Reviewer: Michael Cavaliere, DPT, OCS, CSCS (North Hills Orthopedic and Sports Physical Therapy)
Description: This is a clinical textbook that describes the technical and clinical aspects of biomechanics. The book reviews all aspects of biomechanics from the basics of physics concepts (force, vector diagrams, impulse, momentum, etc.) to clinical applications in orthopedics and sports. Access to online material accompanies the book, which provides practice problems, an interactive glossary, interactive flashcards, and web links among other study tools to assist students in their learning. This is the second edition of this book. The first edition was published in 2013.
Purpose: According to the author, Sean Flanagan PhD, ATC, CSCS, the purpose of this book is to teach both undergraduate and graduate students biomechanics in a more meaningful way. He states that he feels biomechanics is commonly taught with an emphasis on getting the "right numbers" without an appreciation of what those numbers may mean in a clinical context. Dr. Flanagan's objective is to bridge that gap. He does this successfully with easy-to-read chapters, emphasis on important learning points, and linking each new concept to a clinical case that the readers would be familiar with. While there is a large amount of algebra and trigonometry involved in the book, the author provides a very manageable and easy-to-understand explanation of such concepts to facilitate true understanding of these equations, rather than relying on pure memorization.
Audience: Dr. Flanagan states that the intended audience of the book is first-year kinesiology students, specifically taking their first courses on human biomechanics. The author does state that he believes the book would also be well-suited for graduate level students in athletic training, physical therapy, and chiropractic medicine. This book would be an excellent addition to an undergraduate or graduate level curriculum. It is written somewhat informally, which may be a deterrent in a professional program, however, the reason for this was likely to be more relatable to students. In my past experience as a first-year kinesiology student, I believe this book would have been an incredibly helpful addition to the curriculum to facilitate my understanding of how biomechanical concepts relate to real-world application. Dr. Flanagan is currently an associate professor of kinesiology at California State University and holds a PhD in biomechanics. His background, along with his experience, allows Dr. Flanagan to explain complex biomechanical terms in a digestible way.
Features: The majority of the content is based on physics principles and how they impact the human body. The book covers all aspects of physics/biomechanics-based concepts, similar to other books on biomechanics. The book begins with basic biomechanical forces (force, direction, vectors, etc.) and moves on to more complex material (angular momentum, impulse, buckling forces, etc.). The progression is appropriate and keeps the readers engaged without feeling overwhelmed. As stated above, this book is written in an informal way, which makes the chapters feel more like conversations with a professor, compared to purely just explaining the information. Additionally, there are myriad graphs, images, and figures, which assist in explaining the text material. The book accurately describes all biomechanical concepts that would be important for an undergraduate student to learn. One potential shortcoming of the book is that there is a larger focus on physics-based principles of biomechanics compared to clinical application. This can, at times, make the readers feel disconnected from applying the material.
Assessment: This book would be an excellent text for an undergraduate kinesiology or first-year graduate student. I personally enjoyed the informal writing style Dr. Flanagan employs and found myself engaged throughout my reading. Additionally, the learning points are a nice way of inserting practice application and clinical knowledge into the material. The graphics in the book are clear and complement the material well. I do think that this book is more appropriate for undergraduate students compared to graduate students, as the emphasis is on concepts rather than application. The second edition provides additional case work and figures/graphs onto the prior edition. Several of the chapters are expanded on, while others are broken up into smaller chapters to allow the material to be better understood. In summary, this book is a good choice for students who are interested in improving their physics and biomechanics knowledge. The added benefit of this book is the case examples, which would be a wonderful addition for any students who may want to pursue a clinical field of athletic training, physical therapy, or chiropractic medicine.
