“Human Physiology” is a valuable book with a user friendly and innovative approach to the subject. This book of basic Physiology is appropriate especially for students attempting to undertake a course in basic sciences at the undergraduate level. It is organised so that the topics progress from the molecular level to integrated organ function. The language is simple and direct and various concepts lucidly explained.
The introductory chapters on historical aspects and the scientific approach are valuable to the fresh students of physiology and also serve as a review for the senior students. The book has wonderful diagrams and flow charts, which are liberal, accurate and excellently executed and serve to emphasize the various physiological concepts. Each chapter begins with a set of key concepts and ends with a review summary both of which are good learning aids. Each chapter is also accompanied with focus boxes on applied physiology and physiological research. These are great strength in the book, but it is felt that the various aspects of applied physiology could be dealt with in greater depth so as to be more useful to a student of medicine studying Physiology.
Each chapter in the book is also accompanied by a set of case history questions and excellent review MCQs: which would be useful to the student for self-assessment at the end of a particular topic. There are adequate and comprehensive appendices devoted to research techniques, normal physiological values and medical terminology.
The various aspects of physiology are covered reasonably well, however, it was found that the physiology of regional circulations especially the coronary and cerebral circulation could have been dealt with in greater detail, especially as they are of increasing relevance in the present day context.
In all, Human Physiology is a good basic book for the undergraduate student and an excellent source book for a basic sciences educator who would like to integrate physiology from the molecular to the systemic level.