The Endocrine and Reproductive Systems (Human Body Library)

An examination of the endocrine and reproductive systems describes their composition, structure, functions, and disorders.

Reviewed with Susan Dudley Gold's The Musculoskeletal System and the Skin.

Gr. 5-10. Part of the new Human Body Library series, these two small volumes use a casual narrative to explain detailed technical facts about anatomy and physiology. Each book gets off to a chatty start ("The human skeletal system is much like the framework of a house"; "What do a pounding heart, a beard, and a baby have in common?"), and each one ends with practical advice on staying healthy and warns about things that can go wrong, from thyroid disorders to sports injuries. At the core, however, is information about the human body and how it works, whether it's Gold's discussion of the bones of the hands and feet as part of the appendicular skeleton, or Kim's account of the menstrual cycle and how reproduction occurs ("If a sperm does not fertilize the egg, the corpus luteum self-destructs and stops producing progesterone"). The design is open and uncluttered, interspersed with occasional small, helpful, full-color diagrams. Students will find these books a non-intimidating start to some fascinating science. A helpful glossary, chapter notes, a bibliography, and Web sites are appended. Hazel Rochman
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