Book excerpt: Established around the private collections of Gerardus Vrolik (1775–1859) and his son Willem (1801–63), the Vrolik Musuem in Amsterdam has since its founding in the nineteenth century been one of the most admired expositions of anatomy in all of Europe. Scientists and physicians from all over the world travel to gaze upon the five thousand specimens of human and animal anatomy, embryology, pathology, and congenital anomalies housed at the museum. Forces of Form brings this collection back into the limelight, exploring the museum’s rich history and displaying in color illustrations 150 of the museum’s most fascinating specimens.