Human (Dk Smithsonian Institution)

Rating:
Summary: Excellent but needs improvement
Review: This book is a great source of information on the subject. It is not written for an expert but for an average person. I am obviously not an expert - I am just an engineer - but I have some comments on random subjects I know a little bit about.

1) The Arabic script on Saudi Arabia's flag (p. 308) is often translated "There is no god but One True God." Allah simply means God in Arabic. The translation "There is no god but Allah" may suggest that the Moslems believe in something different than one God (like Christians and Jews). This widens the misunderstanding between the 3 monotheistic religions.

2) Saying that the Russians reached as far as the Pacific coast (p. 308) is an understatement. They reached North America as far as Alaska and Northern California.

3) Describing Poles (p. 389) as pierogi-eating, folk-singing people proud of their Pope is not entirely inaccurate but only touches the tip of the iceberg. As a general comment, it perpetuates stereotypes and mentions things a lot of people heard about. I would include, as space permits, more "obscure" facts. That Copernicus changed the way people viewed the world around them. That King John Sobieski defeated the Turks at the battle of Vienna (thanks to his fluency in 4 languages and understanding of the culture - unlike some modern world leaders) and saved Europe from the Moslem invasion while establishing peace with Turkey. That Madame Curie (Maria Sklodowska) was the first woman to win a Nobel Prize and the first person to win 2 in two disciplines. That Chopin and Conrad were born in and inspired by Poland. That Poland was the 3rd country to have a modern, democratic constitution in the 18th century. That it lost 17.5% of the population in WWII - the highest relative casualties of any country. I am sure others have similar comments about other topics.

4) LIQUID hydrogen is not used as an alternative to gas (p. 483). It is hydrogen that is used. Liquid is one of several ways to store hydrogen, not necessarily the best one.

I think proofreading this book and soliciting feedback would help improve it.

Rating:
Summary: Just Enough Information on Each Subject
Review: This is a huge book, 512 10x12" pages. And it's an attempt to provide insight into everything that makes us human.

The headings of the major sections of the book illustrate this very well:

Origins
Body
Mind
Life Cycle
Society
Culture
Peoples
Future

Within these headings nearly every possible subject is discussed, in fact so many subjects that they have to be treated quickly and briefly. The pages are treated rather like a profusely illustrated newspaper. The illustrations are fantastic. Some occupy a full page, even more. Most are small and serve to illustrate just the little point being discussed. For instance in the section on Society, there is a sub-section on Social Structures. Under that you will find government types. Finally one one page you will find three discussions of Monarchies (3 pictures), Theocracies (1) and Military States (4). It's enough, like an expanded dictionary to tell you about all of these, but does not go into much depth. If it did, it would have to be many times larger, and it's already a big book.

This is an absolutely fascinating book. The format gives you just enough information to decide what subjects you want to persue further.

Rating:
Summary: Covers all aspects of human life
Review: What does it mean to be human? Human: The Definitive Visual Guide is a collaborative effort the DK Publishing and Smithsonian team of Robert Winston, Don E., Dr. Wilson, Don E. Wilson who collaborative to answer this question. With its superb visual illustraitons, this only book to cover all aspects of human life ranging from how humans evolved and how bodies develop, to how humans function as individuals and as members of society. The visual approach packs in lovely color on ever page to accompany facts about human changes, societies and traditions, while timelines, diagrams, photo tabs for each chapters and beautiful artwork supplement pages of in-depth detail. Whether it's being used for research or leisure browsing, Human: The Definitive Visual Guide should not be missed.