Customer Reviews

Atlas of Human Anatomy and Surgery: The Complete Coloured Plates of 1831-1854 (25th Anniversary Special Edtn)

5 star:		(11)
4 star:		(0)
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1 star:		(1)

 

 

I don't have any particular interest in anatomy, although I do like to do a little of my own research when some body part is misbehaving. This massive book will certainly assist in the future...it has to be the gold-standard of anatomy books. And Taschen has done yet another magnificent job producing one of these major historic works. Folks, this book is staggering, in both size and quality. It is HUGE (perhaps four times the size of an average "coffee-table book") and heavy and beautifully produced: Cloth-bound cover, incredible paper quality, magnificent color reproduction...and enormous scope. Page after page of....well, blood and guts, assorted organs, skeletons, bones and skulls.

But that's what we're made of, and even though I maybe got a little nauseous by page 700, it was an amazing voyage through the human body. And even though these plates are well over a hundred years old, I presume we have not evolved so much that anything here is outdated or obsolete. Bottom-line: if you have the slightest interest in anatomy, you MUST buy this book. This is an heirloom quality edifice.

I should also mention that if you have friends or family who are medical students, doctors, or some other type of "medical professional," or athletic trainer, this might be the best gift you could give them. Not only will they enjoy it from an aesthetic perspective, they may use it on occasion in the course of their work. This thing seems like it might be really useful for anyone trying to visualize a region of the body. And there is an extensive section dedicated to various (perhaps outdated) surgical techniques and medical apparatus.

Taschen does it yet again. I see Taschen as being to books as Criterion is to DVDs and Fat Possum is to music. These companies lovingly excavate these lost or unknown treasures and present them for all of us to enjoy in an ultra-high quality package. This may not be good for my savings account but my bookshelves are a cultural treasure trove.

When looking at the reviews and deciding if you want this book, bear in mind that the huge, linen-bound 2005 edition is probably the one everyone is raving about. It is out of print and goes for about $300 these days. The currently available 25th Anniversary "Special Edition" from 2008 is considerably shorter and more affordably produced, but it will not have quite the same impact or collector value. Just watch those pub. dates and price ranges, folks!

I was astounded at the sheer size of this book. As a medical illustrator/animator and anatomy book collector, this is one of my favorites, but it is a bit cumbersome if being stored on a bookshelf (it comes with its own cardboard carrying case). It can definitely be used as a coffee table book; but I would advise against letting people leaf through the surgery section if they are eating....
I was however; very disappointed that the labels had been removed. Also, some of the pages in the introduction are in french and german. Nonetheless, I can highly recommend this book if it not being used as a reference text, not only for it thoroughness, but the beauty of its artwork and the uniqueness of its style.

As an art student and a person who is generally fascinated by the human body, this enormous, beautiful book of litho prints is incredible to look through. It may not be the most informative book for a medical practitioner or student, but the history and craftsmanship of the images is just amazing. I would definitely recommend this book to anyone interested in the human body or someone interested in lithography or anyone who might need some creative inspiration.

This book was a gift for a medical student who also happens to be very fond of art and when I saw it for the first time in a friend's house I was convinced this was the perfect gift for him.

The book features big colored detailed views of practically every inch of the human body inside and outside, an exhaustive edition work with the best quality a book can hold, everyone should get a hold of this book at least once because is a perfect match between science and art.

Im not a doctor or a serial killer but this book has some mean pictures (actually they are drawings) about the human anatomy.. basically this is the book modern medicine has been building on, and its shocking to see how things were and were done before our time.. a gory book to say the least, might even be classified as gothic...

This is a very nice atlas. The pictures are beautiful. It is not the best atlas to study (I am a medical student in the Netherlands), but this is definitly a atlas for your collection.

I love the images in this book. but the index is odd, and not all the anatomical names are listed. If you are looking for the name of a specific small nerve in the leg, or something of the like, you may not be able to find it even though there is a great image of that specific object.

either way i love the book, but keep a copy of grey's anatomy handy if your looking for names.

This is a magnificent book. It was edited first in the 1800's and the drawings are excellent. It is very useful for teaching anatomy as well as to review historically some "primitive" surgical techniques.

Beautiful drawings! I am so happy to see perspectives and layers that are glossed over in most modern anatomical illustrations, esp various depictions of fascia. Striking detail -- I am so pleased I went with the large format of this book. If it didn't weigh 25 lbs I wouldn't be able to put it down!