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**A Selection of the *Scientific American,* History, and BOMC2 Book Clubs** “An in-depth look at the anatomy and history of feet reveals their often overlooked importance in human evolution, medicine and art.” —***Science News*** “Stylish, informative, entertaining, and pleasantly personal . . . Whether Rinzler is exploring how our feet explain or illuminate such topics as evolution, disability, racism, diet, or desire, she maintains a fascinating perspective on the peculiarities of being human.” —***Rain Taxi Review of Books*** “This neat little book draws a clear picture of our feet, providing understanding that extends far beyond the obvious. Readers often like to walk away from a book feeling they learned something—that the author left them with a new way to look at an old idea, and this book fulfills that need.” —***City Book Review*** “Rinzler lifts the lowly human foot to new heights in this appealing book.” —***Booklist* (starred review)** *Leonardo’s Foot* stretches back to the fossil record and forward to recent discoveries in evolutionary science to demonstrate that it was our feet rather than our brains that first distinguished us from other species within the animal kingdom. Taking inspiration from Leonardo da Vinci’s statement that “the human foot is a masterpiece of engineering and a work of art,” Carol Ann Rinzler leads us on a fascinating stroll through science, medicine, and culture to shed light on the role our feet have played in the evolution of civilization. Whether discussing the ideal human form in classical antiquity, the impressive depth of the arching soles on the figures in Sandro Botticelli’s *Birth of Venus,* an array of foot maladies and how they have affected luminaries from Lord Byron to Benjamin Franklin, or delving into the history of foot fetishism, Rinzler has created a wonderfully diverse catalog of details on our lowest extremities. This is popular science writing at its most entertaining—page after page of fascinating facts, based around the playful notion that appreciating this often overlooked part of our body is essential to understanding what it is to be human. **Carol Ann Rinzler**, a former nutrition columnist for the New York *Daily News,* has contributed to a number of publications, including the *New York Times.* She is the author of more than twenty books on health and medicine, including *Nutrition for Dummies,* an international bestseller translated into fourteen languages. ** ### From Publishers Weekly Amidst many digressions, Rinzler provides a number of biological and anecdotal tidbits about human feet. The development of theories about how our bipedal stance affected human evolution is treated first, including some scientific missteps. Each chapter is an independent essay ostensibly on an aspect of the foot, but a discussion of clubfeet turns into a rambling, and not always accurate, appraisal of historical attitudes toward birth defects, infanticide, and euthanasia as well as the imbalance in health coverage between the first and third worlds. The book as a whole veers wildly in this manner—from interesting information to highly tangential opinion pieces. An interesting section about the importance of the big toe morphs into anecdotes on how gout changed the world and then a page on a history of dangerous medications. The chapter on desire discusses foot fetishism, Cinderella, which senses are predominant in other animals, Biblical references to feet, foot washing, and suddenly, dissection. Those who enjoy nonsequetorial conversations may find this book entertaining, but the lack of substantiation for many of her statements deprives the reader of solid facts. (June) ### From Booklist *Starred Review* Except for putting on socks and shoes or trimming toenails, people pay little attention to their feet. After all, feet are the furthest anatomical thing from the mind—literally. Health writer Rinzler lifts the lowly human foot to new heights in this appealing book. Soliciting assistance from the fields of art, evolutionary science, history, etymology, literature, and biomechanics, Rinzler shows how the human foot is much more than a conglomeration of tissues or a potential homesite for corns and calluses. Its unique design (the adducted position of the big toe, plantigrade sole, and firm arches) allows humans to stand up on two legs and remain upright—not an easy task. Bipedal locomotion (whether walking or running) is even more difficult and amazing. In our evolutionary development, a reliable set of feet and upright posture likely preceded the emergence of our vaunted big brains. Certain conditions including clubfoot, gout, and flatfeet receive plenty of attention in the book. Foot fetish, the Chinese custom of binding feet, and the use of human feet as biblical symbols get discussed, too. Leonardo da Vinci wrote, “The human foot is a masterpiece of engineering and a work of art.” He got that right. --Tony Miksanek