Balance: In Search of the Lost Sense (Hardcover)

by Scott McCredie (Author)
Key Phrases: human balance system, tibular system, vertigo attacks, United States, Karen Perz, New York (more...)

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly
According to Seattle Times journalist McCredie, the rise in debilitating falls among Americans is reaching epidemic proportions, the result of a population's waning sense of balance. In the first half of this analytical primer, McCredie chronicles balance's role in evolution and the unfolding discovery of its function in the body through a jumble of stories about barbarous experiments on animals (pigeons, cats, etc) and humans-specifically, mental patients and deaf mutes. It's grim stuff, hardly indicated by the cover photo (young man, fluffy white clouds). Illustrations from 1934 that, while beautiful, don't match the current description of, say, the inner ear frustrate, while McCredie's tendency to fall into archaic language when discussing the 19th century aggravates. The second half is decidedly lighter, contrasting tales of tight wire walkers and acrobats with the stories of people who, through damage to the vestibular canal, have lost their balance. Here, McCredie writes engagingly of children on unicycles, Neanderthal man's hunting techniques, John F. Kennedy Jr.'s plane crash and Nike knockoffs worn in China. Useful not only for its academic approach, this book could make a difference for anyone facing the natural challenges of aging.
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

From Booklist
After the shock of seeing his fit father fall for no apparent reason, award-winning journalist McCredie became curious about the physiology of equilibrium. His extensive and creative research has led him to conclude that balance is the overlooked sixth sense and crucial to our survival. McCredie delineates his fascinating discoveries in a vividly informative and absorbing blend of medical history and case studies, marveling over the fact that it wasn't until the twentieth century that scientists gained any accurate understanding of the truly miraculous workings of the inner ear. Through studies of motion sickness and vertigo, it eventually became clear that the human balance system involves three sensory inputs: vision, proprioception (the body's ability to perceive its own motion), and the amazing vestibular functions. McCredie matches body mechanics with astonishing tales of acrobats, astronauts, and maverick researchers who discovered that simple exercises not only strengthen our sense of balance but also improve cognitive skills. McCredie offers practical advice for maintaining one's equilibrium and acuity and rekindles deep appreciation for life's incredible exactitude and grace. Seaman, Donna
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 304 pages
• Publisher: Little, Brown and Company; 1 edition (June 12, 2007)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0316011355
• ISBN-13: 978-0316011358
• Product Dimensions: 8.4 x 5.5 x 1.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 15.5 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars See all reviews (9 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #164,050 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

19 of 19 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Balance, July 20, 2007

By	Nan - See all my reviews

Mr. McCredie, while on a hike with his father, witnesses his dad simply drop from sight...he fell, lost his balance. From here Mr. McCredie shares with us his research on this sense. I was hitherto unaware of the magnitude of its importance. Happily, I am not in small minded company as Aristotle, Scott writes, did not include balance in his original list of our senses. Balance's history has been facinating...sea sickness, cognitive thinking, a walk in the park, pilots' training, infants' cognitive abilities, camels, Lawrence of Arabia, Lord Nelson, war, astronauts, birds and cats,the mentally ill, and John F. Kennedy, Jr. are just a few of the people and subjects Scott connects by this sense. I am glad I read the book.

As a literary interviewer for Washington Talking Book & Braille Library, I choose Scott McCredie's book initially because his writing style is compatible with my reading style, i.e.,tell me or teach me information on almost any subject, have it reach my brain in an interesting way and do it cleanly and clearly. Scott does all the above despite my having to grapple with science.

9 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars a fun read, July 12, 2007

By	B. Hall - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This was a fascinating book. Mccredie makes a convincing case for including balance as a 6th sense, supporting his thesis with interesting examples from medical research, historical examples, and personal accounts. The bit about JFK Jr's plane crash attributed to a confused vestibular system was particularly good, and the other stories (the "brainport" device, for one) lent contemporary credence to his ideas. He's a great writer, and covers all the bases. I learned a lot. Highly recommended.

5 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Almost everything you want to know about balance..., October 17, 2007

By	Dennis B. H. Ang "bakhwee" (Singapore) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

but don't know who to ask or where to look. If you are looking for how-to, you would be disappointed as that is restricted to the appendix. The last few chapters shed light on research that would one day retard the atrophy of our sense of balance or technology to compensate for it. In the meantime, our only hope is to stay active and agile and be less sedentary.