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Neuromechanical Basis of Kinesiology by Roger M Enoka. Human Kinetics (Europe) Ltd, Leeds, 1994 (ISBN 0 87322 665 8) (2nd edn). Illus. 466 pages. €40.

This is a textbook on kinesiology for undergraduate students. Its goal is t o examine the neuromechanical basis of kinesiology, based on the philosophy that movement involves an interaction between a n animal and its surroundings.

The stated aims are to reach a broad audience of students involved in the study of movement, to intro- duce current concepts and thinking, to include a comprehensive and contemporary reference list, and to provide extensive graphical illustrations to elucidate the text.

The book is organised in three sections - the force motion relation- ship, the single joint system, and the adaptability of the motor systcm. There are clear objectives for each section, and a concise summary and extensive selection of true/false and problem based questions a t the end of each chapter (the answers to which are included in the appendix).

The first section, which examines the mechanical basis of movement, includes chapters on motion (regarding position, velocity and acceleration), force (based on Ncwtoniaii laws, considering the various forces acting on the body, and introducing the concept of torque and of free body diagrams to

Exercise for Healthy Ageing by Dawn Skelton. Published by and avail- able from Research into Ageing, Baird House, 15/17 St Cross Street, London ECIN 8UN, 1994. Illus. 32 pages. Dona- tion of €3 welcomed.

The entertaining caricature cover of this book (illustrated by Matthew Mills) belies its serious and sensible tenet, tha t staying active means staying independent. Before emb- arking on the clearly illustrated exercise programmes, the intro- ductory chapters cover simple statistical reasons for exercise, sound advice and straightforward guidelines to follow. The onus is on the participant engaging in gentle, safe, slow and steady exercise with a gradual progression after several weeks. The importance of warming up/cooling down along with good

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simplify movement analysis) and movement analysis (considering the instantaneous value of force, the effect of force applied over time, and the application of force causing an object to be displaced).

Section 2 is based around a biological model called the singzgle joint system, which consists of five elements, namely a rigid link, synovial joint, muscle, neurone and sensory receptor. A description and discussion of these five elements comprises the first chapter in this section, which emphasises the adaptability of these components to provide a dynamic system with continually changing properties. The second chapter describes how these five elements of the single joint system interact to produce movement, exploring the roles of the motor unit, excitability of membranes, excitatiodcontraction coupling and feedback from sensory receptors. The final chapter in this section examines the factors which influence the development of muscle torque within the single joint system, and considers neural, mechanical, anatomical and physio- logical factors.

The final section examines the adaptability of the motor system, and extends the single joint system model to provide a more complete account of those components tha t are directly involved in the per- formance of movement. The first chapter explores neural control of

posture is also stressed.

The heart of this publication is the programme of exercises -begin- ners, intermediate and advanced. Each section is boldly announced and contains approximately eight exercises with lucid diagrams. The routines are simple and many can be performed sitting down; they are easy to follow and numerically graded. It is a user-friendly volume, spiral bound, very readable with bold type for emphasis, and intelli- gible.

The general format is good, but thicker paper and possibly a bolder type throughout would benefit elderly readers. The illustrations are clear, though rather textbookish in style. Perhaps colour and a maximum of two diagrams per

movement, the effect of demand on output, and neural strategies for control in goal-directed functional activities. The next two chapters examine the acute and chronic adaptations of the neuromuscular system to physical activity, the latter including adaptations asso- ciated with immobility and ageing.

The book concludes with a comprehensive collection of appen- dices on SI units, basic math- ematics, conversion factors, body segment parameters, abbrevia- tions, problem answers, a glossary of terms, and finally a n extensive reference list.

This is a n excellent book, well organised, clearly written and the text is complemented lavishly with graphical illustrations. It is a demanding text, in that one would not dip into it lightly, but the concepts are clearly explained with illustrations and examples to assist comprehension. It is a substantial text (A4 size and 466 pages) with a pleasant script and layout (and some wonderful diagrams from the work of Giovanni Borelli), and I would thoroughly recommend it as a prescribed reference text for physiotherapy students. For the serious student of movement (and not purely in the academic sense) this book is a must - quite the best kinesiology text I have ever encoun- tered.

Kate Kerr PhD BA MCSP

page would be an improvement. I would like to have seen, inte-

grated within the programmes, breathing exercises combined with relaxation techniques.

Although I would suggest minor changes and inclusions, this is a perspicacious and thoughtful book, in my opinion one of great value to the increasingly elderly populace, either in a class situation or for the housebound.

Exercise for Healthy Ageing was devised by Dawn Skelton (who was a PhD student a t the Royal Free Hospital) as a n offshoot from her research project into establishing normal ranges of activity for healthy elderly people.

Caroline Brooks GradDipPhys MCSP

Physiotherapy, May 1996, vol82, no 5