The most recommended anatomy books

I’m a bit of a rebel rouser, so when The Amazing True Story of How Babies Are Made landed on bookshelves and created a big stir, I knew I had to buy it.

What sparked the controversy was a very simplistic illustration of how the erect penis fits inside the vagina. Parents were up in arms, claimed it encouraged their children to have sex, and deemed it pornographic.

It doesn’t actually do any of that - but, instead, provides a well-crafted, funnily-told explanation of human reproduction. What it really has going for it, is that it includes an explanation (albeit a brief one) of IVF, donors, and surrogates - a rare find in a picture book.

Any resource that includes these methods in the explanation of how babies are made is a winner in my book.  

This is a slim volume, which stands out amidst the thousands of books on aspects of Leonardo, for its focus and unusual team of authors. Written by two brothers, one a professor of drawing, the other of medicine, it walks the reader through Leonardo’s anatomical drawings and their far-reaching influence on both science and art.

The authors are particularly good at sorting out what Leonardo got from previous students of anatomy, from the Greeks onwards, and what was new that he brought to, or took away from the dissection table, where he claims to have examined over thirty corpses.

Learning anatomy requires more than pictures and labels. It requires a way “into” the subject—a means of making sense of what is being shown. Anatomy of the Moving Body addresses that need with a simple yet complete study of the body's complex system of bones, muscles, and joints, and how they function. Beautifully illustrated with 3D images, contains lectures that guide you through this challenging interior landscape. Description of each part of the body in brief, manageable sections, with components described singly or in small groups.

Tentacles get a bad rap, which is a shame.

What most people fail to appreciate is that each new tentacle is another location for a little kiss. Vesper Rune, a warm-hearted eldritch horror, has tentacles, and, as librarian Sebastian Rath can attest, each could do with at least one little kiss.

Jordan L Hawk, author of the popular Whyborne and Griffin series, is a titan in the world of kissable monstrosities, and the cultist-turned-hero Vesper Rune is possibly my favorite. After a lifetime of hiding, he finally finds a place where he can be safe, open about both his queerness and his untraditional anatomy, and receive many little kisses. Widdershins knows its own. 

Since zoologist Bill Schutt previously wrote the very popular Cannibalism, A Perfectly Natural History, you might expect that his more recent expose of the heart would be equally wide-ranging, engaging, and touched with macabre. It is.

With clarity and wit, Schutt describes circulation from worms to bats to whales along with the curious adaptations that explain why frog hearts can freeze solid and resume function and why the blood of horseshoe crabs is favored by researchers. Schutt not only describes this living pump across the animal kingdom but also through time as philosophers and scientists have pondered, and eventually discovered, its true function.

If you have an interest in biology, history of science, or your own inner workings, Pump will make your heart throb.

This six-book series of standalone stories begins with our heroine accepting a position as assistant to a dangerously attractive anatomist, at his eerie estate. As she struggles with her fierce attraction, she must also face the possibility that her employer is a serial murderer. Fabulously creepy, satisfyingly steamy, and enough twists to keep you page-turning late into the night.

This book is a great choice for artists that are interested in drawing humanoid fantasy characters or superheroes. It takes a close look at drawing action poses and includes many sketches and example drawings. It also includes photo references to use. It isn’t as much of a step-by-step tutorial book, but a great reference with lots of advice on creating your own dynamic characters.

Being exasperated on how muscles function is performed, I recommend The Muscle Book which assisted me in understanding my anatomy. The book helped me understand the moves needed to be performed for my recovery, for each muscle there is straightforward information, including common problems, signs of weakness, and self-massage for first aid. It provides anatomical terminology and clearly outlined reference pages.

This book really “clicks” with how I imagine the figure and how I draw. There are a hundred ways to learn to draw, and you need to find the one that clicks with how your brain works. But ways that don't click still strengthen you. Even if Hampton's approach isn't the right one for you in the long run, learning it and trying it out will only make you a better artist. There's great stuff here about visualizing form, and simplifying form while keeping everything living and breathing instead of stiff and posed. This is a great book for people who want to draw from imagination as well as from observation.

Initially published in 1990, this book stands the test of time. Anatomy of Movement Exercises describes the body mechanics inherent in our functional and daily movements. The illustrations and explanations are very clear and the author's understanding of anatomy, physiology, and movement is astonishing. This book is perfect for anybody with a movement practice who wishes to better understand exactly what is going on as they move.