Customer Reviews

Netter Atlas of Human Anatomy

5 star:		(56)
4 star:		(6)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(3)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

Frank Netter's atlas compiles his paintings of every imaginable human body part, seen in various degrees of dissection, into one volume. Dr. Netter's talent for reproducing the facts of anatomy is exquisite and unquestionable. However, as one looks a little deeper, it becomes clear that Netter is in fact a guru of function as well. Nerves, outlined in an unearthly yellow, terminate on muscles they actually innervate. Tendinous insertions are always on the correct part of bony protuberances, and fiber direction is always carefully detailed. Any unusual functional variances, such as the dual sympathetic/parasympathetic function of Vidian's nerve, or such as the pulley effect on the trochlear nerve, are always painstakingly pointed out. Netter also excels in variation, presenting, for example, 11 normal variants of the cystic and hepatic ducts.

The alternatives are few and inadequate. Pernkopf is often cited as Netter's chief rival; his experimentation on living persons incarcerated in Nazi concentration camps forbids me from perusing his text, on ethical grounds. Grant's atlas is laughably inadequate by comparison, both in number and quality of the plates. And Gray's, the old standby, simply cannot measure up; Netter's bold colors and functional depictions are clearly superior.

Rohen and Yokochi, a photographic atlas, offers the advantage of being photographs of superb dissections, and therefore more like what one encounters in the anatomy lab. Some find it useful as a supplement to Netter's atlas. I also used Moore's textbook of anatomy; the plates, from Grant's atlas, are not so good, but the text can be used to expand and illuminate on the relevant plates in Netter's, and the text is well written and clear. I found it indispensible to read a little bit about what I was looking at, the night before an anatomy lab.

I have also lent my Netter to several artists (sculptors and painters,) all of whom found it to be quite useful.

If you have any interest in human anatomy, then, you need a copy of Netter today!

I have been a forensic pathologist for more than twenty years and refer to texts and atlases of anatomy on an almost daily basis. This is, by far, the best atlas I have ever used. Dr. Netter's genius lies in his being able to render complex anatomy in lucid and easily grasped pictures that still look like the real thing. He makes it appear effortless and his real brilliance can only be grasped by comparing his atlas to other (and usually more expensive) works that just do not measure up. I wish I had this atlas in medical school, but am delighted in being able to refer to it now. It is one of those pearls that every first year medical student, nursing student and paramedic simply must have in their personal library. It will prove indispensable in every stage of their careers.

I am the mother of a first year medical student. My daughter was at a loss in her first month at school - struggling with her Gross Anatomy Course. Our family doctor (he is actually a Neuro-Surgeon) suggested that I purchase Netter's "Atlas of Human Anatomy" swearing that he could never have gone through Anatomy it. I live in Malaysia and my daughter is studying in the Philippines. In both countries, we could not find this book! I found it right here at Amazon! The book was shipped by DHL and it has since been my daughter's bedside companion. She is still struggling with her Anatomy Course...but definitely this book of Netter has helped her SO MUCH. I have read through it myself and realized how difficult it is really to be a doctor. Atlas of Human Anatomy is a genius's work of art. Netter clearly defines the anatomical parts of the human body. Other reference/text books that are of great help to Anatomy students are: Grant's Atlas of Human Anatomy (which also has a Dissector) and Rohen & Yokochi's "Color Atlas of Anatomy" which is a photographic atlas of cadavers - a very good guide for practicals. Both books (Grant's and Rohen's) are found right here at AMAZON

Netter's genius shines in the CIBA books, not on this atlas. It lacks fundamental correlations with what today's student must acquaint themselves with: MRI, CT, x-rays, and not to forget physical examination.
I guess the rave is all about only knowing this atlas, and also because older professors only know this atlas. I am not saying this is a bad atlas at all. All I am saying is that there are other choices that integrate information in a more meaningful way for today's medical student.
Our anatomy dissection group had Netter, Sobbotta, Grant's, Yokoshi's, and McMinn's atlases. We found Netter and Sobbotta to have "pretty pictures". Yokoshi had cadaver sections only, but they were executed by anatomy experts. If you followed it, you would get in trouble and section something you shouldn't (we become so appreciative of the human body's simmetry because of that). Same with McMinn's (and we also found some dissections not very inteligible, I might add). Students that displayed avoidance behavior towards dissection, and were more of the "exam cram" types favored Netter (that might also have been because of a lack of curiosity regarding other atlases). But we were not so, we stayed until late in the dissection room, only leaving when the night shift guard *made* us leave.
The atlas that truly delivered a nice view of anatomical *relations* between parts, and had dissections we could follow on the table, and that contained clear correlations with clinical and imaging information (part of our anatomy exam involved not only cadaver but x-rays, CT, and clinical topography) was Grant's Atlas of Anatomy. That was what we discovered trough trial and error. It costs a lot less than some other atlases, and it is underrated, but it delivers much more. But YMMV.

I just finished my first semester of medical school, which included gross anatomy, and I can't emphasize enough how incredibly helpful Netter's atlas was! At the beginning of the semester we were told that we would learn about 3500 new "terms" over the course of the semester. This number is overwhelming, especially when you consider that one "term" may be something as long as "extensor digiti minimi brevis muscle" or "anterior superior pancreatoduodenal artery." Over time and with Netter's help, anatomy came together for me (and my classmates, who also use Netter's atlas religiously) and began to make sense.

The illustrations that Frank Netter has produced as very clear and easy to understand. I appreciate that he tends to devote entire pages to a single entity, such as just arteries, or nerves, or lymphatics. This is enormously helpful when you are trying to visualize how a system (i.e., circulation) works together. However, Netter also includes numerous (color-coded!) illustrations showing how these systems all interact. We all began to wish that our bodies were also "color-coded," but that's life.

In conclusion, don't let anatomy scare you! It is overwhelming but very manageable with Netter's help. Look over this atlas every day after class and lab, highlight it like crazy, and review it whenever you can. It works! I recommend it to people whenever I can.

The late Frank Netter has done us a great service in producing this classic. The paintings are just right. What impressed me was how well some of the labeling is done. For example, Plate 318, showing the blood vessels in parenchyma of the kidney, is dense with notations. Yet one does not get lost between the body part and its label. I much prefer this atlas to Pernkopf's work. To get the most out of this book, get Gray's Anatomy, the 38th British Edition (none other please !!!!), as a reading exercise followed by a "viewing" in Netter's book. Truly a gem.

What a wonderful book. I am not a health-care professional -- just a layman -- but this book is positively captivating. I was able to use Dr. Netter's crystal-clear illustrations to understand a shoulder injury, and while there is virtually no descriptive text other than the labelling of the body parts (it's an atlas, not an anatomy book), there is much here to learn from.

Every medical professional I've spoken with knows Dr. Frank Netter's work, and it's great that he now has a single volume available to the layman.

As a second year medical student, I can say that the prospect of taking an anatomy class without using this book is laughable. This is the most comprehensive, yet accessible anatomic atlas I have ever seen. Every part of the body a student could wish to study has been presented in exhaustive detail, most often in multiple plates offering views from different angles and of different layers. Although excellent, any artistic presentation can only go so far in representing reality, so I would also recommend Rohan and Yakochi's atlas for the photos to prepare for a practical exam - Netter's plates are often too perfect to represent what would be seen in a Cadaver.
To sum up, this is the ideal book for any medical student or anyone else who wishes to have a clear, accurate, easy to use atlas of human anatomy.

Atlas of Human Anatomy by Frank H. Netter is by far one of the most detailed and comprehensive anatomical texts on the market. Full color high quality drawings clearly illustrate almost every aspect of the musculo-skeletal, nervous, visceral and fascial systems of the human body. Whether you are a lay-person and simply curious about human anatomy or are a trained professional in the medical, para-medica, or complimentary healthcare field you will find this text to be truly indespenceable.

Gregory Stevens, Muscular Therapist

I'm a medical student who entered school with zero background in anatomy. I got Neter's because everyone else did and frankly don't understand all the raving is about. The illustrations are indeed very pretty but what's the point? It takes forever to find the structures in the picture, it's basically impossible to determine anatomical relationships (especially in the difficult areas such as the pelvis, the abdomen and the head) some illustrations are outright wrong, many illustrations are incomplete.

I recommend becoming familiar with the anatomical coordinates and learning from accurate and complete texts (Gray's anatomy is available for free online). Moore's Clinical Anatomy is very good for it's clinical correlates, albeit some of the illustrations are subpar.