pendulums.- Particles in Motion: Method of Lumped Masses and Jumping, Sit-Ups, Push-Ups.- Bodies in Planar Motion: Jumping, Diving, Push-Ups, Back Curls.- Statics: Tug-of-War, Weight Lifting, Trusses, Cables, Beams.- Internal Forces and the Human Body: Complexity of the Musculoskeletal System.- Impulse and Momentum: Impulsive Forces and Crash Mechanics.- Energy Transfers: In Pole Vaulting, Running, and Abdominal Workout.- Three-Dimensional Motion: Somersaults, Throwing, and Hitting Motions.
