I am the mother of a first year medical student. My daughter was at a loss in her first month at school - struggling with her Gross Anatomy Course. Our family doctor (he is actually a Neuro-Surgeon) suggested that I purchase Netter's "Atlas of Human Anatomy" swearing that he could never have gone through Anatomy it. I live in Malaysia and my daughter is studying in the Philippines. In both countries, we could not find this book! I found it right here at Amazon! The book was shipped by DHL and it has since been my daughter's bedside companion. She is still struggling with her Anatomy Course...but definitely this book of Netter has helped her SO MUCH. I have read through it myself and realized how difficult it is really to be a doctor. Atlas of Human Anatomy is a genius's work of art. Netter clearly defines the anatomical parts of the human body. Other reference/text books that are of great help to Anatomy students are: Grant's Atlas of Human Anatomy (which also has a Dissector) and Rohen & Yokochi's "Color Atlas of Anatomy" which is a photographic atlas of cadavers - a very good guide for practicals. Both books (Grant's and Rohen's) are found right here at AMAZON

I have used the second edition of this beautiful atlas for several years. Now I have acquired a copy of the new, revised, and improved third edition published in 2003. It has not disappointed me. I highly recommend it.

The third edition is longer by at least 60 pages, and the pages devoted to each body region are now color-coded for quick access.

Each section devoted to a body region now begins with a surface anatomy plate. In addition, a significant number of normal radiographic images are included.

In the foreword, Consulting Editor John T. Hansen states the following:

"We balanced the addition of new surface and radiographic plates largely by eliminating several plates that contributed little to the quality of the [Second Edition]. Several plates from The Netter (formerly CIBA) Collection of Medical Illustrations were added and several plates were altered slightly to correct anatomical errors consistent with our current knowledge.... Finally, the References and the Index have been updated.

"The anatomical terminology is consistent throughout the Atlas and conforms to the International Anatomical Terminology (Terminologia Anatomica) approved in 1998 by the International Federation of Associations of Anatomists. Common eponyms are retained parenthetically, and the leader lines and labels have been checked, and where necessary, corrected to ensure their accuracy."

You will hear Netter is God and although that statement is blasphemous in my book, it is fairly close to the truth. I have netter (the second edition) as most every med student on the planet has, really.

I plan to get the third edition for my reference library because my 2nd edition got gooked and dripped on in the lab as I'm sure yours will.

Netter is excellent in book form. However, whatever you do don't get the cd. It is poor in terms of clarity...

Nobody comes close to Francis!!!
Just beautiful art, you'll appreciate him once you start dissecting.

The author of this book had an idea that, in its way, is as good as the subject that the book covers. But it's a shame that the author didn't execute his idea nearly as well. It's an easy, if awkward, read.

As another reviewer noted, the book feels like an overgrown magazine article -- and not a great article at that (you'd never see "Outside" magazine print this).

In addition to what seems like superficial research -- reading a bunch of books and magazine articles rather than finding anything original -- the author makes all sorts of hyperbolic statements. For example, he says that the the mythic "frontier" ended when the railroad was completed and that it was the last audacious engineering project ever attempted. Huh? Ever heard of moon launches? In fact, the author does mention NASA later on, but to no apparent purpose.

In short, this is a book that needs either a writer with a better dramatic ability to tell the human tale, or a far better technical ability to tell the engineering tale (where are the maps and diagrams?).

As a long time (40 years) Florida resident, I was generally aware of Henry Flagler's role in sparking Florida's huge growth. His Florida East Coast Railroad from Jacksonville to Miami and then to Key West was the catalyst in changing Florida from a sub-tropical, thinly settled frontier to a fast-growing state. Standiford is generally clear and readable in describing the incredible determination of Flagler and the extraordinary skill and hard work of the engineers and laborers who brought his dream to fruition.
Yet I came away vaguely dissatisfied. The actual facts should have resulted in a couldn't-put-it-down narrative. It didn't. The photos were good, but more of them would have been a big plus. And, finally, Standiford made such an egregiously inaccurate statement about 1992's Hurricane Andrew that I inevitably came to question the other "facts" in his tale. Specifically, he said of Andrew on p.122: "Residents of Coral Gables... experienced heavy rains and wind gusts that felled tree limbs, the sort of weather most people associate with a strong summer thunderstorm. It was the sort of day to stow the lawn chairs in the garage and have a drink or two inside, feeling cozy while the rain spattered the windows." How can Standiford, a resident himself of Miami, not know that the National Hurricane Center, then located in the heart of Coral Gables (and about a half mile from where I lived) recorded winds as high as 167 mph - before the hurricane blew away its wind gauge? Coral Gables residents did not calmly sip drinks that night, they cowered in fear as huge banyans and other trees fell left and right and roof tiles - or roofs themselves - blew away. If he is that careless/inaccurate about an event in his own experience, can his account of events a century ago be trusted?

"Last Train to Paradise" is a nonfiction account of the construction of the railroad connecting Key West to the Florida mainland, a project headed by Henry Flagler.

It is a well-researched and documented history of an exciting time in the exploration and development of Florida that reads like a novel.

Building a railroad over 150 miles of water under the harshest of conditions was the vision of one man, Henry Flagler. Mr. Flagler used his personal fortune to make this dream come true.

When he first arrived in Florida he was the second wealthiest man in the country. His fortune was made in partnership with John Rockefeller and the creation of Standard Oil.

The ingenuity necessary to accomplish this task is absolutely incredible. The obstacles overcome included the brutal weather (heat and hurricanes), having to import every item from drinking water to food to nails.

As I read the story I found the task more impossible with each accomplishment along the way. The closer they got to their objective, the more unattainable I thought the goal was. They truly did the impossible.

That Mr. Flagler and his crew succeeded is a testament to the pioneer spirit of America.

Dr. Standiford has written a fast paced book. He is a wonderful story teller. It is where truth and fact is so improbable, that one could not make up a superior fictional account.

The photographs are a wonderful addition.

With all the scandals in business today, it is enlightening to read the story of a man who put his reputation and own money on the line for what he believed in.

As Dr. Standiford said: "Henry Flagler evolved from acquisitive robber baron to creator."

Henry Flagler may not have discovered Florida, but he saw all the state's possibilities and created the framework and infrastructure that made Florida livable.

Akin's offering on Flagler is chock full of factual information. However, it is written in such a scholarly manner (practically every paragraph has a corresponding footnote) that it is difficult to get through. It's well researched, but not well written.

I was particularly interested in Flagler's Key West Extension to his Florida East Coast Railway. Akin gave "the eighth wonder of the world" just one chapter. Pat Parks' "The Railroad That Died at Sea" was more informative regarding the extension--and a far better read.

I was glad that I finished "Flagler...", though I considered it something of a chore.