The Human Bone Manual

by Tim D. White, Pieter Arend Folkens

Building on the success of their previous book, White and Folkens' The Human Bone Manual is intended for use outside the laboratory and classroom, by professional forensic scientists, anthropologists and researchers.

The compact volume includes all the key information needed for identification purposes, including hundreds of photographs designed to show a maximum amount of anatomical information.

Features more than 500 color photographs and illustrations in a portable format; most in 1:1 ratio
Provides multiple views of every bone in the human body
Includes tips on identifying any human bone or tooth
Incorporates up-to-date references for further study

Genres: Anthropology, Nonfiction, Science, Archaeology, Textbooks, School, Academic

488 pages, Paperback

First published July 1, 2005

About the author

Timothy Douglas White (b. 1950) is an American paleoanthropologist and Professor of Integrative Biology at the University of California, Berkeley.

Reviews

[Nicole Zupich]

This is a must-have for anyone wanting to learn anything about bones. When I studied forensic anthropology, this was my go-to book.

[ani]

ARKY 555 GOOD RIDDANCE

[Dejanira Dawn]

*still reading just dont feel like keeping track since it's a college textbook*

[Marion Feijen]

Meest interessante vak op aarde 🦷🦴❤️❤️

[Xochiquetzalli]

If nothing else, the photographs are fabulous, rich in detail and (almost) always in natural size... that, in and of itself would be enough, but in truth, it's so much more. The chapters at the beginning and end of the book (i.e., the ones NOT on identifying and siding bones) are also wonderful. Everything from a check list for fieldwork, to how you should write up the final report, it has everything.
This "bible" is a must have for anyone working with human bones. Oh! And a minor (albeit important) detail: The pages have a glossy finish so they're dirt resistant and the book really does fare well at an excavation site.

[Randy Rose]

The most practical field manual for human osteology and forensics I have come across. Well written, concise, and very informative.

[Holly]

Tells you all about bones. Pretty much everything you'd ever want to know. Spooky

[Lu]

Great manual for human bones identification, with natural size photos of every bone and detailed yet concise descriptions. As someone with little background on the subject, I would have appreciated more explanations on bone tissue structure (but I understand this goes beyond the scope of the manual). The chapter on sex and age estimation is a bit slim, and entheses are rarely described; but then, again, this is meant to be a field manual, not a comprehensive book about human osteology, so I believe it excellently does what a manual is supposed to do.

[Nicolás Caquilpán]

Un manual conciso y detallado, perfecto para trabajos tanto de análisis como en terreno. Lo único criticable, es que al igual a distintos manuales de anatomía de huesos, solo presentan la lateralidad derecha, por lo que se necesita de un conocimiento previo para solucionar los problemas que surgen en terreno.
Destaco el material de sus páginas, las cuales son tipo "revista", permitiendo que se conserve mejor ante las embestidas que se sufren en terreno (viento, polvo, agua, etc.).

[Grayson King]

4.5!

very comprehensive guide to the human skeleton, i think its only fault is that it tries to do so many things (i.e. cover the breadth of applications of osteology) that it skims some bits, but some may consider the span a strength so its whatever. started as prep for bioarch week (yes it helped LOADS) and finished as prep for my future elective (PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE) which i think will also be beneficial, esp since this will probably be required reading anyway. Tim, you are a goat.

[Athena Macmillan]

The other book that followed me everywhere this semester. I could not have gotten through bioanth without this book. The information is concise, accurate and as comprehensive as I imagine it could be. Covering bone growth, identification, siding, aging, sexing, identifying ethnicity.... the list goes on. Now I just wish I could take it into the exam with me.

[Manisha Casey]

This is an amazing manual and small enough to easily fit into a bag to take with you! It has been so very helpful for learning all about the different bones and how to identify them even when all you have are pieces. The pictures and details are just above and beyond and I love having this as my guide to osteology!

[Leila]

This book has saved me so much time as a uni student. I wouldn't be able to identify half the bones I can today if it wasn't for this book, and neither could most of my tutors. It's a must-have for anyone who works in anthropology or anatomy. I only wish there was more on the full skeleton as a whole to help students learn the basics before the complexities.

[Jane]

I used this book for my Forensic Anthropology and Archaeology class at uni. When writing my report, I found this helpful to start and a base to begin research. It is packed full of really approachable skeletal information. I would recommend to anyone study anthropology.

[Megan]

For anyone interested in human anatomy this is a great book. Its thoroughly detailed but not overwhelming. Great pictures as well if you are a visual learner!

[Briana]

Go to book for studying bones

[Nikki]

Absolute go to book for anything regarding bones and is such a help for my forensic anthropology course

[jenny]

guys . i am inextricably bound to this book
i owe white and folkens my life
god bless

[Jasmyn]

This book is so informative and interesting 100% to anyone interested in anthropology

[MARISSA!]

if you have the opportunity to hear a dramatic reading of this book in a suggestive tone, you won’t be disappointed. love me a patella.

[Sara Hollingsworth]

This was terribly useful. I'm still not sure I understand identifying bones or basically anything about forensics, but this was especially handy.

[Quinn]

A note before my review: This book is intended for use as a laboratory or field manual for professionals. I'm not a professional and I haven't used it in that form; therefore, I can't assess its qualities in that regard. Instead, I read it as an amateur with little prior knowledge simply because I have an interest in forensic sciences and archaeology.

From that perspective, I can say that I thoroughly enjoyed reading the Human Bone Manual. It covered many pertinent areas of interest regarding the study of human skeletal remains and was clear, concise and easy to understand even as an amateur.

The book includes many pictures illustrating all the bones in the human body as well as giving examples of common pathologies and skeletal alterations. This supplemented the explanations and descriptions and made them easier to understand.

Common methods of analysis of skeletal remains are also discussed, as well as ethical considerations. While I didn't always agree with the authors' take on ethics, they provided a valuable starting point and did include multiple perspectives, which I appreciated.

All in all, I learnt a lot from this book, and I'm glad I picked it up!

Have a random quote I wrote down on working with skeletal remains: "A broken skeleton has one more dimension and far more information than a picture puzzle of a polar bear in a snowstorm."

[Malice De'Ath]

I never thought I'd learn so much from a text book alone; I found this was the perfect companion to my Forensic Anthropology module at university. The photographs alone were tremendously helpful, never mind the fact the book goes in to enough detail without becoming a tome of a book or a trawl to read. It's well presented and clear to read/understand. Would recommend to anyone who wants to learn more about the human skeleton.

[Sheri Fresonke Harper]

Offers a good overview of how human bones are affected by aging, disease, wear and tear, burial, etc. Good pictures describe the differences found in human bones and are useful for comparison. I can't imagine what it would be like to get a whole village worth of bones and have to sort them.

[Leksie Amelia]

Highly useful for anthropology and forensic students studying osteology as well as professionals in the field! Very detail and perfectly explains the complex nature of the human skeleton. A little costy but definitely worth the money if you are looking to study osteology!

[Aluvrianne]

I find this far preferable to Big White, just because it's easier to work with due to its size. The added bonus of the spine that actually stays open on the lab bench makes it a handy book to have.

[Krys]

Basically my second Bible. If you're learning osteology, trust me, you will want this book.

[Ardhi]

Great pictures. Really helpful for bones examination.

[Danielle]

Great book to take into the field while IDing remains!

[Emily Brandon]

Best bone manual out there.