You can never step in the same river twice, goes the old adage of philosophy. An observation on the transitory nature of fluids in motion, this saying also describes the endless variations researchers face when studying human movement. Understanding these biodynamics-why the wirewalker doesn't fall-requires a grasp of the constant fluctuations and fine tunings which maintain balance in the complex, fluid system of human locomotion.

Taking a comprehensive approach to the phenomenon of locomotion, Biodynamics: Why the Wirewalker Doesn't Fall integrates physical laws and principles with concepts of fractals, chaos, and randomness. In so doing, it formulates a description of both the large-scale, smooth aspects of locomotion and the more minute, randomized mechanisms of this physiological process.

Ideal for beginners in this subject, Biodynamics provides an elegant explanation without assuming the reader's understanding of complex physical principles or mathematical equations. Chapter topics include:

• Dimensions, measurement, and scaling
• Mechanics and dynamics
• Biometrics
• Conservation of momentum
• Biomechanics
• Bioelectricity
• Bioenergetics
• Fluid mechanics and dynamics
• Data analysis
• Biostatistics

Packed with problem sets, examples, and original line drawings, Biodynamics is an invaluable text for advanced undergraduates, graduate students, and instructors in medicine, biology, physiology, biophysics, and bioengineering.

One Detective - Six Authors What do you get when a group of writers jointly create a private detective character in the hard-boiled tradition, then go their separate ways to put the poor bastard through his paces? You get Nick Chambers, a down-on-his-luck P.I. that is both comfortably familiar and refreshingly original. In the grim days following the end of WWII, San Francisco is a rough place to try to make a living as a detective. Paying clients are few and far between, corruption is rampant in the highest echelons of city government, and no one seems to be interested in justice any more. Nick Chambers is the detective you turn to when you can't afford anyone else. He's only one step from being on the streets himself, but manages to scrape by on his wits, perseverance, and a steely conviction that despite all the evidence to the contrary, there are still a few good people left who deserve to have someone watching their backs.