all Products Hardcover Books Life Sciences Science

The Curious Human Knee

Yu, Han

Select Format

Print Book

Hardcover

Item Condition New

$29.95 USD $49.92 USD

$29.95 USD

~~$49.92 USD~~ $29.95 USD

Sale Sold out

Shipping calculated at checkout.

Quantity

View full details

Winner, 2023 Choice Outstanding Academic Title
Bronze Winner, 2024 Nonfiction Book Awards

Where would we be without the knee? This down-to-earth joint connecting the thigh and the lower leg doesn't receive the attention it deserves. Yet, as The Curious Human Knee reveals, it is crucial to countless facets of science, medicine, culture, and history--and even what makes us human.

The science writer Han Yu provides an informative, surprising, and entertaining exploration of the human knee across time and place. She begins with our earliest ancestors, emphasizing that walking upright separates us from the apes and bipedal knees appeared long before big brains and sophisticated tools. Yu considers the intricate anatomy of the knee, its evolutionary history, and the complexity of treating knee pain, including her own. She examines why women's knees might be more prone to damage than men's and addresses the roles of race and class in ailments such as osteoarthritis. This book gets knee-deep into an astonishing range of topics--fashion from flappers to miniskirts and ripped jeans, cultural practices spanning Japanese knee walking and Thai boxing, and more. Yu reflects on the symbolic power of kneeling from the imperial court in China to the football field in the United States and shows why the knee figures into so many social and political phenomena.

Distilling a vast amount of research in a style that is engaging, conversational, and even personal and witty, this book opens readers' eyes to the complexity and significance of the humble knee.

Accessories:

No Accessory

Publisher

COLUMBIA UNIV PR

Bisac Major Subject

Science

Binding Type

Hardcover

Country Of Origin

Number Of Units

Length

9.4 Inches

Barcode Indicator

EAN

Width

6.4 Inches

Publication Date

1970-01-01

Height

1.0 Inches

ISBN 10

0231207026

Weight

1.25 Pounds

Book EAN

9780231207027

Target Audiance

Adults

User reviews will be displayed here...

Item added to your cart

The Curious Human Knee