Vital Circuits: On Pumps, Pipes, and the Workings of Circulatory Systems

Why is it a bad idea to hold your breath when you strain? Why does dust collect on the blades of a fan? Why should you wear support hose on a long airplane flight? These seemingly unrelated questions -- and many, many more -- are answered in the pages of Vital Circuits, an original and witty guide to the workings of the circulatory system. Using everyday points of reference, such as heating systems, kitchen basters, cocktail parties, and balloons, Vogel makes potentially daunting concepts accessible to anyone curious about the workings of the body. Whether discussing the ground-breaking discoveries of such scientists as William Harvey and Otto Loewi, or looking at the circulatory systems of such fellow earth-dwellers as octopi, hummingbirds, and giraffes, Vogel illustrates the workings of the human body with clarity, humor, and ease.