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Published 17 Oct, 2020 07:07am

Book review: DK MEGA BITES: BODY

There are a few things in our life that we take for granted and our body is one of them. Through DK Mega Bites: Body, we will find out all there is to know about our bones, muscle, blood, and other body bits, that too in the simplest of languages.

Authored by Dr. Richard Walker in consultation with Dr. Gabrielle Murphy, this 96-page book is crammed with facts that will change your perspective about your body, forever.

It would be appropriate to say that this book wanders from head to toe, literally. You will find out many quirky facts here and there, accompanied by enhanced pictures from within our bodies, with detailed discussions on the driving forces. On one hand, you will get to know how the brain works and looks like, on the other you will learn why the heart is so important to us all, and how blood moves around the body without any disturbance.

Filled with information related to our body, the book is divided into 11 major sections. From Body Basics to Meat And Bones, from Sensational Senses to Brain Power, the first four chapters discuss the significance of the five senses, how they report to the brain, the importance of bones, and how science has helped us understand the human body. The next six aptly titled Blood Supply, Food Processor, Deep Breath, Balancing Act, Skin Deep, Running Repairs, and Life Story, tells the readers about the blood circulation, the benefits of breathing, the defensive nature of the skin, the digestive system, and how the body repairs itself, besides other things.

If you didn’t know that a newborn baby has over 300 bones whereas an adult has 206, that the weight difference between male and female brain doesn’t matter, that a sneeze can burst through your nostrils at an astonishing 160 mph, and that your tongue detects as many as four tastes, then you have come to the right place.

This book is designed in such a way that it will deliver information as well as explain how you will interpret that very information through your senses. Lastly, there are the extra features that make this book more of an unputdownable thing. A lot of website addresses are scattered on these pages that will take you to well-designed pages online, followed by a loaded reference section.

When you enter that part, you will encounter a ‘Body Timeline” page where the human race’s journey is documented, followed by a sub-section on ‘Body Systems’ that describe everything from the nervous system to the immune system, branches of medicine that are discussed in detail, as well as ‘Body Glossary’ will help you understand any word you hadn’t read before. ‘Amazing Facts’ add colour to this ‘amazing’ book and makes you realise the importance of a healthy body, and why it should be kept that way!

Published in Dawn, Young World, October 17th, 2020

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