Prime Mover

A Natural History of Muscle

By: Steven Vogel

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Paperback | 1 August 2003 | Edition Number 1

At a Glance

Paperback
386 Pages

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20.82 x 13.96 x 2.28

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Whether we blink an eye, lift a finger, throw a spear or a ball, walk, run, or merely breathe, we are using muscle. Although muscles differ little in appearance and performance across the animal kingdom, they accomplish tasks as diverse as making flies fly, rattlesnakes rattle, and squid shoot their tentacles.

Our everyday activities turn on the performance of nature's main engine: we may breathe harder going uphill, but we put more strain on our muscles walking downhill. Those of us who are right-handed can tighten screws and jar lids more forcibly than we can loosen them. Here we're treated to the story of how form and performance make these things happen—how nature does her work.

Steven Vogel is a leader in the great new field of bioengineering, which is rapidly explaining the beauty and efficiency of nature. His talents as both scientist and writer shine in this masterful narrative of biological ingenuity, as he relates the story—and science—of nature's greatest engine.

Industry Reviews

A book that should be enjoyed and understood by intelligent non-scientists as much as by scientists...entertaining and illuminating.--R. McNeill Alexander "Nature"

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You Can Find This Book In

Non-Fiction Science Biology, Life Sciences Life Sciences in General Science in General Popular Science Zoology & Animal Sciences Animal Physiology Human Biology

Preface	p. ix
Body Work	p. 1
How Muscle Works	p. 10
And How We Found Out	p. 30
Flying High, Making Noise, and Clamming Up	p. 53
Knowing What We're Doing	p. 74
Connecting Up Muscles	p. 95
Using Hand Tools	p. 126
Working Hard	p. 152
More Tough Tasks	p. 184
Bringing Animals to Bear...	p. 209
Bos versus Equus	p. 234
Killing Tools: The Big Picture	p. 256
Wielding the Weapons	p. 281
Muscle as Meat	p. 299
Pulling Things Together	p. 315
Notes	p. 325
References	p. 339
Index	p. 353
Table of Contents provided by Syndetics. All Rights Reserved.

Prime Mover

A Natural History of Muscle

At a Glance

Paperback

Industry Reviews

Shipping

How to return your order

Defective items

You Can Find This Book In

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