I have virtually no medical or anatomy background, but I’ve been increasingly interested in learning how to patch myself (or others related to me) up in case of emergency. I’ve enrolled in a local Red Cross first aid / CPR class, but I figured it would also be good to have some understanding of anatomy. Which anatomy books out there would be good to learn from?
Bonus points if they’re available from the Amazon Kindle store 
Please don’t dismiss this as a stupid answer or as me trying to be funny.
When I was doing my training we used anatomy coloring books. Yes, coloring books. They are intended for students doing anything medically related: Docs; physio’s; nurses; paramedics; etc. If you have to spend half an hour coloring in a body part you tend to remember its shape and location.
I <cough> used to photocopy mine to practice multiple times.
At chiro school we use the current version of Netter’s Atlas of Human Anatomy. Any version will do, really, but the current is 5th edition.
This is a good start.
I suggest you enroll in something a little more intense to get more exposure. Undergrad Anatomy courses are okay, but still very much lacking. Try to find one with a cadaver lab if possible.
Edit:
BTW -Netter is strictly anatomy -not to be confused with physiology- and is strictly an atlas of the human body. Most undergrad courses mix the two.
If you are not going beyond 1st aid, even First Responder, you really don’t ‘need’ a whole lot of in-depth anatomy knowledge. Really, do you ‘need’ to know where the clavipectoral fascia is to be good in first aid? Or the difference between the flexor digitorum profundus and flexor digiti minimi brevis? I would get a paramedic book or a basic, very basic, anatomy and physiology book to get started. The coloring book is very popular and really good.
You talking about Gray’s Anatomy?
My son and daughter used those in high school, and I thought they looked pretty good.
I’d need a machete and native guide to find it in her room now, though. So I’m not able to offer a current, personal review.
That’d be the ones.
I also used flashcards…can’t remember whose but they are pretty much all the same.
I use GPS and a long piece of string to navigate around my daughters room.
I recommend a good first aid course, better yet would be EMT basic training, and learn the anatomy as it applies to first aid. Without that context, you’ll end up just memorizing a lot of disconnected information that will leave your brain within a matter of weeks.
He speaks the truth. A good course and continuous practice is the only way to go.
Personally, without the benefit of upto date practice I have forgotten most of what I learnt apart from the basics.
I know primary care doctors that have been in practice 20 years that have forgotten most of the anatomy they learned in medical school.
That is not a stupid answer…coloring helps distinguish between the muscles and people remember much better this way.
Our first house had a resident library that was almost as old as the house( built in 1912).
One of the books was a hard bound book on surgical techniques. It is drawings so it isn’t too gory, but if you want to know how to remove a leg or an appendix this is the book for you. It imparts a knowledge of anatomy that you wouldn’t get from Grey’s Anatomy in that you see the parts moved around so you can cut the various parts and how to stop the bleeding.
It might be more than you want, but it would be a good reference book.
I would try Major Surplus for any field first aid books, they might be handy also.
JA
I realize this thread is been here a while, but if you are still looking, try A.D.A.M. Student Atlas of Anatomy. I have one and it is one of the best anatomy books I have ever seen, and by far the easiest to use.
If you are looking for “free”, google " Basic Human Anatomy" MD0006 from the U. S. Army Medical Department Center And School. It isn’t in color, but at least you might get some help with the terminology.
The average person does not need to know every muscle of the human body. However, if you are going to spend the money on an anatomy book, you may as well get the same book Doctors are taught out of. Netter has excellent drawings and they are without a doubt accurate.
I swear, I was going to say the same thing!!! I used them to get through A&P
I currently teach A&P…to answer your question the most commonly used 100/200 level college texts are either Hole’s, Marieb, Martini, or Tortora…look for a used recent addition on Amazon, eBay, or if near a campus stop by a book store and buy used. New textbook’s are a racket, don’t waste your money on the newest addition VERY LITTLE CHANGES WITH EACH ONE. Marieb usually has a athlete on the front, Martini dancers, I think the last edition of Tortora had blood cells on the cover.
Keep in mind, each author’s text usually has some “Applications” materials, “Atlas/Lab guide” spiral bound notebook which is designed to aide in lab identificaiton of cadaver work, or “Essentials/Principles” version (which is a condensed text). These can be packaged with the text or sold separate…these may be more useful to someone just wanting some background knowledge for FA/CLS as they at times focus more on homeostatic mechanisms, injury/disease, and clinical applications. Also most texts now have a software suite such as the ADAM softward described above.
With that said, I think you want to look for a “Trauma Care/Treatment” type of text directed towards nursing/EMT students. (a lot cheaper used and more specific to your interests).
http://books.google.com/books?id=L4hrAAAAMAAJ&q=emt+trauma+care&dq=emt+trauma+care&hl=en&ei=PcMDTdK8PMewngfnnbHlDQ&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=1&ved=0CCwQ6AEwAA
These texts+materials can run you a few hundred dollars used and more if you’d try to buy new. You can probably find a 2-3 day buddy aide/GSW type of course near by for not much more. Then you could shop for some materials to support that class. I’d view any anatomy texts as just support materials to a few days of specific trauma training (the RC FA/CPR class has merit…but I think you’ll be very underwhelmed by it if your goal is “patching someone up”).
or hell just hit up the local JC and take an EMT class. I had a really good time in mine (10+ yeas ago) and made some friends that I still hang out with. I had a supper hot early 40s physical therapist in my class that ended up being my study partner, she had access to all of the cut open body models at her work so between her helping me and the coloring books I did really well.
I would recommend taking a class at a local college or night school. You may get more out of that.
The two main anatomy texts I used during first couple years of med school were:
Gray’s Anatomy for students
http://www.amazon.com/Grays-Anatomy-Students-Richard-Drake/dp/0443066124
and
Moore’s Clinically Oriented Anatomy
http://www.amazon.com/Clinically-Oriented-Anatomy-Keith-Moore/dp/0683061410
They are more “clinically” oriented with some physio/disease info thrown in as opposed to a strictly illustrated anatomy text Netter.
If you want an actual cadaver photographic anatomy text then Rohen’s Color Atlas is a good one. Similar to Netter’s in that’s it’s just anatomy, but with dissected cadaver images.
http://www.amazon.com/Color-Atlas-Anatomy-Photographic-Study/dp/0781731941
I would suggest Moore’s over Drake, but I didn’t find much use for either while my copy of Netter is covered in 100 MPH tape.