Written by a recognized authority on the subject, "Kinetics of Human Motion" is the sequel and companion to the 1998 text "Kinematics of Human Motion". Biomechanics expert Vladimir Zatsiorsky has written this book to be an indispensable reference for human movement professionals. Although biomechanical analysis of human motion can be conducted on different structural levels, this book focuses on the examination of forces that create entire body motion, thereby developing the biomechanical knowledge of the reader. This text is advanced and assumes some knowledge of algebra and calculus, yet the emphasis is clearly on understanding physical concepts, not mathematical formulae. The book features helpful refreshers of basic mathematical concepts and kinesiology and other movement-related topics to facilitate reader comprehension of the topics presented. The illustrations and equations help to clarify and reemphasize the main concepts; it also contains review problems, applied research problems, end-of-chapter questions, and references throughout. For a more rounded understanding of the concepts, each chapter includes "From the Literature" elements, which support the theories discussed while offering other viewpoints. This is the second in a three-book series that will cover the entire range of biomechanics of human motion.

Author Biography

Vladimir M. Zatsiorsky, PhD, is a world-renowned expert in the biomechanics of human motion. He has been a professor in the department of kinesiology at Pennsylvania State University since 1991 and is director of the university's biomechanics laboratory.

Before coming to North America in 1990, Dr. Zatsiorsky served for 18 years as professor and chair of the department of biomechanics at the Central Institute of Physical Culture in Moscow. He has received several awards for his achievements, including the Geoffrey Dyson Award from the International Society of Biomechanics in Sports (the society's highest honor) and the USSR's National Gold Medal for the Best Scientific Research in Sport in 1976 and 1982. Dr. Zatsiorsky has authored or coauthored more than 250 scientific papers. He has also authored or coauthored 11 books on various aspects of biomechanics that have been published in English, Russian, German, Italian, Spanish, Portuguese, Chinese, Japanese, Polish, Romanian, Czech, Serbo-Croatian, and Bulgarian. His latest books are Science and Practice of Strength Training, Kinematics of Human Motion, and Biomechanics in Sport (editor).