Biomedical Applications for Introductory Physics

Rating:
Summary: Well structured book
Review: This book has a good content structure for anyone who want to study biomedical applications of physics. For biophysics and first year medical students, this book used in conjunction with a standard calculus or algebra physics book, will be a big help on a better understanding and application of Physics.

Rating:
Summary: A good idea, but overly equation-oriented
Review: This book represents a noble attempt to put together biological and medical applications for introductory physics courses. This is not just a good idea but really a necessity now that many students in these classes are pre-medical (at least in the US). Certainly it represents an excellent source of problem material for those who want to create an intro physics course that has relevance to future doctors and biologists.

Unfortunately, most of the examples are "set-ups" in which a biological system is used as a wrapper for an equation the students are expected to have memorized. For example, when discussing gravity, the book has a problem on a diving hawk (hawks dive by essentially going into free-fall), in which the students are expected to use (1/2) a t-squared, but for which the students are not expected to estimate the effects of air resistance or assess the realism of the physical situation. I.e., the book contains standard plug-and-chug physics problems in biomedical clothing.

It would be nice to see a book that helps students to learn, on their own, how to identify the relevant physics in a biomedical situation. I can't fault this book overly, since there are essentially no examples of what I am looking for, in either the physics or the bio textbook worlds, save for Steven Vogel's outstanding Biomechanics book (highly recommended).