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The Way We Work: Getting to Know the Amazing Human Body
Book HardcoverPublication 10/7/2008 336Reading Age 10 and Up
336 pages, Hardcover
First published October 7, 2008
34 people are currently reading
958 people want to read
About the author
David Macaulay
111 books403 followersDavid Macaulay, born in 1946, was eleven when his parents moved from England to Bloomfield, New Jersey. He found himself having to adjust from an idyllic English childhood to life in a fast paced American city. During this time he began to draw seriously, and after graduating from high school he enrolled in the Rhode Island School of Design (RISD). After spending his fifth year at RISD in Rome on the European Honors Program, he received a bachelor’s degree in architecture and vowed never to practice. After working as an interior designer, a junior high school teacher, and a teacher at RISD, Macaulay began to experiment with creating books. He published his first book, Cathedral, in 1973. Following in this tradition, Macaulay created other books—including City, Castle, Pyramid, Mill, Underground, Unbuilding, and Mosque—that have provided the explanations of the how and the why in a way that is both accessible and entertaining. From the pyramids of Egypt to the skyscrapers of New York City, the human race’s great architectural and engineering accomplishments have been demystified through Macaulay's elaborate show-and-tells. Five of these titles have been made into popular PBS television programs.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 54 reviews
August 14, 2020
This is a masterpiece from David Macauley. He has taken the winning formula from The Way Things Work and applied it to the workings of the human body. The book begins with the atoms and molecules that make up everything and the detailled workings of our cells. Then it covers the mechanics of our organs, muscles and skin (even the intter workings of the brain). It covers what happens when certian illnesses happen and affect us (including cancer and AIDS). It ends with the process of "making babies" with a visual conclusion. It also ends with an appendix (literally). An excellent follow-up of The Way Things Work.
January 14, 2009
Non-Fiction. A walk through the human body, starting at the atomic level, moving on to tissues and organs, and ending with reproduction, accompanied with a variety of illustrations. The book is fun (in the appendix, there's an appendix!); the writing can be jokey and the illustrations often include ladders and tiny people commenting on the action. The artwork is colorful and detailed, frequently depicting human systems as factories or machines.
So it's playful, but there's serious science going on as well, though the level of detail varies. There were times I had too much information, and times I didn't have enough. The section on the pancreas doesn't even mention diabetes, and the pages on blood groups don't explain positive and negative types. Most of the time I'm sure I didn't even know what I was missing. In general, it's a good overview of the body's systems and the way they work, but not much attention is paid to simple things that can go wrong with those systems. I guess that's a different book.
At times the text made more sense than the diagrams or vice versa, and sometimes the text failed to explain the illustrations at all, leading me to wonder, "What am I looking at?" But when Macaulay gets it right, the illustrations work perfectly with the text to explain things with little arrows and cut-away views. The artwork is also very consistent; for example, yellow lines are nerves, and green ones denote lymph systems; this really becomes useful towards the end where you're dealing with cut-aways that are crawling with vessels and tendons and glands.
One of the best things about this book is that each pair of facing pages deals with one idea. The next pair do something else, and though each pair builds on previous information, it's in a way that doesn't require much, if any, flipping back and forth to refresh your memory.
Now, supposedly kids are the target market for this book. I first saw it in a newsletter for kids' books, and some of the libraries in my system have it cataloged as juvenile, but unless your juvenile's taken high school level chemistry and biology, they're not going to make it past the first chapter. The subsequent chapters are a little less science-intensive, but still rather complicated. The chapter on reproduction bypasses sex almost entirely, dealing instead with the mechanics of the sexual organs and conception, so if by chance your young child is a whiz at chemistry but knows nothing about sex, you'll find that section will definitely require additional explanation.
Four stars for introducing complex physical systems with humor and big goofy pictures. As a non-juvenile, I enjoyed the book. Despite its omissions, I never felt like I was being talked down to and I learned some stuff that I definitely should have already known. I must have been asleep that day in biology.
So it's playful, but there's serious science going on as well, though the level of detail varies. There were times I had too much information, and times I didn't have enough. The section on the pancreas doesn't even mention diabetes, and the pages on blood groups don't explain positive and negative types. Most of the time I'm sure I didn't even know what I was missing. In general, it's a good overview of the body's systems and the way they work, but not much attention is paid to simple things that can go wrong with those systems. I guess that's a different book.
At times the text made more sense than the diagrams or vice versa, and sometimes the text failed to explain the illustrations at all, leading me to wonder, "What am I looking at?" But when Macaulay gets it right, the illustrations work perfectly with the text to explain things with little arrows and cut-away views. The artwork is also very consistent; for example, yellow lines are nerves, and green ones denote lymph systems; this really becomes useful towards the end where you're dealing with cut-aways that are crawling with vessels and tendons and glands.
One of the best things about this book is that each pair of facing pages deals with one idea. The next pair do something else, and though each pair builds on previous information, it's in a way that doesn't require much, if any, flipping back and forth to refresh your memory.
Now, supposedly kids are the target market for this book. I first saw it in a newsletter for kids' books, and some of the libraries in my system have it cataloged as juvenile, but unless your juvenile's taken high school level chemistry and biology, they're not going to make it past the first chapter. The subsequent chapters are a little less science-intensive, but still rather complicated. The chapter on reproduction bypasses sex almost entirely, dealing instead with the mechanics of the sexual organs and conception, so if by chance your young child is a whiz at chemistry but knows nothing about sex, you'll find that section will definitely require additional explanation.
Four stars for introducing complex physical systems with humor and big goofy pictures. As a non-juvenile, I enjoyed the book. Despite its omissions, I never felt like I was being talked down to and I learned some stuff that I definitely should have already known. I must have been asleep that day in biology.
September 13, 2010
I am borrowing a lovely review by Carol Hurst:
Macaulay has turned his able hand from The Way Things Work to The Way We Work. Well written with fascinating drawings he breaks human anatomy and physiology into seven chapters: Building Life (cell structure), Air Traffic Control (respiration), Let's Eat (digestion), Who's in Charge Here (nervous system), Battle Stations (immune system), Moving On (skeletal and musculature), and Extending the Line (reproduction). Most of the 336 pages are covered with Macaulay's illustrations of body parts and processes. There are humorous touches like the "MOM" tatoo on the cross section diagram of a vaccination needle going into muscle tissue and the diving board in the illustration of the various types of cells that are suspended in the "pool" of plasma that makes up our blood.
Many of the drawings have that kind of tongue in cheek portrayal of what the - mostly straight faced - text is describing. Tiny tourists watch through binoculars on a deck overlooking the back of the throat as the tongue guides food down. Tiny angels with guide wires hold up the large intestine where it goes across the top. The distribution of oxygen is depicted as an amusement park ride.
This is a book to curl up with while reading the text, exploring the pictures and extending ones understanding of our body. As Macaulay says in the introduction, "Each of us owns and inhabits an exceptional example of biological engineering and one that deserves to be understood and celebrated."
This title is especially appropriate for middle school and high school students. Younger students might need help with the density of information. A good extension of or substitute for textbooks and a good source for report writing.
Use this book in health, biology and art classes.
Macaulay has turned his able hand from The Way Things Work to The Way We Work. Well written with fascinating drawings he breaks human anatomy and physiology into seven chapters: Building Life (cell structure), Air Traffic Control (respiration), Let's Eat (digestion), Who's in Charge Here (nervous system), Battle Stations (immune system), Moving On (skeletal and musculature), and Extending the Line (reproduction). Most of the 336 pages are covered with Macaulay's illustrations of body parts and processes. There are humorous touches like the "MOM" tatoo on the cross section diagram of a vaccination needle going into muscle tissue and the diving board in the illustration of the various types of cells that are suspended in the "pool" of plasma that makes up our blood.
Many of the drawings have that kind of tongue in cheek portrayal of what the - mostly straight faced - text is describing. Tiny tourists watch through binoculars on a deck overlooking the back of the throat as the tongue guides food down. Tiny angels with guide wires hold up the large intestine where it goes across the top. The distribution of oxygen is depicted as an amusement park ride.
This is a book to curl up with while reading the text, exploring the pictures and extending ones understanding of our body. As Macaulay says in the introduction, "Each of us owns and inhabits an exceptional example of biological engineering and one that deserves to be understood and celebrated."
This title is especially appropriate for middle school and high school students. Younger students might need help with the density of information. A good extension of or substitute for textbooks and a good source for report writing.
Use this book in health, biology and art classes.
November 3, 2013
Junior Book Log
Informational
Recommending Source: The Joy of Children's Literature p. 294
Maccaulay's illustrations makes learning about how the human body works possible for children. As if looking through a high powered microscope and slowly zooming out, the book begins with a close look at atoms and molecules and eventually move on to the different systems of the body as well as reproduction. The illustrations are realistic, yet included in humorous settings (e.g. a cowboy riding the contracting stomach like a bull, red blood cells jumping into a plasma pool, and the rectum pouring feces into dump trucks). The reading level makes this book more appropriate for upper middle school and high school students, but with the guided assistance this book could work with even grades fourth through sixth. I highly recommend this book to teachers, parents, and children who want to understand the human body.
Informational
Recommending Source: The Joy of Children's Literature p. 294
Maccaulay's illustrations makes learning about how the human body works possible for children. As if looking through a high powered microscope and slowly zooming out, the book begins with a close look at atoms and molecules and eventually move on to the different systems of the body as well as reproduction. The illustrations are realistic, yet included in humorous settings (e.g. a cowboy riding the contracting stomach like a bull, red blood cells jumping into a plasma pool, and the rectum pouring feces into dump trucks). The reading level makes this book more appropriate for upper middle school and high school students, but with the guided assistance this book could work with even grades fourth through sixth. I highly recommend this book to teachers, parents, and children who want to understand the human body.
January 22, 2017
Ever wonder why certain smells evoke emotions or memories? Or why your nose runs when you cry? Did you know those tiny bumps on your tongue actually have a name – and a purpose? How long does it take or food to get from your throat to your stomach – and will it get there if you eat upside down? The answers to these questions and more can be found in David Macaulay’s The Way We Work. In his introduction, Macaulay asserts that we take our bodies – remarkable as they are – for granted. System by system Macaulay helps us “get to know the amazing human body” with easily digestible explanations and illustrations on every page.
August 12, 2016
Junior Book Log
Title: The Way We Work: Getting to Know the Amazing Human Body
Author: James Macaulay
Category: Informational #2
Source: Textbook pg. 294
This was an amazing book full of tons of information. I loved the way Macaulay started the book by looking at everything from under a microscope and discussing atoms. He moved into mitosis and parts of cells until he worked his way to organs and their functions. He went into detail about neurons, antibodies, reproduction and so many other topics. This is a great book to use as a resource with the students. I would want to incorporate parts of this book into the lesson. I learned an immense amount of information from this book and would not want it to intimidate the students, which is why we would only look at this book in small sections. The illustrations and descriptions in this book make understanding the human body so much easier and interesting. He has a way of breaking down the information so students will be able to understand. I look forward to incorporating this book into my future classrooms.
Title: The Way We Work: Getting to Know the Amazing Human Body
Author: James Macaulay
Category: Informational #2
Source: Textbook pg. 294
This was an amazing book full of tons of information. I loved the way Macaulay started the book by looking at everything from under a microscope and discussing atoms. He moved into mitosis and parts of cells until he worked his way to organs and their functions. He went into detail about neurons, antibodies, reproduction and so many other topics. This is a great book to use as a resource with the students. I would want to incorporate parts of this book into the lesson. I learned an immense amount of information from this book and would not want it to intimidate the students, which is why we would only look at this book in small sections. The illustrations and descriptions in this book make understanding the human body so much easier and interesting. He has a way of breaking down the information so students will be able to understand. I look forward to incorporating this book into my future classrooms.
October 21, 2008
Macaulay takes apart our bodies and organizes them by function, with humor, intensity and his characteristic artistic skill. The complexity is profound, his respect, clear and the explanations perhaps more complete than some would want, but very informative. A book for all the family to read in bits and pieces, as the spirit, or their body, moves them.
June 26, 2008
In a companion volume to THE WAY THINGS WORK, Macaulay tackles anatomy and physiology. The best nonfiction book of the year--and one of the very best in any genre.
November 22, 2021
The Way We Work: Getting to know the Amazing Human Body by David Macaulay is an extremely knowledgeable, informational picture book. It is a book going through the entire human body explaining the function of each body part. This book provides very factual information, presented in a fun, entertaining fashion.
This informational picture book contains many constructive elements. These elements are, accuracy and authenticity, style, characterization, and theme. All of these elements tie into the meaning of the story and provides very factual information. This book is presented in a very organized way and the structure of this book is a mix of both chronological and description/list because it starts at the top of the body and works it's way down while describing each body part. The format of this book is very appealing and the illustrations really tie in with the description of the words. I highly recommend this book to teachers to show their students if they are learning about anatomy in the classroom.
This informational picture book contains many constructive elements. These elements are, accuracy and authenticity, style, characterization, and theme. All of these elements tie into the meaning of the story and provides very factual information. This book is presented in a very organized way and the structure of this book is a mix of both chronological and description/list because it starts at the top of the body and works it's way down while describing each body part. The format of this book is very appealing and the illustrations really tie in with the description of the words. I highly recommend this book to teachers to show their students if they are learning about anatomy in the classroom.
February 1, 2017
I grew up reading a lot of the works of David Macaulay and I really did enjoy every one of his books that I opened all the way through early High School. This is yet another accomplishment for him, and really simplifies some of the complex concepts involved in the world of anatomy and physiology. All the drawings are clear and his simplifications make it easy to understand some of the more difficult concepts. I would not hesitate to give this to any kid has some questions about how they work on the inside.
May 8, 2019
I love this illustrator/author so much. His books are not only beautiful, but filled with science. He spent EIGHT years researching this book, including attending gross atanomy classes and surgeries.
AMAZING stuff here and illustrated with humor as well as skill.
He's one of my Heros.
AMAZING stuff here and illustrated with humor as well as skill.
He's one of my Heros.
March 4, 2021
Summary: This textbook-like picture book explains how our bodies work. The illustrations are pretty graphic in some parts, especially when it explains the male and female genitals.
Analysis: This book is a great way to introduce our anatomy to children and the illustrations help explain it too.
How I would use this book in my class: I would choose sections of this book to read or present to my class so it's not too overwhelming.
Analysis: This book is a great way to introduce our anatomy to children and the illustrations help explain it too.
How I would use this book in my class: I would choose sections of this book to read or present to my class so it's not too overwhelming.
August 9, 2024
I've read so many human anatomy/biology books recently that honestly, I'm pretty burnt out. However, this is a pretty good one. I don't think it should replace a well-done textbook at all, but as a review 6 or 12 months later, I think this would be good.
July 26, 2017
There were a lot of activities to do while figuring out what your work should be. It was helpful in finding out what I do not want to do, as well as what direction would better suite me.
September 24, 2018
This book is so detailed! I learned so much, right along with my son. And there is still so much I still didn't quite get. Maybe it'll stick next time I read it when my daughter is ready for it.
March 15, 2019
Great intro into many of the human systems
April 3, 2024
Thoroughly enjoyed reading this book aloud to my two younger sons. It was full of excellent information and amazing drawings.
reference
June 5, 2024npl: J 612 Maca 7994P
August 13, 2025
Not quite as compelling for me as The New Way Things Work, but a fascinating read nonetheless. If I knew more biology coming in I would have been able to retain more of it.
December 4, 2013
The one thing I found interesting about this book and other by the same author is the amount of research behind each book. On this particular book I think he spent five years or so. The use of vocabulary is correct and every picture depicts a human part in its correct functions. His illustrations engage the reader and creates a learning environment that can be enjoyed by everyone. He does so by introducing the smalls organism in the human body and slowly introduces the bigger ones. I think this is one of those books that can be used in a classroom setting effectively. For instance as a teacher we can use this book as a basic introduction of the human body in a middle school or even high school. The projects can range from simple interpretations of how the body works to a full, well developed, project on the functions of every system on the body.
April 12, 2016
Do you ever wonder how we work? What makes our body work? The book titled, The Way We Work by David Macauley is a nonfiction book. I would give this book a 10 out of 10. I extremely enjoyed this book, and every time I would read it I ended up being fascinated on how the body functions! The book is broken out in 7 different kind of chapters. In each chapter the author explains about different kind of human objects such as, the eye, and brain. It also explains how we work. For example David explains about the DNA and cells. David illustrated this book and let me tell you his art is extremely good. In every page there's a different drawing of a close up of whatever the page is about. Something helpful he included were labels. I encourage people that like to learn about their body and how they work to read this book. Be prepared to learn different things in each chapter!
August 2, 2011
Found this for a really good deal at the BYU Bookstore. I've been wanting it for a while because I have his other book "The (New) Way Things Work" and I enjoyed looking through that.
These books are interesting as it's hard to pick out exactly who the audience is for these books. The copious illustrations indicate a younger reader, but the text and content is definitely for someone around a middle-school level at least.
The illustrations for this book also seemed a little more rushed. That's understandable though--there are a lot of them.
All in all I liked the book. I'd recommend it to anyone who wanted an overview of anatomy.
These books are interesting as it's hard to pick out exactly who the audience is for these books. The copious illustrations indicate a younger reader, but the text and content is definitely for someone around a middle-school level at least.
The illustrations for this book also seemed a little more rushed. That's understandable though--there are a lot of them.
All in all I liked the book. I'd recommend it to anyone who wanted an overview of anatomy.
October 12, 2008
I may not be popular for saying this, but David Maculay is just not my style. I appreciate the genius behind his books, but they are not ones I hold near and dear to my heart.
Not to be all SB about it, but I think I like the man more than his work. And so it should come as no surprise that I greatly enjoyed working his event. Daddy Mac likes to talk, no question about that, but his slides were interesting and I was okay with the almost hour long presentation.
I'm stoked for his upcoming Earth book, though.
Not to be all SB about it, but I think I like the man more than his work. And so it should come as no surprise that I greatly enjoyed working his event. Daddy Mac likes to talk, no question about that, but his slides were interesting and I was okay with the almost hour long presentation.
I'm stoked for his upcoming Earth book, though.
May 27, 2009
I found this in the children's section, but I think (comprehension-wise) it would take at least a middle-school-aged student to follow along. (Trust me on this one - there's a lot of terminology that would have thrown me off without my college courses in physiology, microbiology, neuroscience, etc.) That being said, I think it is a GREAT overall look, and I think the pictures are simpler than the text. This is definitely an accurate representation that doesn't oversimplify.
May 31, 2011
I can see why some of the libraries in our system put this in their adult collections. This thorough guide to human anatomy tells you how everything works, and the more child appropriate pencil drawings are actually more illustrative for non-doctors than photographs. An exquisitely drawn book throughout.
June 20, 2013
I do not like anatomy. Blood makes me squeamish. Too many long words. But this book breaks down and explains the components of the body from the atomic level on up clearly and concisely all while keeping me entertained with Macaulay's charming illustrations. This is another book I'm going to save for my kids.
November 7, 2014
This human body book is spectacularly illustrated. The content is accurate and the way the book is arranged makes the content fun and interactive. The illustrations are so detailed that you do not even have to read the bulk of the text to learn about the human body!
Recommended age 8-14
Reading Level 5th grade
Recommended age 8-14
Reading Level 5th grade
October 28, 2009
I love this book and wish I owned it. I'm such a geek.
The illustrations are fun, (most) of the explanations are approachable without being so watered down as to be worthless, and it's a fun experience. David Macauley is a god.
The illustrations are fun, (most) of the explanations are approachable without being so watered down as to be worthless, and it's a fun experience. David Macauley is a god.
January 27, 2013
This is a great book for teaching kids to understanding the workings of the human body. The illustrations are top-notch. It's interesting to see artistic versions of what we normally see in computer images. Good explanations, too.
May 2, 2013
This book was awesome! It really tells you how our bodys work! I really enjoyed this book! It was really interesting to see how our bones move and learn all about how the things that help bones move!
Displaying 1 - 30 of 54 reviews