From Conception to Birth: A Life Unfolds

by Alexander Tsiaras

The splendor and beauty of a child’s growth and development in the womb--seen through unforgettable images made possible by revolutionary advances in visualization technology

What’s happening with the baby now? All expectant parents ask this question throughout the exhilirating months of pregnancy. Fuzzy sonograms and doctor’s explanations can provide basic information, but through Alexander Tsiaras’ remarkable achievements in medical imaging technology, parents can see , for the first time, the awe-inspiring process of a new life unfolding, in stunning, vivid detail.

The milestones of pregnancy which before could only be described can now be the heart’s first beats; the appearance of color in the eye; the emergence of toes and teeth; the brain and nervous system directing development; the first movement of tiny legs and arms; the first indications of gender; the wondrous symbiosis of mother and child; the symphony of the body’s systems coming into being and working in concert. The book tracks the development of a baby from the moment of conception, through the explosively complex early stages of development and the amazing stages of growth as the baby is nurtured by the mother, ending with the joy of birth.

All this is made possible by revolutions in two sciences. As biologists have decoded the molecular basis of life, computer scientists have developed non-invasive, three-dimensional techniques for visualizing the body. Alexander Tsiaras has been a pioneer in merging these explorations and discoveries. He has created a virtual camera studio that enables him to view a human body or any part of it individually, scan it, enlarge it, rotate it, adjust its transparency so that we can view inside a living being, and light it from any angle. The result is an ability to illuminate the unseen elements that make us who we are, and the miraculous images in From Conception to Birth .

Genres: Parenting, Nonfiction, Health, Science, Reference

304 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2002

About the author

Tsiaras is an internationally renowned photojournalist and technology innovator who is the CEO and founder of Anatomical Travelogue and TheVisualMD.com. Years after his initial viewing of X-rays, Tsiaras taught himself myriad medical disciplines and programming languages that eventually led him to discover a way to use traditional images of the human body to build images and videos that demonstrate a wide array of health issues and disease states letting users learn, understand and interact with health content on the Internet. With a firm belief that access to health information will lead to a healthier population, Tsiaras’ latest venture has resulted in his imagery becoming the new standard used to explain wellness and disease. His work will power many of America’s premier media and online health programs and his wellness initiative, “The 9 Visual Rules of Wellness” is one of the most innovative health initiatives ever launched. Tsiaras’ dazzling images have been featured on more than 150 magazine covers, including those of TIME and LIFE. He is the publisher of six books, including a visual guide to coping with depression, a review and comparison of the human body, a guide to sexual health and a revolutionary image collection depicting the miracles of conception and birth. He has been a guest on NPR and has appeared numerous times on television, including on Oprah, NBC’s TODAY, MSNBC News, The Charlie Rose Show, Good Morning America and the BBC.

Reviews

[Ebookwormy1 · Rating 4 out of 5]

We were introduced to this amazing book when pregnant with our first child. The photographs are AMAZING, and the text informative. I read the entire book. We looked at the pictures at least weekly, and in the early part of the pregnancy (where there is so much change the pictures and text go day by day) daily.

A lovely gift for close friends or family expecting their first child. Highly recommended. Enjoy!

Also, if you'd like a preview of the book, check out Alexander Tsiaras' TED Talk:
https://www.ted.com/talks/alexander_t...

[Jenny T · Rating 3 out of 5]

I found this on a whim at Thrift Town. It contains beautiful photos, which is the main strength of the book. It's more of a photo shoot accompanied by essays. Showcased are photos of eggs, sperm, bodies of men and women, and the stages of zygote, embryo, and fetus at various points from conception to birth. Some photos were repetitive, especially the heart and nerves. Most photos seemed to be about the first couple of months, when most of the growth takes place. The last two months don't seem to get as much coverage, which makes sense since the baby's organs are mostly developed by then. I was surprised that the fetus' face forms from four separate flaps. The brain and heart are the most important organs, of course. I'm not sure how authoritative all of this information is, as I took several courses in child development in college, but it seemed legit with nothing contrary that I noticed.

Even so, I didn't keep it because I have better books on child development, with much more comprehensive information, based on extensive research.

[Sara · Rating 4 out of 5]

Beautiful, beautiful photos and great content about every step of pre-birth development. I got teary-eyed looking through this!

[Beth · Rating 2 out of 5]

The beginning of the book is strong graphically and textually. The images and scientific description of how human life is concivedd is fascinating. But after about halfway through the pregnancy I get bored. Mostly because the images and the text begin to feel lazy and already done on websites/apps as simple as the babycenter app I use on my phone. And FORGET about "birth" this book is as much about birth as the Cliford book I read to my 2 year old last night. If you are looking for a book about the birthing experience either graphically or descriptively, this is NOT it. There are soooo many amazing birthing books to choose from. Do not waste your time reading this/looking at the images unless you want to see how human life forms in the early stages of pregnancy.

[Orsi Nagy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Beautiful computer enhanced photos of the fetus in different ages, maybe too much about the first four months and too little about the last five months. It also includes a few written pages about each month and about the baby's development in regard of its organs, senses etc. Still, the book is more of a photo collection, but a very nice, informative one.

[Ericka Clou · Rating 1 out of 5]

This is a large coffee table book with photography of unborn babies throughout gestation. I really wanted to love it, but it left me cold. It offers virtually no information and the photography is very difficult to match up with my stages in pregnancy. Definitely not worth it, especially with all the great photography and video available online now.

[David Kakish · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was an assigned text for my class Theology of the Body. Being that my wife is now 28 weeks pregnant with our third child, I found myself moved emotionally as I was granted a glimpse of how God is knitting my daughter, Ruth, together in her mother's womb. A wonderful pictorial guide of the unfolding stages of life from conception to birth.

[Jessica · Rating 5 out of 5]

Put down What to Freak Out About When You're Expecting, with its abilities to make you feel guilty about 1 sip of Corona Lite and one spicy tuna roll and convince you that your fetus has TB -- check this book out for the real miracle of life.

[John · Rating 4 out of 5]

Alexander Tsiaris is the da Vinci of our time when it comes to creating visualizations of the human body. These very accurate and scientific 3-D renderings of a human growing from conception to birth utilize the science of our times to create photographic images. It's a really cool book.

[Sandy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Gorgeous book of photographs and text detailing the start of life, from zygote to newborn. Incredible. For example, did you know that the embryo grows so fast at about 13 days that if it continued that same rate of growth, the baby would end up larger than the sun in 9 months! Crazy.

[Kristi · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is TRULY AMAZING. The pictures speak volumes about when life truly begins. Anyone who was ever birthed into this world should read this book. ;-)

[Lynde · Rating 4 out of 5]

loved to watch my pregnancy with this. there is a huge chunk in the middle though that was lacking a bit.

[Amy · Rating 5 out of 5]

At first I read this book because I wanted to admire the works of Tsiaras but now I am using it as a coffee table book to enjoy with my husband as we witness the miracle of life.

[Lori · Rating 5 out of 5]

Awesome pictures! One of my favorite pregnancy books.

[Jill Miller · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book has the neatest pictures in it. It shows step by step of what your baby looks like in the womb

[Jennifer · Rating 5 out of 5]

Look at this book for the pictures. They are quite amazing!!!

[Elise · Rating 4 out of 5]

Amazing, amazing photos of life in the human womb.

[Tina · Rating 3 out of 5]

Amazing images of a baby's development!

[Kate · Rating 5 out of 5]

The photos in this book are beyond breath taking.
... it really is amazing what we are built to do.

[Solarpunkmom · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love this book for the photos. The info on birth leaves something to be desired. My son was also horrified at seeing the baby at the end's penis.