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Human Biology: Concepts and Current Issues
Through his teaching, his textbook, and in his online blog, award-winning teacher Michael D. Johnson sparks the interest of today’s science-intimidated student by connecting basic biology to real-world issues relevant to students' own lives. Through a storytelling approach and extensive online support, Human Concepts and Current Issues, Seventh Edition not only demystifies how the human body works but drives students to become better consumers of health and science information. Each chapter opens with Johnson’s popular "Current Issue" essays, and BlogInFocus references within the chapter direct students to his frequently-updated online blog for breaking human biology-related news. Seventh Edition offers stronger student self-assessment tools with new and expanded critical thinking questions throughout each chapter and in the end-of-chapter reviews.
640 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2000
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195 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews
December 27, 2020
I had to read this textbook for a Human Biology college class. I do have to say though that it is not a boring textbook! Every chapter was interesting and informational. Each bodily system is separated into individual chapters, focusing in on every little detail. I would definitely read this again just for fun!
August 18, 2018
As a sociology student, this textbook made me cringe. Johnson gave the impression that he is utterly clueless regarding the social complexities of being 'healthy' and came across as totally insensitive. Like, he'd be the kind of dinner guest who gives unsolicited 'health' advice to all your guests, spouts fat-phobic rhetoric all night and then when you counter that the medical field has a deeply intrenched history of misogyny and paternalistic approaches to women's health, he wouldn't have a fucking clue what you were talking about (for example maybe women are statistically less likely to not seek medical attention for a heart attack because we've been told to look for symptoms that are actually more likely to occur in men and thus we aren't properly equipped to watch out for the appropriate symptoms of a heart attack. And this could be due to the medical profession historically solely studying and focusing on men's health??). Ugh. Note to author: I will happily teach you a thing or two about the social determinants of health, as you desperately need a lesson, bio-man.
With that said, the body is fucking amazing!
With that said, the body is fucking amazing!
July 8, 2017
It's readable and does a good job of covering many different aspects of human physiology and relating them to both human health and current events. That said, it does an exceptionally poor job of articulating key concepts. My non-bio-major students (and I!) really struggled to identify general messages in each chapter, beyond the collection of specific biological facts.
As a result, my students found it difficult to absorb everything over the course of the semester. In retrospect, I would have benefited from learning to use the electronic teaching resources. The supplemental videos weren't terribly useful, but using the quiz modules and getting automatic scores and reports could have been quite valuable. In particular it would have facilitated more frequent and narrowly-focused quizes, which my students felt would have kept them on-task without overwhelming them.
But even more, I think my needs would have been better met by a more abstract textbook that (a) was bigger-picture and less detail-oriented and (b) emphasized more how students could investigate health topics as needed and apply that knowledge to real-world decisions (first-aid, behavior, insurance, policy).
As a result, my students found it difficult to absorb everything over the course of the semester. In retrospect, I would have benefited from learning to use the electronic teaching resources. The supplemental videos weren't terribly useful, but using the quiz modules and getting automatic scores and reports could have been quite valuable. In particular it would have facilitated more frequent and narrowly-focused quizes, which my students felt would have kept them on-task without overwhelming them.
But even more, I think my needs would have been better met by a more abstract textbook that (a) was bigger-picture and less detail-oriented and (b) emphasized more how students could investigate health topics as needed and apply that knowledge to real-world decisions (first-aid, behavior, insurance, policy).
March 16, 2015
I read the 6th edition, and read it my first biology class ever, I was amazed at all the wonderful workings of the human body. I feel there were some comments from the author that could have been left out. If he wants to have a blog, which he does, that's fine but he should leave his personal opinions out. It was adequate, and necessary to learning my coursework.
December 9, 2012
jeez. this was such a GOOD read. very INFORMATIVE. i would DEFINITELY suggest that everyone read this book. from beginning. to end. ;)
July 23, 2021
https://payhip.com/briscollegebooks get the book here.
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews