VIDEO SYNOPSIS OF BONES
PRAISE foR BONES
SELECTED PODCAST AND RADIO INTERVIEWS
304 pages HARDBACK, KINDLE, AUDIOBOOK order Now
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Invite Roy to “visit” your book club when you discuss Bones
CONTENTS and SYNOPSIS
Part One BONE CONCEALED
Chapter 1 BONE’S UNIQUE COMPOSITION AND VARIED STRUCTURE
Chapter 2 BONE’S LIFE AND RELATIVES
Chapter 3 WHEN BONES BREAK
Chapter 4 BONE’S OTHER FAILINGS AND WHO CAN HELP
Chapter 5 BONE SURGERY THROUGH THE AGES
Chapter 6 SIX ORTHOPEDIC GIANTS
Chapter 7 ORTHOPEDIC INNOVATION
Chapter 8 PICTURING BONE
Chapter 9 THE FUTURE OF CONCEALED BONE
Part Two BONE REVEALED
Chapter 10 BONE LEFT ALONE
Chapter 11 DEFERENCE TO BONE
Chapter 12 BONES THAT TEACH
Chapter 13 THE BUSINESS OF BONES
Chapter 14 DOMESTIC BONES
Chapter 15 BEGUILING BONES
Chapter 16 THE FUTURE OF REVEALED BONE
Synopsis: Human bone is versatile and entirely unique: it repairs itself without scarring, it’s lightweight but responds to stresses, and it’s durable enough to survive for millennia. In Bones, orthopedic surgeon Roy A. Meals explores and extols this amazing material that both supports and records vertebrate life.
Inside the body, bone proves itself the world’s best building material. Meals examines the biological makeup of bones; demystifies how they grow, break, and heal; and compares the particulars of human bone to variations throughout the animal kingdom. In engaging and clear prose, he debunks familiar myths—humans don’t have exactly 206 bones—and illustrates common bone diseases, like osteoporosis and arthritis, and their treatments. Along the way, he highlights the medical innovations—from the first X-rays to advanced operative techniques—that enhance our lives and introduces the giants of orthopedic surgery who developed them.
After it has supported vertebrate life, bone reveals itself in surprising ways—sometimes hundreds of millions of years later. With enthusiasm and humor, Meals investigates the diverse roles bone has played in human culture throughout history. He highlights allusions to bone in religion and literature, from Adam’s rib to Hamlet’s skull, and uncovers its enduring presence as fossils, technological tools, and musical instruments ranging from the Tibetan thighbone kangling horn to everyday drumsticks. From the dawn of civilization through to the present day, humankind has repurposed bone to serve and protect, and even to teach, amuse, and inspire.
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