Why Geese Don't Get Obese (and We Do): How Evolution's Strategies for Survival Affect Our Everyday Lives

by Eric P. Widmaier

Book Overview

What drives us to eat and accounts for different appetites? Why is breathing at high altitudes easy for birds and difficult for humans? Why do animals have two sets of sensory organs--eyes, ears,... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0716731479
• ISBN13: 9780716731474
• Release Date: January 1998
• Publisher: W.H. Freeman & Company
• Length: 213 Pages
• Weight: 1.05 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.8" x 6.3" x 9.4"

Customer Reviews

Practical Applications of Physiology Made Fun!

This book uses many interesting examples to illustrate its main points. Widmaier explains the basics of physiology in a practical context so that it is fairly easy to understand. This is one of the better non-fiction reads you will find, as it truly is interesting. I feel that this is a great tool for any biology student or anyone who is just curious about the way things work in an animal's body. While explaining how things work in the human body and how they could be better, plentiful examples are provided to both amuse and teach the reader. The book addresses everything from how we become obese to the relative rates of metabolism in different species to the circulatory system and stress induced hormones. Widmaier even provides notes to elaborate on things he addresses in his book and provided some bibliographical information on important scientists and their contributions to physiology without making me fall asleep or daydream, which is no small feat. After reading this book I can appreciate the work of physiologists, especially after reading the epilogue. I also learned many facts about the animal kingdom that would really make me seem smart in school and help clarify different concepts. From this book I learned that small animals such as shrews need to eat more than their body weight everyday because they have such a high metabolism, and that our ancestors developed a defense mechanism against starvation so that when they ate less their metabolism slowed, meaning that dieting can cause us to loose weight more slowly. I also read that fish cough to remove the gung that collects in their gills as it flows through the gills to provide them with oxygen. This book also showed that humans have far inferior senses that many animals because of our forebrain which is currently only found in humans and gives us the smarts to evade predators and get food among other things. Overall, this book is perfect for someone who is looking for an interesting and intellectual read. Having some kind of background in biology is helpful when reading this book but it is readable by anyone from a middle school student upwards.

insightful and witty

A refreshingly insightful and humorous work. One of the cleverest books I've read in years. Mr. Widmaier answers questions I've wondered about in a superlatively witty way that even the layperson can understand.