The Way We Work: Getting to Know the Amazing Human Body

by David Macaulay (Author)

The Way We Work: Getting to Know the Amazing Human Body
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Reading Level: 4th − 5th Grade
cms Common Sense Media 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.
cms Common Sense Media Review
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Though it’s an unlikely choice for a little light reading, the accuracy, detail and depth of information make this an essential addition to most collections. (Nonfiction. 12 & up)

School Library Journal

Starred Review
Gr 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" Copyright 2008 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

Publishers Weekly

Starred Review
A Caldecott Medalist and MacArthur Fellow, perhaps best known for his pithily written, illuminatingly illustrated "The Way Things Work, " Macaulay has devoted himself for years to this illustrated guide aimed at demystifying the workings of the human body. Picture book or not, adults may constitute a significant percentage of its eventual audience. The book is astonishingly comprehensive, beginning with the structure of a cell, traveling through various systems (e.g., respiratory, digestive, etc.) and ending with childbirth. Followers of Macaulay will expect some wit, and it is evident, not just in captions but in throwaways, as in an explanation of taste that acknowledges that smell is the senior partner. However, the writing is often highly technical (When a nonsteroid hormone arrives at its target cell, it binds to a receptor protein projecting from the cells surface). The full-color drawings may help readers understand the language, but despite the friendly format, with one topic per spread, this is not a book for casual browsing nor for most preteens. On the other hand, motivated teens will feel theyve gone to premed heaven. Ages 10up. "(Oct.)" Copyright 2008 Publishers Weekly Used with permission.

Review quotes

"The powerful, illuminating images will ignite curiosity and inspire awe over the magnificent connections that make up the human body."—Booklist, boxed review

"The wonder that is David Macaulay is at it again . . . His text is irreverent . . . His drawing of a hand pulling the left eye out of its socket is just gross enough to engage young readers into a description of seeing . . . The work of this Caldecott medal winner and recipient of the McArthur grant is always a must-have in any library."—VOYA (5Q4P), highlighted review

"In this highly detailed encyclopedic volume of every part of our bodies, every system of the body is explained and illustrated in very kid-friendly lingo and art. Fascinating and well worth the price tag."—Winston Salem Journal

"To his many fans, David Macaulay is nothing less than America's Explainer-in-Chief"—the Providence Journal

..".teems with double-page spreads that blend scientific accuracy with Macaulay's trademark whimsy." — Seattle Post-Intelligencer

"[takes] readers on a tour of ourselves—from the atoms that make us up to the brain that governs it all."—U.S. News & World Report

"You don't have to be a brain surgeon to understand this book, but it may very well inspire a few young people to become one someday."—PlanetEsme.com

" In this highly detailed encyclopedic volume of every part of our bodies, every system of the body is explained and illustrated in very kid-friendly lingo and art. Fascinating and well worth the price tag."—Winston Salem Journal

"The book is astonishingly comprehensive, beginning with the structure of a cell, traveling through various systems (e.g., respiratory, digestive, etc.) and ending with childbirth. Followers of Macaulay will expect some wit, and it is evident, not just in captions but in throwaways, as in an explanation of taste that acknowledges that smell is "the senior partner . . . motivated teens will feel they've gone to premed heaven."—Publishers Weekly, starred review

"In this comprehensive and entertaining resource, best-selling author David Macaulay illuminates the mysteries of the human body as only he could."—Book Page

David Macaulay

David Macaulay received his bachelor of architecture degree from Rhode Island School of Design. In January 1973, Macaulay went to France to work on the first of his twenty-five books, Cathedral. He then constructed a colonial Roman town (City, 1974), erected monuments to the Pharaohs (Pyramid, 1975), dissected the maze of subterranean systems below and essential to every major city (Underground, 1976), built a medieval fortress (Castle, 1977), and dismantled the Empire State Building (Unbuilding, 1980). Macaulay is perhaps best known for The Way Things Work (1988). It was followed by Black and White (1990) for which he won the 1991 Caldecott Medal. A revised edition of The Way Things Work was published in 1998 followed by Building Big, Mosque, and The Way We Work (2008).

Sheila Keenan is an established author of fiction and nonfiction, including Greetings from the 50 States; Animals in the House: A History of Pets and People; O, Say Can You See? America's Symbols, Landmarks, and Inspiring Words; and Gods, Goddesses, and Monsters: A Book of World Mythology. Her work Dogs of War is a graphic novel of historical fiction based on the role of dogs in the military.

Classification
Non-fiction
ISBN-13
9780618233786
Lexile Measure
-
Guided Reading Level
-
Publisher
Clarion Books
Publication date
October 07, 2008
Series
-
BISAC categories
JNF051030 - Juvenile Nonfiction | Science & Nature | Anatomy & Physiology
Library of Congress categories
Human body
Human physiology
Parents Choice Awards (Fall) (2008-Up)
Gold Medal Winner 2008 - 2008
Boston Globe-Horn Book Awards
Honor Book 2009 - 2009

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