From Conception to Birth : A Life Unfolds

Rating:
Summary: Disappointed
Review: I found the book to have a sterile quality.

Rating:
Summary: Spectacular Photos!
Review: I had the opportunity to look through the book and it is incredible! The pictures are the best and most clear I've ever seen. The detail left me in awe. Being six weeks pregnant myself, I decided I would love to have this book so I can look through and see how my baby is growing every day and/or week. They certainly did a great job with this book. Well done!

Rating:
Summary: Absolutely Stunning
Review: I just wanted to write my own review and say how absolutely amazing this book really is. It's not so scientific that it bored me nor is it just pictures- it's the perfect mix of information and pictures.
It clearly states that most of the pictures are not actual photographs, but a mix of pictures and art. Some of the reviewers are so bothered by this. I don't think the author is trying to trick anyone into thinking that these are actual photographs. The author is simply trying to let the reader better visualize the amazing process that occurs in a mothers' womb. Since it's almost impossible to get actual pictures of a fetus, this is the closest that we can get. They are still amazing picures. I look through it everyday and it makes me appreciate even more the miracle of birth and life. This is a must have book for all expecting mothers. It can also make a perfect gift for a mother-to-be.

Rating:
Summary: Absolutely Amazing!
Review: I picked up this book after reading the Time issue that featured some of the pictures from it. The pictures are absolutely incredible, telling the story in a way no author ever could. If a picture is worth a thousand words, these images would be novels unto themselves. The writing is interesting and informative. And, as an added bonus, I get to keep coming back to Amazon[.com] to find out what jealous Ph.D's do with their spare time. The things they grasp at to criticize this book leave me writhing on the floor in giggle fits. I especially loved the one that took issue with ordering the pictures from conception through development and then birth. Can it happen any other way? ROFLMAO! But really, check this book out; you won't be disappointed. And do come back here to read the inane drivel. It is not as well written as the book or anywhere near as fascinating as the images, but it is always worth a laugh or two.

Rating:
Summary: Captions Miss the Mark
Review: I was prompted to purchase this book after seeing the incredible images by Alexader Tsiaras in the Time Magazine article.(11/11/02 issue) On the visual level, this book is captivating and takes my curiousity further into the developmental process. Unfortunately, the images are not captioned in a way to be helpful.
For example, there is a series of images in the book (p.275) that also appear in Time. Time captioned the images,"This series showing how a baby emerges from the birth canal began with an unusual delivery that required doctors to place the mother in a spiral CT canner. The images were merged with CT and ultrasound data from other babes to create this re-enacted birth." In the book, there is not a clue about how specific images came about. Instead the text is written as though it were for parents curious about pregnancy.
Tsiaras's work has such profound implications for our understanding human development, that it seems a shame for the
captions to miss by not addressing what is actually transpiring in the images. I was often left wondering if I was looking simulations of DNA or actual strands. There is NO appendix in the book to clarify an of this.
I'll keep the book for the breakthrough that the images represent, but lack of data in the captions leaves a sense that the images were short changed.

Rating:
Summary: A beautiful coffee table book
Review: If you are looking for a shower gift for an expectant couple, this would make a lovely gift. It's full of photos of the developing baby. It would also make a wonderful gift for a very excited set of grandparents! My husband and I had a copy of this book during my pregnancy and enjoyed it thoroughly. The writing is beautiful and the photos are amazing.

Rating:
Summary: Educational and Mesmerizing
Review: My family and I were enthralled by this well-thought out, highly organized, and beautiful book. The womb images were amazing, shocking and wondrous in detail. It's a pleasure indeed when one can enjoy a book both for its beauty and insight. Mr.Tsiaras should be both applauded and lauded as a National Treasure!

Rating:
Summary: The Majesty Of Life
Review: Never before have we been able to see in all its glory how human beings are conceived, gestated and born. The artist and author shares his work in a book form that should become a must-have for every home with children, and for every school health classroom as well. Anyone who even takes a peak at the fascinating pictures in this book will have to own it. The colors and clarity of the images are humbling, and not only elicit feelings of just how precious we are; but also of just how miraculous is the whole process of conception to birth.

Rating:
Summary: Awe-inspiring book!
Review: Pregnant couples will love this book, there are sections of the book that show exactly how big the baby is and what it looks like at different stages of development. I found myself referring to this book almost every day while I was pregnant. This is an excellent book to share with children. I also found the text fascinating. This book is not as in-depth as the book "A Child is Born", which is the classic "from-conception-to-birth" book. Though I prefer this book for it's format and because it is less graphic. I would recommend this book for anyone curious about the birth process and definately for anyone expecting a child.

Rating:
Summary: Awe-inspiring book!
Review: Pregnant couples will love this book, there are sections of the book that show exactly how big the baby is and what it looks like at different stages of development. I found myself referring to this book almost every day while I was pregnant. This is an excellent book to share with children. I also found the text fascinating. This book is not as in-depth as the book "A Child is Born", which is the classic "from-conception-to-birth" book. Though I prefer this book for it's format and because it is less graphic. I would recommend this book for anyone curious about the birth process and definately for anyone expecting a child.