Core Anatomy – Illustrated ‐ By I. Parkin, B. M. Logan and M. McCarthy

Abstract

Into the crowded field of currently available atlases,* there comes a newcomer that avoids the title of ‘Atlas’, but serves the role of illustrating anatomy. The stated purpose of this new contribution to the long list of anatomical treatises is that it is tailored to the realities of ‘a substantial reduction in course curricula hours dedicated to the learning of anatomy’. Consequently, it is a highly condensed colour key-coded descriptive account of topographical anatomy divided into nine parts, head to toe. Each part has been assigned a different upper-border colour, creating a colour mnemonic that could act as an aide-memoire. The layout is innovative in arranging a text on the left-hand pages corresponding to superbly photographed highly skilled dissections on the facing right-hand pages of each double-page spread. The text is highly correlated with the illustrations by numerical references identified on both sides of the page spread, and further enhanced by coloured print highlighting nomenclature, corresponding to the border colour of each body part. Thus, the text reads like a spectral rainbow of changing hues consistent with the border coloured body parts that undoubtedly enhance the pedagogical value of this work. A further feature is the clinical emphasis that is highlighted in the text by a sans-serif font with a pointing hand icon in the margin to draw the reader's eye. This succinct volume comprises 71 double-page spreads, printed on high-quality glossy paper. Unfortunately, the paper binding might not withstand too much page spreading before disintegrating. Another major drawback is the lack of cross-sectional views that are the essence of computerized tomography (CAT) scans with which clinicians now view anatomy. Nor are any radiographs included. The limited bibliography precludes its use as a source of reference material, with the only web-based source cited being http://www.anatsoc.org.uk, neglecting the numerous websites available for anatomical information (http://www.scholar.google.com). This book, in brief, is a synoptic atlas, bypassing elaboration, which will provide a tool for examination ‘cramming’ of facts that require a broader background for full understanding of a complex subject. *These include the Netter Atlas of Human Anatomy, Gray's Atlas of Human Anatomy, McMinn's Clinical Atlas of Human Anatomy, and Moses et al.'s Atlas of Clinical Gross Anatomy (all published by Elsevier); the Kopf-Maier Atlas of Human Anatomy (Karger); the Clemente Atlas of Anatomy, Grant's Atlas of Anatomy, and the LWW Atlas of Anatomy (all published by Lippincott, Williams & Wilkins); and the Thieme Atlas of Anatomy (published by Thieme).