{"product_id":"vital-circuits-on-pumps-pipes-and-the-workings-of-circulatory-systems-9780195082692","title":"Vital Circuits: On Pumps  Pipes  and the Workings of Circulatory Systems","description":"\u003cp\u003eMost of us think about our circulatory system only when something goes wrong  but the amazing story of how it goes right--\"magnificently right \" as author Steven Vogel puts it--is equally worthy of our attention. It is physically remarkable  bringing food to (and removing waste from) a hundred trillion cells  coursing through 60 000 miles of arteries and veins (equivalent to over twice around the earth at the equator). And it is also intriguing. For instance  blood leaving the heart flows rapidly through the arteries  then slows down dramatically in the capillaries (to a speed of one mile every fifty days)  but in the veins  on its way back to the heart  it speed up again. How? In Vital Circuits  Steven Vogel answers hundreds of such questions  in a fascinating  often witty  and highly original guide to the heart  vessels and blood. Vogel takes us through the realm of biology and into the neighboring fields of physics  fluid mechanics  and chemistry. We relive the discoveries of such scientists as William Harvey and Otto Loewi  and we consider the circulatory systems of such fellow earth-dwellers as octopuses  hummingbirds  sea gulls  alligators  snails  snakes  and giraffes. Vogel is a master at using everyday points of reference to illustrate potentially daunting concepts. Heating systems  kitchen basters  cocktail parties  balloons--all are pressed into service. And we learn not only such practical information as why its a bad idea to hold your breath when you strain and why you might want to wear support hose on a long airplane flight  but also the answers to such seemingly unrelated issues as why duck breasts (but not chicken breasts) have dark meat and why dust accumulates on the blades of a fan. But the real fascination of Vital Circuits lies neither in its practical advice nor in its trivia. Rather  it is in the detailed picture we construct  piece by piece  of our extraordinary circulatory system. Whats more  the author communicates not just information  but the excitement of discovering information. In doing so  he reveals himself to be an eloquent advocate for the cause of science as the most interesting of the humanities. Anyone curious about the workings of the body  whether afflicted with heart trouble or addicted to science watching  will find this book a goldmine of information and delight.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"My Store","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":45280068206645,"sku":"ByrdShop_0195082699","price":49.96,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0627\/8139\/0901\/files\/9780195082692.jpg?v=1780619111","url":"https:\/\/atxbooks.com\/products\/vital-circuits-on-pumps-pipes-and-the-workings-of-circulatory-systems-9780195082692","provider":"ATX Books","version":"1.0","type":"link"}