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Book Information: Foundations of Kinesiology – Studying Human Movement and Health Reviewed by Claire Egret |
Peter Klavora Foundations of Kinesiology – Studying Human Movement and Health Toronto, Canada: SBP Sport Books Publisher (2008) ISBN: 0-920905-07-2 Price: $ 76.95 USD Peter Klavora, a retired professor from the Faculty of Physical Education and Health at the University of Toronto, is known for his publication in diverse fields, such as exercise science, human movement, kinesiology, sport psychology and sociology. He has authored, coauthored and edited over 40 books and published over 60 papers in peer reviewed scientific and professional journals. This textbook is a good example of an overview of different fields associated with sport/health and sport/performance. It was completed with the efforts of 14 kinesiology professors and graduate students from various universities across Canada and the United States. The book is designed for introductory courses in kinesiology and/or exercise science to offer a student-friendly overview of the major areas of study in physical activity and health including anatomy, physiology, biomechanics, history and philosophy in sports. The 578 pages of this book are divided into 4 units and subdivided into 23 chapters, each discussing a specific topic. Klavora positioned Health in the middle of physical, environmental, mental, emotional, spiritual and social factors. The biological basis of Human movement, Human performance, Motor development and Physical activity and sport in society are the 4 principal areas covered. Klavora begins with an introduction to human anatomy, physiology of muscles, energy metabolism, biomechanics and injuries covered in 7 different chapters. The author reinstalls the reasoning as to why we should live healthily. Knowledge of how the human body is structured organised and moves, will allow coaches, physical and health educators or anybody involved in human movement to realise the full potential of an individual and prevent the occurrence of injuries. The second part of the book contains 6 chapters focused on nutrition and weight management, ergogenic aids, test measurement in physical and health education and the mental aspect of sport. Physical fitness encompasses many components for health including strength, power, endurance, flexibility and body composition. Effective measurements and evaluation of these factors should help to build a healthy and physically educated individual. With the same positive perspective, the third part of the book describes the beneficial effects for the skill acquisitions of early exposure to physical activity. Movement intelligence should be part of every single child’s life, with respect of the different stages of growth evolution. The final key theme of the book describes the past and present impact of sport, relating to gender, ethnicity, disability and diversity and issues including aggression and various forms of cheating in sports. This great textbook is fresh, easy to read and can generate discussion over a variety of subjects and will prove to be an excellent resource for students enrolling in health and kinesiology departments who want to know what to expect in each of the specialty courses and the career opportunities in those fields. Contact Claire Egret Barry University Department of Sport and Exercise Sciences, Biomechanics Florida, USA Email: cegret@mail.barry.edu icsspe.org/index.php?m=15 Book Information: Foundations of Kinesiology – Studying Human Movement and Health Reviewed by Claire Egret