The Human Machine by Richard Walker

In my youth (yes, alright – but it was quite some time ago) books for children about the human body were written in text-book style with some parts being obviously well-thumbed and others largely ignored other than by those who would be going on to do A level biology. As a result many people of my generation are ignorant about how their body really works – or only learn about it when something goes wrong. The Human Machine: An Owner's Guide to the Body is a welcome look at the subject written in a chatty and informal style and in a format familiar to the target age group of eight plus.

It's a handbook which looks at the body's huge range of operations. There are instructions as to how the book works and then a 'system check' which shows how the twelve specialised body systems interact and work together to produce a human being – all built on the same principles but each unique. After the product specifications (lots of superficial differences between various human beings but all closely related and then a quick look at some of our closest relatives – the apes) we have the product life span. Do you know that a French woman lived to be 122?

The body systems are described in terms which a child can understand. The central nervous system is 'Wiring and Communication', blood supply is 'Internal Transport' and the respiratory system is 'Ventilation'. You get the picture. Each is covered in a double-page spread, so for the 'On-Board Computer' there's a brief description of the brain and its different areas, a 'True or False?' question, some design features, additional data, rival products and a 'web link keyword' which will lead you to some websites for further information. It's sufficiently in-depth to give a good overview without confusing the issue.

There's a thread of general advice running throughout the book - eat sensibly, avoiding junk food, get plenty of exercise and not too much sun. It is repeated in several places but it's valid and done with a light touch.

There's information on 'Maintenance and Upgrades' and a very good glossary and index. I have a very slight reservation about the target age group at eight plus. Some of the concepts, such as cell structure, are going to prove challenging for a child of that age, even with the help of the glossary, but on the other hand the older child is likely to find some parts of the book a little coy. In 'Replacement Models' details are given of a male sperm fertilising a female egg and of the consequent pregnancy – but there's no mention of quite how the male sperm got there in the first place. Either way you're likely to have some questions to answer, but that's me being picky about an otherwise excellent and well-conceived (sorry) book.

I'd like to thank the publishers for sending a copy to The Bookbag.

For slightly older boys wanting information about all things adolescent we can recommend Unzipped: A Toolkit for Life by Matt Whyman and for girls at the same stage we give a qualified recommendation to It's a Girl Thing.

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