The Way We Work [Hardcover]

David Macaulay (Author)

Book Description

Age Level: 10 and up | Grade Level: 5 and up

This is an outstanding guide to the human body from one of the world's great illustrators! Ever wondered how we breathe, or why? Or what happens to broccoli once your teeth have finished with it? Or how your eyes turn at the same time and in the same direction? Most of us don't stop to think about the countless everyday tasks our bodies perform automatically while we get on with our lives. And yet of all the complex things we encounter as we go through life, our bodies are probably the most remarkable of all...Explore everything from bones to bronchioles, noses to neurons in this clear, comprehensive and utterly engaging guide to the human body from award-winning author-illustrator David Macaulay, creator of the bestselling "The New Way Things Work". David Macaulay's research took several years, during which he sat in on anatomy classes, dissections and numerous operations. "The New Way Things Work" has enjoyed phenomenal global success, selling millions of copies worldwide, spending fifty weeks on the "New York Times" bestseller list, and being translated into dozens of languages.

--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

In this comprehensive and entertaining resource, David Macaulay reveals the inner workings of the human body as only he could. In order to present this complicated subject in an accurate and entertaining way, he put in years of research. He sat in on anatomy classes, dissections, and even reached inside the rib cages of two cadavers to compare their spleen sizes. He observed numerous surgeries, including a ten-hour procedure where a diseased pancreas was removed, as well as one where a worn-out old knee was replaced by a brand new one. This hands-on investigation gives Macaulay a unique perspective to lead his readers on a visual journey through the workings of the human body.

The seven sections within the book take us from the cells that form our foundation to the individual systems they build. Each beautifully illustrated spread details different aspects of our complex structure, explaining the function of each and offering up-close glimpses, unique cross-sections and perspectives, and even a little humor along the way. This one-of-a-kind book can serve as a reference for children, families, teachers, and anyone who has questions about how his or her body works. When readers see how David Macaulay builds a body and explains the way it works, they will come away with a new appreciation of the amazing world inside them.

Amazon Exclusive: Macaulay's Sketches for The Way We Work
(CLICK on Images to Enlarge)

Explore author-artist David Macaulay's creative imagination at work in this collection of intriguing early sketches for the book. Each drawing--which is rendered in colored pencils-- lays out the story of a different system of the body through surprising shifts of scale, color, texture, the insertion of figures, and other intriguing spatial relationships on the page.

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From School Library Journal

Starred Review. Grade 6 Up—An ambitious undertaking even for Macaulay, this volume tackles the human body in the author's usual style. Divided into seven sections that connect related systems, the book covers cellular structure at the atomic scale, DNA, and metabolism; respiration and circulation; digestion and elimination; the nervous and endocrine systems; the immune system and fighting infections; the skeleton, musculature, and movement; and reproduction. Macaulay combines a detailed description with frequently whimsical, yet very informative, color diagrams to illustrate the body's functions. At times challenging due to the nature of the topic (e.g., cellular chemistry, nerve impulses), the text incorporates the same subtle humor found in the artwork to enhance the book's appeal without sacrificing its utility. As Macaulay shies away from no topic in his frank, scientific discussions, the result is a very complete description of the "mechanical" aspect of human anatomy that is at once enlightening, entertaining, and a visual delight.—Jeffrey A. French, formerly at Willoughby-Eastlake Public Library, Willowick, OH
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Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 10 and up
  
• Hardcover: 336 pages
• Publisher: Houghton Mifflin/Walter Lorraine Books; 1 edition (October 3, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0618233784
• ISBN-13: 978-0618233786
• Product Dimensions: 11.1 x 8.7 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 3 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (17 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #61,352 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #47 in Books > Children's Books > Science, Nature & How It Works > Anatomy & Physiology

More About the Author

David Macaulay is an award-winning author and illustrator whose books have sold millions of copies in the United States alone, and his work has been translated into a dozen languages. Macaulay has garnered numerous awards including the Caldecott Medal and Honor Awards, the Boston Globe-Horn Book Award, the Christopher Award, an American Institute of Architects Medal, and the Washington Post-Children's Book Guild Nonfiction Award. In 2006, he was the recipient of a MacArthur Fellowship, given "to encourage people of outstanding talent to pursue their own creative, intellectual, and professional inclinations." Superb design, magnificent illustrations, and clearly presented information distinguish all of his books. David Macaulay lives with his family in Vermont.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

60 of 62 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Anatomy and Physiology in an easy to digest form. A nurses perspective., October 14, 2008

By 

J. J. Marino "Geekasaurus Rex" (Rochester, New York) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (TOP 500 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Way We Work (Hardcover)

I am a nurse and also a student currently working on my masters. During the course of my degree I have of course had to learn anatomy (body structures) and physiology (body functions). The one thing that I have always had issue with was the way even my very expensive books for school seemed to lack in any really good illustrations. I am a visual learner and I really appreciate the clarity of a good illustration.

What David Macaulay has done here with this book "The way WE work" is to look at the body from the viewpoint of an engineer and illustrator. Mr Macaulay is the mastermind of the very popular The way things work. He has brought those skills to the human body. I appreciate the very clear and thoughtful way he portrays different body components and how they all work together and eventually quit working.

I recommend this book to anyone who is a visual learner or needs to really have a unique perspective for a project. This book is great for any grade school student to any college student. It will probably not replace your need to get the expensive A&P books, however. It will augment your current library though and that in itself is wonderful.

Highly recommended!

48 of 52 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Expected better from Macaulay, November 3, 2008

By 

N. Shah (Fremont, CA USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Way We Work (Hardcover)

As a fan of David Macaulay's The Way Things Work book and videos, I was expecting better from this book.

The content is presented in good depth. Compared to many other kid-friendly books on human body, this book's approach of understanding the funtions of the systems and organ starting from celluar level (and molecular level) is very helpful to any kid who is curious to understand the "why"s of human physiology. Unfortunately, the explanations are often short-changed.

Macaulay's previous book had much better illustrations that assisted explanation. This book's illustrations often touch only tangential topics, missing the crux of the topic that most needed an illustration to aid the explanation. I am sorry to say that illustrations seem to be chosen for the ease of the illustrator, and where complexity really needed an illustation for better explanation, the book instead relies on verbose exaplanations, that are often insufficient. The language is often not kid-friendly - the expected target audience.

I find the book useful to arouse interest in human anatomy and physiology, and to frame the content to cater to the inquisiveness of a "why" kid who otherwise finds human anatomy and physiology less than intriguing. It needs to be used in combination with other books/websites/videos that contain better explanations of the matter.

The book comes across as a good first attempt, but a rushed job. I wish Macaulay would revise this book soon, or even better, supplement with multimedia illustrations or videos.

41 of 45 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Includes A Lesson in Reproduction, November 28, 2008

By 

BamaMom (Alabama) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Way We Work (Hardcover)

I flipped through this book today with intentions of buying it for my 7 year old son. He is a huge fan of David Macaulay, and has thoroughly enjoyed The Way Things Work. I did not, however, purchase the book because of the last chapter on reproduction. This will be a great tool for kids who are ready for that particular lesson in life, however my 7 year old is not quite ready. The cross-section sketch of a penis inserted in the vagina as well as the page on the sperm's journey entitled "Winner Takes All!" is just a bit too much information for the younger child. We will be waiting a couple of years before purchasing this beautiful and informative book.