It so happens that the right teacher can take the form of a book. Gray's Anatomy is one of those few titles that practically everybody has heard of, and with good reason--it is a scientific and artistic triumph. Not just a dry index of parts and names, Gray's lets the natural beauty and grace of the body's interconnected systems and structures shine forth from the page. Using sumptuous illustrations and clear, matter-of-fact descriptions, Dr. Gray unleashed a classic on the world more than 100 years ago. Its clarity and usefulness keep it in print today. Whether you want to understand yourself or others, knowledge of our physical parts and how they fit together is essential. Gray's Anatomy provides that information in a simple, timeless format that cleanly dissects a body of knowledge grown over centuries. This book will not only fill the needs of people in the medical profession, but will please artists and naturalists as well. --Rob Lightner

Product Description
This is a landmark edition of one of the greatest texts of our time. Gray's Anatomy has been an international bestseller for 100 years; its appeal is not only to physicians and students, but to artists and the medically curious. As the new Introduction by Dr. Crocco states: "Every living physician today has been exposed to Gray's Anatomy and nearly everyone has used it. It was Gray's Anatomy that occupied most of the embryonic physician's waking hours, whether at home or at the side of his cadaver.
"There have been many imitations, but few real competitors. There have been dissection manuals and pictorial atlases brilliantly illustrated with exquisite photographs. There have been synopses of anatomy and there have been monographs on various regions of the body. However, there is only one Gray's Anatomy.
"This stellar book represents the acme of anatomical description over the last century and will probably still be the premier text in anatomy over the next one hundred years. This commemorative edition is a very fitting tribute to Dr. Henry Gray, Fellow of the Royal College of Surgeons, whose colossal work will be remembered by medical historians past and future and by twentieth-century physicians and surgeons as the anatomy text of our age."

Look carefully. Gray's Anatomy currently comes in two english editions. The British Version (now in its 39th edition) retails for about... The American Version (now in its 30th edition) retails for about ... If the edition you are looking at costs considerably less than those prices ASK YOURSELF WHY!. You are probably considering the "classic collectors edition" which is a reprint of the 1901 American Edition. There is nothing wrong with that edition, if you are interested in the history of science. However, much of the terminology has changed and in 100 years we have developed a much deeper understanding of human anatomy.

Know what you are buying. If you are a serious student of anatomy, you probably do not want this to be your first (or only) edition of Gray's Anatomy.


Buyer Beware!   September 9, 2004
 159 out of 160 found this review helpful

I want to reinforce what reviewer Thomas Greiner wrote, because it appears that so many other reviewers may be unaware that there is an edition of Gray's Anatomy that is much more current, useful, and abundantly illustrated than this one.

This reprint of the classic 1901 edition can be recommended for only limited reasons: It is relatively compact and easy to carry around; it is inexpensive; and it's a classic of historical interest. It's authoritative and well written, but it is poorly illustrated (a much more verbal than pictorial guide to anatomy), some of its terminology is long out of date, and it is lacking in scientific currency.

For medical students, health-care professionals, personal injury attorneys, or others who want and can afford a more current and comprehensive reference, I strongly recommend the 1995, 38th British Edition of Gray's Anatomy (ISBN 0-443-04560-7). It's much more expensive (about $215), but well worth it. It is THE definitive reference work and belongs on the shelf of anyone who needs an up-to-date, comprehensive, impeccably authoritative, and well-illustrated treatment of human structure.

For artists who need to know what's under the skin; for anyone who wants a more visual than verbal presentation of human anatomy; for nursing, physical therapy, or other allied health students who need less detail that Gray's; for others who can't afford a $215 anatomy book; and for anyone wanting a visual atlas to complement Gray's, the following are excellent atlases that would serve far better than the 1901 Gray's.

For photographic treatments of cadaveric anatomy I recommend "Color Atlas of Anatomy" (Rohen & Yokochi); their smaller and less expensive, paperback version, "Photographic Anatomy of the Human Body" (Yokochi, Rohe, & Weinreb); or "McMinn's Color Atlas of Human Anatomy" (Abrahams, Marks, & Hutchings).

For lineart atlases, which have some explanatory advantages over photography, I recomment "Atlas of Human Anatomy" (Netter), "Grant's Atlas of Anatomy" (Agur), or "Anatomy" (Clemente). All of these are visually fascinating atlases, although they offer very little of the verbal description needed for functional insight. For that, I recommend "Clinically Oriented Anatomy" (Moore and Dalley). Most students would probably be best served by Moore & Dalley and one of the aforementioned atlases. Other than the British Gray's, if I could have only two human anatomy books, they would be Moore & Dalley and Rohen & Yokochi.


Comprehensive information. Lacky illustrations....   March 15, 2000
 26 out of 29 found this review helpful

I am a student and an emergency medical professional... The amount of information contained in this book is impressive and it is small enough to carry in a briefcase for reference. The text is clear and comprehensive. It has a through rundown of all the human systems and extremely detailed breakdowns of the human anatomy itself. Two things I'm not so impressed with, however - which are very important - are: 1. Illustrations are bountiful...but are in black and white and it is VERY hard to differentiate between structures....and little lines that point to specific structures dissappear in the drawing, instead of quickly mapping things out. 2. There are VERY few full size/system illustrations....for example, there is not a picture of the entire anterior/posterior/lateral skull, abdominal cavity, chest cavity, or appendages for quick reference...instead, all the illustrations are piece by piece...one page has the mandible, one the eye bones...it is all broken down into little sections. I recommend buying a large, detailed A&P book and just using this as a reference.


As good as you have heard.   March 10, 2001
 19 out of 20 found this review helpful

Gray's Anatomy is a "classic" book on Anatomy. Unusual for a classic, it is everything you have heard. The drawings are beautiful, accurate, and interesting. At the same time, this book was a standard text for Anatomy since 1901. As such, the drawing are only part of this book. The book's main effort is to explanation human anatomy. It does so wonderfully and clearly, with words. The drawings are only there to help with the text's explanations.

A quick warning. Since this book has been around since before 1901, there are many, many different versions. Make sure you check the printing date of the one you buy. The human body has not changed since this first editions, but our access to it has. As such, while some of the earlier books are beautiful to look at, the later editions are more valuable as a reference tool.


NOT JUST FOR DOCTORS...   July 11, 2001
 9 out of 11 found this review helpful

This book is a seminal, comprehensive body of work on the human anatomy. It contains seven hundred and eighty illustrations, of which one hundred and seventy two are in color. While this is, no doubt, a book that every physician should have, lawyers with a personal injury practice or prosecutors who try assault or homicide cases should have more than a passing acquaintance with this book. It is a wonderful resource, explaining the human anatomy clearly, and is, with good reason, the premier text on this subject.