The Neck
eBook - ePub

The Neck

A Natural and Cultural History

  1. 336 pages
  2. English
  3. ePUB (mobile friendly)
  4. Available on iOS & Android
eBook - ePub

The Neck

A Natural and Cultural History

About this book

“Fascinating discourse [that] travels through anatomy, paleontology, anthropology, the arts, the zoo, museums, medicine, murder and more. . . . Superb."―Wall Street Journal

A 300-million-year tour of the prominent role of the neck in animal evolution and human culture.
 
Humans give a lot of attention to the neck. We decorate it with jewelry and ties, kiss it passionately, and use it to express ourselves in word and song. Yet, at the neck, people have also shackled their prisoners, executed their opponents, and slain their victims. Beyond the drama of human culture, animals have evolved their necks into a staggering variety of shapes and uses vital to their lifestyles. The Neck delves into evolutionary time to solve a living paradox—why is our neck so central to our survival and culture, but so vulnerable to injury and disease?
 
Biologist Kent Dunlap shows how the neck's vulnerability is not simply an unfortunate quirk of evolution. Its weaknesses are intimately connected to the vessels, pipes, and glands that make it so vital to existence. Fun and far-reaching, The Neck explores the diversity of forms and functions of the neck in humans and other animals and shows how this small anatomical transition zone has been a locus of incredible evolutionary and cultural creativity. 

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Yes, you can access The Neck by Kent Dunlap in PDF and/or ePUB format, as well as other popular books in Biological Sciences & Ecology. We have over one million books available in our catalogue for you to explore.

Table of contents

  1. Title
  2. Copyright
  3. Dedication
  4. Contents
  5. Acknowledgments
  6. Preface: Vital & Vulnerable
  7. 1. Why & What: The Rationale and Contents of the Neck
  8. 2. Posture & Pose: Holding the Head
  9. 3. Panorama & Gesture: Moving the Head
  10. 4. Tubes & Transport: Conduits to the Torso
  11. 5. Pace & Scaffolding: Hormones of the Neck
  12. 6. Word & Flesh: Speech and Song at the Neck
  13. 7. Courtship & Attraction: Sexual Communication at the Neck
  14. 8. Membership & Status: Signaling Identity at the Neck
  15. 9. Power & Politics: Aggression and Control at the Neck
  16. 10. Shields & Saints: Protection and Healing at the Neck
  17. Epilogue: Created & Crafted: The Necks of Pottery Vases
  18. List of Illustrations
  19. Notes
  20. Bibliography
  21. Index