Very good
This freshly written book about comparative physiology is at its best when describing how some of the basic mechanisms of life - such as circulation, homeostasis and metabolism - work, in distinctly lay terms. Much of it will be familiar territory for anyone who took serious interest in their college biology and chemistry classes, but the organization is fine. Another bright point about "Why Geese" is the clarity and good humor it brings to the subject of evolution. For once, being a packrat served me in some small way: I bought and read about half of this enjoyable book when it came out, then for some reason put it away for five years before finishing it in the last several days.
Practical Applications of Physiology Made Fun!
This book uses many interesting examples to illustrate its main points. Widmaier explains the basics of physiology in a practical context so that it is fairly easy to understand. This is one of the better non-fiction reads you will find, as it truly is interesting. I feel that this is a great tool for any biology student or anyone who is just curious about the way things work in an animal's body.
While explaining how things work in the human body and how they could be better, plentiful examples are provided to both amuse and teach the reader. The book addresses everything from how we become obese to the relative rates of metabolism in different species to the circulatory system and stress induced hormones. Widmaier even provides notes to elaborate on things he addresses in his book and provided some bibliographical information on important scientists and their contributions to physiology without making me fall asleep or daydream, which is no small feat.
After reading this book I can appreciate the work of physiologists, especially after reading the epilogue. I also learned many facts about the animal kingdom that would really make me seem smart in school and help clarify different concepts. From this book I learned that small animals such as shrews need to eat more than their body weight everyday because they have such a high metabolism, and that our ancestors developed a defense mechanism against starvation so that when they ate less their metabolism slowed, meaning that dieting can cause us to loose weight more slowly. I also read that fish cough to remove the gung that collects in their gills as it flows through the gills to provide them with oxygen. This book also showed that humans have far inferior senses that many animals because of our forebrain which is currently only found in humans and gives us the smarts to evade predators and get food among other things.
Overall, this book is perfect for someone who is looking for an interesting and intellectual read. Having some kind of background in biology is helpful when reading this book but it is readable by anyone from a middle school student upwards.
insightful and witty
A refreshingly insightful and humorous work. One of the cleverest books I've read in years. Mr. Widmaier answers questions I've wondered about in a superlatively witty way that even the layperson can understand.
